Concept Engines

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Liquid Air Energy Network forms in UK; focus on transportation and energy storage

May 09, 2013

Example power cycle of the cryogenic (e.g., liquid air) Dearman piston engine. Source: Dearman Engine Company. Click to enlarge.

A new new forum for the advocacy and development of liquid air as an alternative technology to harness waste and surplus energy within power and transport—the Liquid Air Energy Network (LAEN)—has formed in the UK.

The UK Centre for Low Carbon Futures published a multi-partner research report—Liquid Air in the energy and transport systems: Opportunities for industry and innovation in the UK—and presented the results at a a conference at the Royal Academy of Engineering in London. The work was conducted by a collaboration including industrial partners Arup, Dearman Engine Company, E4 Tech, Highview, Messer Group and Ricardo, as well as academics from the Universities of Leeds, Birmingham, Strathclyde, Brighton and Imperial College London.

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LiquidPiston introduces latest X-series version of HEHC rotary engine; targeting 58% peak BTE, 2 hp/lb power density

October 18, 2012

Isuzu D201 35 hp diesel engine (left) and the LiquidPiston 40 hp X2 Prototype (right). Click to enlarge.

LiquidPiston, Inc. (LPI), the developer of engines based on its High Efficiency Hybrid Cycle (HEHC)(earlier post), introduced the latest version of its X-series of rotary engines embodying HEHC at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) 2012 Directions in Engine-Efficiency and Emissions Research (DEER) Conference in Dearborn, Michigan.

The X2—which can be considered a beta version of the X1 alpha (referenced by Dr. Alexander Shkolnik, President and CEO, at the SAE High Efficiency IC Engine Symposium earlier this year, earlier post)—is a 40 hp (29 kW) multi-fuel capable rotary engine that requires no valves, cooling systems, radiators, mufflers, or other components. Expected realized brake efficiency for the X2 is 58% (peak) and 50% at partial load; power density is targeted to be around 2 hp/lb.

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Concept: modular EV-hybrid features battery and engine swapping

October 01, 2012

A diagram of the powertrain components of the proposed hyMod. The front-wheel drive traction motor (blue) and in-floor 5 kWh battery pack (green) are always present. The car can change between a rear engine-pack (red) and a larger battery-pack (green) to enable hybrid or full EV operation. Click to enlarge.

A Romanian team—Dan Scarlat (automotive journalist), Marian Cilibeanu (designer) and Cristian Ionescu (engineer)—are proposing the SCI hyMod modular concept car. For clean daily operation, hyMod is exclusively a battery-electric car. For longer-range interurban travels, it can transform into a hybrid car with the assistance of a special change center (“hyMod STATION”).

A synchronous permanent magnet electric 42 kW motor with 200 N·m torque drives the front wheels of the vehicle. In the middle section, beneath the floor, is mounted a 5 kWh battery pack which can be used in both electric and hybrid modes. The rear features a modular structure designed to enable the transformation; the drive shafts and the intermittent mechanical couplings which are used in conventional engine mode are mounted in the area of the rear axle.

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Novel opposed-piston free-piston linear generator for hybrids seeks to overcome drawbacks of earlier designs

June 06, 2012

Design of opposed-cylinder free-piston linear generator from earlier works with single, centered linear generator. Click to enlarge.

A researcher at the Nanjing University of Science & Technology is proposing a novel opposed-piston free-piston linear generator for use in series hybrid electric vehicles. According to his simulations, Ling Huang says, the linear generator could deliver 15 kW average output with a generating efficiency of 42.5%.

A number of research groups have explored the development of a free-piston linear generator, including work at West Virginia University (WVU), Sandia National Laboratory (SNL), Chalmers University of Technology (earlier post), and Shanghai Jiaotong University (earlier post), among others. Most of this work focused on a similar design: a single linear generator placed between two opposed cylinders, as in the diagram at right from Shanghai Jiaotong.

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