Demonstration of variable compression ratio combustion development platform for renewable fuels

拟议中的项目将把Libertine的“intelliGEN”反向自由活塞开发平台与分包商马勒动力总成的柔性ECU （MFE）集成在马勒动力总成位于北安普顿的工厂的发动机测试单元中，以演示首个可再生燃料可变压缩比燃烧开发发动机。第一个示范燃料将是生物乙醇，这是一种低碳燃料，可以从包括农业废物和残留物在内的可再生资源中生产。在第一阶段，Libertine将与马勒动力系统和潜在的OEM客户一起制定第二阶段的计划，建立原型车并在现实场景中进行测试。在自由活塞发动机中，曲轴被高性能线性电机所取代，使发动机制造商在未来的内燃机中无需曲轴机构。取而代之的是，Libertine的线性电机将允许电子活塞运动控制提供实时可变压缩比，在每次燃烧事件中提供最佳燃烧条件，无论是在冷启动、峰值功率或峰值效率运行模式下，即使油箱中的燃料混合随着每次加油而变化。自由活塞发动机的可变压缩比和非正弦活塞运动能力，由于几种新燃料的燃烧特性，可以更清洁、更有效地利用可再生和合成低碳燃料。Libertine的intelliGEN反向自由活塞开发发动机系统为oem提供了开发新产品的手段，以充分利用合成、低碳和可再生燃料。这些产品对于包括轻型和中型商用车在内的“难以电气化”的运输应用的脱碳至关重要，对于一部分乘用车市场来说，车辆使用和充电限制是电气化的障碍，对于更大范围的分布式发电应用来说，这些产品将是必不可少的。

The proposed project will integrate Libertine's 'intelliGEN' Opposed Free Piston development platform together with subcontractor MAHLE Powertrain's Flexible ECU (MFE) within an engine test cell at MAHLE Powertrain's facility in Northampton, to demonstrate a first-of-a kind variable compression ratio combustion development engine for renewable fuels. The first demonstration fuel will be bioethanol, a low carbon fuel that can be produced from renewable resources including agricultural wastes and residues. During phase 1 Libertine will make plans with MAHLE Powertrain and prospective OEM clients for phase 2, to build a prototype and test it in real world scenarios. In a free piston engine, the crankshaft is replaced by high performance linear electrical machines permitting engine manufacturers to dispense with the crankshaft mechanism in future internal combustion engines. In its place, Libertine's linear electric machines will allow electronic piston motion control to deliver real-time variable compression ratio, providing optimum combustion conditions in every combustion event -- whether during cold-starts, peak power or peak efficiency operating modes, even if the fuel blend in the tank changes with every fill. The variable compression ratio and non-sinusoidal piston motion capabilities of Free Piston Engines allow cleaner and more efficient utilisation of renewable and synthetic low carbon fuels owing to the combustion characteristics of several of these new fuels. Libertine's intelliGEN Opposed Free Piston development engine systems provide the means for OEMs to develop new products to make full use of synthetic, low carbon and renewable fuels. These products will be essential for the decarbonisation of 'hard to electrify' transport applications including light and medium duty commercial vehicles, for a proportion of passenger automotive market where vehicle use and recharging constraints are a barrier to electrification, and for a larger range of distributed power generation applications.