TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluation of performance characteristics of a novel hydrogen-fuelled free-piston engine generator
AU - Ngwaka, Ugochukwu
AU - Smallbone, Andrew
AU - Jia, Boru
AU - Lawrence, Christopher
AU - Towell, Ben
AU - Roy, Sumit
AU - KV, Shivaprasad
AU - Roskilly, Anthony Paul
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors
PY - 2021/9/24
Y1 - 2021/9/24
N2 - In this work, we present the experimental results obtained from hydrogen fuelled spark-ignited dual piston free-piston engine generator (FPEG) prototype operated in two-stroke and four-stroke mode. The FPEG testing was successfully conducted at 3.7 compression ratio, engine speed between 5 Hz and 11 Hz and with different equivalence ratios. The FPEG technical details, experimental set-up and operational control are explained in detail. Performance indicators show that both equivalence ratio and engine speed affect the engine operation characteristics. For every set of specified FPEG parameters, appropriate range of equivalence ratio is recommended to prevent unwanted disturbance to electric generator operation. Both two-stroke and four-stroke cycle mode were tested, and the results showed different combustion characteristics with the two thermodynamic cycles. Four-stroke cycle mode could operate with indicated thermal efficiency gain up to 13.2% compared with the two-stroke cycle.
AB - In this work, we present the experimental results obtained from hydrogen fuelled spark-ignited dual piston free-piston engine generator (FPEG) prototype operated in two-stroke and four-stroke mode. The FPEG testing was successfully conducted at 3.7 compression ratio, engine speed between 5 Hz and 11 Hz and with different equivalence ratios. The FPEG technical details, experimental set-up and operational control are explained in detail. Performance indicators show that both equivalence ratio and engine speed affect the engine operation characteristics. For every set of specified FPEG parameters, appropriate range of equivalence ratio is recommended to prevent unwanted disturbance to electric generator operation. Both two-stroke and four-stroke cycle mode were tested, and the results showed different combustion characteristics with the two thermodynamic cycles. Four-stroke cycle mode could operate with indicated thermal efficiency gain up to 13.2% compared with the two-stroke cycle.
KW - Electric vehicle range-extender
KW - Free piston engine
KW - Hydrogen
KW - Hydrogen combustion
KW - NOx emissions
KW - Thermodynamic description
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85081629589&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.02.072
DO - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.02.072
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85081629589
SN - 0360-3199
VL - 46
SP - 33314
EP - 33324
JO - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
JF - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
IS - 66
ER -
