5 ms·
I predict these won't ever be smaller, lighter and cheaper than traditional design with an rotating engine and separate generator. In general, the generator we
by tlb 13y ago
I predict these won't ever be smaller, lighter and cheaper than traditional design with an rotating engine and separate generator.
In general, the generator weighs and costs more than the engine for the same power level. In the linear design, the generator is used inefficiently because the magnets are moving in a sinusoid instead of a constant velocity past the windings, and the maximum speed of a piston is lower than the optimum speed of a generator. So you'll need more magnet & wire for the same power level, increasing total weight and cost.
- trhway 13y ago>I predict these won't ever be smaller, lighter and cheaper than traditional design with an rotating engine and separate generator. it most possibly will. The reason is that traditional design was built for actual mechanical spinning of the wheels with all the trade-offs coming from it. Generating engine has completely different requirements which would drive trade-offs and optimizations. For example, you can run free-piston at much higher rpm, thus mitigating the inefficiency of magnet/wire usage. Higher rpm would lead to less weight for the same power. The pressure/volume curve can also be optimized and shaped instead of the sinusoid forced by the rotating movement. Etc...
- jacquesm 13y agoMuch higher frequency, not RPM! (there is no flywheel to go around...)