I-Corps: Controlled-Trajectory Rapid Compression and Expansion Machine

该I-Corps项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是通过为燃烧和燃料特性提供强大的高通量实验仪器，特别是为运输部门提供燃烧系统和可再生燃料的清洁能源解决方案。仅在美国，以内燃机为主导的交通运输部门就占能源消耗总量的28%，石油消耗总量的70%，温室气体排放总量的27%。该部门提高能效和降低排放的关键在于更好地了解燃烧过程的物理和化学特性，从而开发先进的发动机以及替代燃料，特别是可再生能源。受控轨迹快速压缩和膨胀机（CT-RCEM）通过提供对传统快速压缩机（RCM）的显着改进来解决燃烧社区的这一迫切需求。CT-RCEM有可能改变RCM市场，并为最终用户带来独特的好处，包括大学，政府研究实验室，汽车行业和石油天然气行业。这个I-Corps项目使用了一个精确的运动控制器与高速大力电液致动器，以减轻传统的RCM，固有的刚性驱动系统的最根本的限制。顾名思义，RCM的典型操作涉及通过燃烧室中的活塞的高速运动快速压缩空气燃料混合物，从而导致燃料的点燃。相关的数据提供了宝贵的洞察燃烧特性。然而，在该压缩过程中的活塞轨迹高度依赖于设备，并且操作参数的任何变化都需要硬件干预和随后的重新校准，从而导致重复性和再现性问题以及实验之间的长周转时间。受控轨迹快速压缩和膨胀机器通过其精确可控的致动系统克服了这种限制。活塞运动曲线可以通过数字改变分配给运动控制器的活塞参考轨迹来改变。这种定制活塞轨迹的能力使CT-RCEM能够提供优于传统RCM的显著优势和新功能。该奖项反映了NSF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 I-Corps project is to enable clean energy solutions for combustion systems and renewable fuels by providing a powerful and high throughput experimental instrument for combustion and fuel characterization, especially for the transportation sector. In the U.S alone, the transportation sector, which is dominated by internal combustion engines, accounts for about 28% of total energy consumption, 70% of the total petroleum consumption and 27% of the total greenhouse emissions. The key to higher energy efficiency and lower emissions for this sector lies in a better understanding of physical and chemical characteristics of combustion processes leading to the development of advanced engines as well as alternative fuels, especially from renewable sources. The controlled trajectory rapid compression and expansion machine (CT-RCEM) addresses this pressing need of the combustion community by offering significant improvements over the conventional rapid compression machines (RCM). The CT-RCEM has the potential to transform the RCM market and bring unique benefits to end users that include universities, government research laboratories, automotive industry and oil and gas industry. This I-Corps project uses a precise motion controller with a high speed large force electrohydraulic actuator to mitigate the most fundamental limitation of the conventional RCM, an inherently rigid actuation system. The typical operation of an RCM involves, as the name suggests, rapid compression of air-fuel mixture by high speed motion of a piston in combustion chamber, leading to the ignition of the fuel. The associated data provides valuable insight into the combustion characteristics. However, the piston trajectory during this compression process is highly facility dependent and any changes in the operating parameters require hardware intervention and subsequent recalibration, leading to repeatability and reproducibility issues as well as a long turnaround time between experiments. The controlled trajectory rapid compression and expansion machine alleviates this limitation with its precisely controllable actuation system. The piston motion profile can be changed by digitally changing the piston reference trajectory assigned to the motion controller. This ability to tailor the piston trajectory allows the CT-RCEM to provide significant advantages and new capabilities over the conventional RCM.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.