Stable Operation and Electricity Generating Characteristics of a Single-Cylinder Free Piston Engine Linear Generator: Simulation and Experiments

Huihua Feng, Yu Song, Zhengxing Zuo, Jiao Shang, Yaodong Wang and Anthony Paul Roskilly
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Huihua Feng: School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China
Yu Song: School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China
Zhengxing Zuo: School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China
Jiao Shang: School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China
Yaodong Wang: Sir Joseph Swan Centre for Energy Research, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
Anthony Paul Roskilly: Sir Joseph Swan Centre for Energy Research, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK

Energies, 2015, vol. 8, issue 2, 1-21

Abstract: We present a novel design of a single-cylinder free piston engine linear generator (FPELG) incorporating a linear motor as a rebound device. A systematic simulation model of this FPELG system was built containing a kinematic and dynamic model of the piston and mover, a magneto-electric model of the linear generator, a thermodynamic model of the single-cylinder engine, and a friction model between the piston ring and cylinder liner. Simulations were performed to understand the relationships between pre-set motor parameters and the running performance of the FPELG. From the simulation results, it was found that a motor rebound force with a parabolic profile had clear advantages over a force with a triangular profile, such as a higher running frequency and peak cylinder pressure, faster piston motion, etc. The rebound position and the amplitude of rebound force were also determined by simulations. The energy conversion characteristics of the generator were obtained from our FPELG test rig. The parameters of intake pressure, motor frequency, and load resistance were varied over certain ranges, and relationships among these three parameters were obtained. The electricity-generating characteristic parameters include output power and system efficiency, which can measure the quality of matching the controllable parameters. The output power can reach 25.9 W and the system efficiency can reach 13.7%. The results in terms of matching parameters and electricity-generating characteristics should be useful to future research in adapting these engines to various operating modes.

Keywords: free piston engine; linear generator; single-cylinder; motor rebound force; generating characteristic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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