SBIR Phase I: A Compact Home Power Generator using a Free-Piston Engine

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是销售可负担得起的提供23千瓦的备用发电机，用于家庭照明和电器的运行。由于自然灾害和电网老化导致的停电变得越来越频繁，而且随着社会越来越依赖电力供电，不仅照明和家用电器，而且计算机、无线路由器和医疗设备也越来越需要备用电源。与现有的发电机相比，SBIR的便携式发电机的体积和重量预计将降低一个数量级以上，所有这些都降低了成本。该项目更广泛的影响是，通过提供高燃油效率的备用电源（即减少不可再生化石燃料的消耗）和低碳氢化合物、颗粒物、一氧化碳和烟雾的排放，它对环境有显著的好处。该SBIR一期项目旨在解决目前市场上住宅备用发电机的缺点。现有的备用发电机要么体积小，价格实惠，但只能为单一设备供电；或者能够满足家庭的大部分需求，但又笨重又昂贵。该项目将展示实现自由活塞内燃机的潜力，从而最大限度地提高燃油效率；最小化大小;减少对润滑油的依赖；并整合一个引擎管理系统。目前工作的目标是发动机，而功能紧凑的发电机将在下一阶段开发。在这种自由活塞发动机设计中，两个活塞在平衡力的作用下摆动，减少了活塞的侧载荷，从而产生了一个持久的高速发动机。试验工作包括修改汽缸进气口；在气缸盖上增加了改进的压带和圆顶；并使用低摩擦轴承材料产生了一个成功的原型，运行在普通汽油。工程师将继续执行、测试和改进这些修改。该项目的成功完成将产生一种高效、紧凑、轻重量和低排放的发电机，可产生23千瓦的可用功率，使用标准泵汽油。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to sell affordable backup generators that provide 23 kilowatts, for operating a home's lights and appliances. With power outages due to natural disasters and an aging power grid becoming ever more frequent, and with society increasingly reliant on electricity to power not only lights and household appliances, but also computers, wireless routers, and medical devices, back-up power is an increasingly critical need. This SBIR's portable generator is expected to be more than an order of magnitude lower cubic size and weight, all at a reduced cost compared to existing generators. The broader impact of this project is its significant benefits to the environment by providing backup power at high fuel efficiency (i.e. less consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels) and low emissions of hydrocarbons, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and smoke.This SBIR Phase I project proposes to address the shortcomings of residential-use backup generators currently on the market. Available backup generators are either small and affordable but can only power a single appliance; or able to power most of a home's needs but cumbersome and expensive. This project will demonstrate the potential for implementing a free-piston internal combustion engine that will maximize fuel efficiency; minimize size; decrease dependence on lubricating oil; and incorporate an engine management system. The objective of the current effort is the engine, while the functioning compact generator will be developed in the next phase. In this free-piston engine design, the two pistons oscillate with forces in balance and reduced side-loads to the pistons, yielding a long-lasting high-speed engine. The pilot work included modification of the cylinder intake ports; addition of a modified squish band and dome to the cylinder head; and use of low-friction bearing materials yielding a successful prototype that runs on regular gasoline. The engineers will continue implementing, testing, and improving on these modifications. The successful completion of this project will yield an efficient, compact, low-weight, and low-emissions generator that produces 23 kilowatts of usable power that runs on standard pump gasoline.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.