Abstract
This article reports a conceptual study of a new micro-electromechanical power system using elastic leaf piston rotating engine rather than conventional engines as the main component. The proposed innovative elastic rotating micro-electromechanical power system adopts two leaf pistons to substitute the traditional rigid piston for establishing elastic combustors and operates with a novel Humphrey thermodynamic cycle, which brings about high power density and energy conversion efficiency. The motion model of leaf piston is carried out by using the Euler–Bernoulli theory, and a novel calculation method of trial and error is presented to iteratively simulate the motion of elastic piston. The effects of the piston length and installation position on the combustor variation are also investigated. Results indicate that the contact point of piston and cylinder is not the piston end and keeps moving, and the combustor is periodically compressed and expanded by the rotor and piston motion to perform the intake, compression, expansion, and exhaust. Besides, the minimum combustor volume lasts an amount of time, which provides a possible realization of full isovolumetric combustion. A larger installation phase angle of pistons means a longer compression and expansion, larger combustor volume and shorter constant-volume duration.
Highlights
In recent years, there is a growing trend in the miniaturization of mechanical and electromechanical engineering devices, which followed the path about microelectronics, biomechanics, and molecular biology, that was tremendous account of the progress of microfabrication techniques.[1]
This study aims to illustrate a new elastic rotating micro-electromechanical power system (ER-micro-electromechanical power systems (MEPSs)) which has a volume of approximately 1.2 cm[3] in one combustion chamber with two leaf pistons, and the engine of this MEPS is beneficial to solve the shortcomings of micro engines mentioned above and realizes the transition from a fully rigid combustion to a flexible combustion
Using the above-mentioned calculation method, the leaf piston motion of the ER-MEPS was obtained, including the changing of contact point on the leaf piston and cylinder, the horizontal shift of free end on the piston, and the altering of force imposed on the free end on piston
Summary
There is a growing trend in the miniaturization of mechanical and electromechanical engineering devices, which followed the path about microelectronics, biomechanics, and molecular biology, that was tremendous account of the progress of microfabrication techniques.[1]. Based on multiple macro engine prototypes, a variety of micro-electromechanical power systems (MEPSs) are presented, which commonly transform the chemical energy of fuel into mechanical energy or electrical energy, providing the power for various micro aircraft, automatic robot, portable computer, wireless electronic device and almost all domains.[2,3,4]. Honeywell Company and University of Minnesota presented a concept of micro free-piston engine MEPS, aiming to develop a micro power system sources that contained 10 W/c.5. The main challenge with such engine MEPS is the control of the piston motion, and this has not yet been fully resolved for all types of free-piston engine MEPS
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