[Licho]

Local university now reports, that they have finalized their prototype of Linear Combustion Engine. Type of engine without mechanical parts (like flywheel) that convert linear movement into rotatory.

Energy is instead converted directly to electricity and complex control circuits are used to control engine and keep it running.

This type of engine has higher efficiency than conventional ICE.

Suggested use is for hybrid cars, as main power source, instead of costly and material intensive fuel cells. Engine is mechanically very simple and can be mass produced cheaply, while achieving higher W/m^3 and W/kg than conventional fuel cells.

Project leader now says that after experimental prototype, full industrial prototype is being developed now.

This is somewhat outdated site which explain how engine works:
http://www.lceproject.org/

[Mesuge]

It looks good, however there were similar concepts in this area before and they did not make it on the market in the end..

It appears to me a notch easier from the mechanical part than Stirlings but LCE concept stands and falls with driving electronics/alghoritms so that's they have probably made a breakthrough if anything..

I'd like to have one for electricity generation from vegiee oil or some biowaste in case the sun is not shining for solar cells or wind is not blowing for wind turbine..

For automotive application it can not beat the full EV but it can serve as milage extender for those crazy long distance commuters..

[Licho]

Well they say they handled controlling it. It's currently using expensive high speed computer as a control unit, but new dedicated microchip circuity is ready too.

Because prototype works very well and can be controlled under variying load, they are now starting tests together with local car manufacturer Skoda on full industrial prototype for cars. They expect to be able to sell first commercial engines in 3 years.

This is TV report (not usefull unless you really want to see it running or understand Czech
http://www.nova.cz/tvarchiv/video/?video=39015

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Licho', 'L')ocal university now reports, that they have finalized their prototype of Linear Combustion Engine. Type of engine without mechanical parts (like flywheel) that convert linear movement into rotatory.

Energy is instead converted directly to electricity and complex control circuits are used to control engine and keep it running.

This type of engine has very high efficiency, up to 80% energy contained in hydrocarbon or hydrogen fuel is transformed into electricity. This should lead to cars that 4x outperform current cars in terms of hydrocarbon energy -> work efficiency.

Suggested use is for hybrid cars, as main power source, instead of costly and material intensive fuel cells. Engine is mechanically very simple and can be mass produced cheaply, while achieving higher W/m^3 and W/kg than conventional fuel cells.

Project leader now says that after experimental prototype, full industrial prototype is being developed now.

This is somewhat outdated site which explain how engine works:
http://www.lceproject.org/

[Licho]

Yeah you are right, it's badly worded, engine is mechanical ,but doesn't involve flywheel and stuff to convert linear movement of pistons to rotatory, that what I meant, sorry for confusion

[DR_STU]

A very interesting design. Increased efficiency and less complex, but I'm wondering about problems with combustion emissions since it is a two-stroke rather than four-stroke. I've heard that when comparing emissions from outboard boat engines that a two-stroke puts out 8 times the emissions of a four-stroke, mainly in uncombusted fuel. Perhaps the emissions from the above engine could be controlled if coupled to an advanced catalytic converter.

[FoxV]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Licho', 'T')his type of engine has very high efficiency, up to 80% energy contained in hydrocarbon or hydrogen fuel is transformed into electricity. This should lead to cars that 4x outperform current cars in terms of hydrocarbon energy -> work efficiency.

[Licho]

Yeah, you are right, that "4x" figure was extraggeration of some journalist who compared incomparable numbers, I unfortunatelly carried it over here.. Those numbers were nonsense, trying to fix topic name now..

[master_rb]

it seems to be similar to a boxer engine, i'm not an expert so can't express my opinion on the differences and which is better but just the base structure reminds me of the boxer

[VMA131Marine]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('FoxV', 'E')ven if it does not follow a normal heat engine:
The exhaust gasses have heat and chemical energy so there's losses there (cogen heat would help reduce this loss)

[ohanian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Licho', '
')
This type of engine has very high efficiency, up to 80% energy contained in hydrocarbon or hydrogen fuel is transformed into electricity. This should lead to cars that 4x outperform current cars in terms of hydrocarbon energy -> work efficiency.

[ohanian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('VMA131Marine', '
')Looking at the layout and operation of the engine it occurs to me that the thing will create tremendous vibration unless another pair of cylinders is added and the two pistons operate 180 degrees out of phase. This would seem to require a mechanical linkage between the two pistons.

[Syeer]

On top of the the fact that the design looks like it might produce horrendous amounts of vibration, and its a 2-cycle (although it appears to be a direct injection 2-cycle, which is, I believe, about on par with a 4-cycle in efficiency and emmisions), I'm curious as to how well those permanent magnets hold up under all the heat and vibrations. Last I checked PMs don't last long in that sort of environment.

[Licho]

Well system as a whole unit should not produce significant vibration, because piston momentum is absorbed by magnetic fields of coils producing electric current.

Exact type of engines used is not important, important is control system that can keep such 2 engines running without the need to store inertia. This is just an experimental layout. In fact they market it as low-emission engine.
Because it's only producing electricity it can run on optimal speed all most of the time..

And regarding permanent magnets and durability - I guess that you can always moe permanet magnets to non-moving part and coils to moving parts.

Btw, why shouldn't PM last long in vibration environment? Aren't they in your loudspeakers holding fine for years?

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Syeer', 'O')n top of the the fact that the design looks like it might produce horrendous amounts of vibration, and its a 2-cycle (although it appears to be a direct injection 2-cycle, which is, I believe, about on par with a 4-cycle in efficiency and emmisions), I'm curious as to how well those permanent magnets hold up under all the heat and vibrations. Last I checked PMs don't last long in that sort of environment.

[Mesuge]

well, I got my friend to translate the main parts of that linked TV clip and my assumption was basically right that the breakthrough is in the driving electronics..

Also, according to that report most agile or even most agressive prospect customers are from Malaysia in addition to euro based car manufs..

That's kind of interesting since guys from the same asian country just
bought 26% stake in the famous german Loremo AG company which
is planning that ultralight 1.5L/100km car.

Smells like Malaysian top brass is quite worried about the unfolding peak oil..

[Frank]

I've just looked at the animation quickly, but what happens when you have a misfire or fouled spark plug or something? It looks like the piston deal will just keep traveling and smash into the cylinder head! Or am I missing something? Is there any device that will mechanically control piston travel?

I have to question if this approach can be more efficient than using a flywheel, which smoothly converts reciprocating motion into rotary motion.

[Licho]

It won't just smash because it's slowed down by coils that convert it's kinetic energy into electrical
It has just enough energy to compress gas in opposite cylinder. That's what control electronics must dynamically ensure probably by changing load of coil circuits.
Little energy is wasted in whole process..

[Frank]

Thanks for your reply - that helped me understand the concept better.

[jato]

How do the pistons stay lubricated with a direct injection 2-stroke? Normally, in 2-stroke operation, the oil is mixed with the fuel to lubricate the underside of the piston. Splash lubrication wouldn't work since a significant amount of oil would end up migrating to the combustion chamber, burning and exhausting.