Typical components of the burner and preheater assemblies, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, are described with reference to, The overall efficiency of a thermal engine is dependent in part on the efficiency of heat transfer between the combustion gases and the working fluid of the engine. As more air is added to the fuel, the emissions of CO, HC and NOx decrease until the amount of air is large enough that the flame becomes unstable. The vehicle further includes a power output coupled to the energy storage device for providing power to an external load, while the vehicle is stationary. The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the following description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which: In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a personal vehicle is provided that includes a hybrid Stirling engine/generator to provide power to the vehicle. generators driven by combustion engines using DC generators and DC motors, Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle using propulsion power supplied by engine-driven generators, e.g. In addition, the hybrid Stirling engine/generator has good throttle response and instant power as required by a vehicle for operation. The drive arrangement includes an external combustion engine for generating mechanical energy and thermal energy, a generator for converting the mechanical energy produced by the external combustion engine to electrical energy and an energy storage device for storing power provided by the generator and for providing power to the external combustion engine and the assembly. The described embodiments of the invention are intended to be merely exemplary and numerous variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. hybrid propulsion systems comprising electric motors and internal combustion engines ; Control systems therefor, i.e. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Copyright 2022 National Academy of Sciences. The response time of a Stirling cycle engine is limited by the heat transfer rates between the external combustion gases and the internal working fluid of the engine and may be on the order of 30 seconds. The run fuel-air ratio in the preferred embodiment is 0.026 grams fuel to gram air, which results in approximately 13% oxygen in the exhaust of the engine. [2] The simulation tool allows the study of Stirling-powered vehicles in conventional or hybrid electric (series, parallel or split) configurations, determining parameters of the vehicle like fuel consumption, power output, emissions, energy flow and the engine's temperature profile. The marketing success of hybrid vehicles significantly depends on the selection, integration and cost of the energy systems. Stay tuned. He took a Stirling engine, a type of engine developed 200 years ago, and added some 21st-century technology to it. SAE International's core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. He also plans to submit his laboratory findings to the Texas Transportation Institute, which will verify his 100 miles per gallon claims. As mentioned, one type of external combustion engine which may be used in a hybrid electric vehicle is a Stirling cycle engine. 5,755,100 to Lamos. an energy storage device coupled to the output of the generator, for storing power provided by the generator and for providing electric power to the external combustion engine and locomotive power to the assembly; and, iv. Accordingly, the fuel-air ratio is first controlled by the controller (shown in, A given fuel will only ignite over a limited range of fuel-air ratios. No. series hybrid electric vehicles, Methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells, specially adapted for electric vehicles, Methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells, specially adapted for electric vehicles for monitoring or controlling batteries, Methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells, specially adapted for electric vehicles for monitoring or controlling batteries responding to state of charge [SoC], Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function including control of propulsion units, Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function including control of propulsion units including control of combustion engines, LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS, RIDER PROPULSION OF WHEELED VEHICLES OR SLEDGES; POWERED PROPULSION OF SLEDGES OR SINGLE-TRACK CYCLES; TRANSMISSIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SUCH VEHICLES, Transmissions characterised by use of other elements; Other transmissions, Transmissions characterised by use of other elements; Other transmissions characterised by the use of two or more dissimilar sources of power, e.g. At ignition, an ignition fuel-air ratio chosen which is equal to or less than the stoichiometric fuel-air ratio corresponding to the fuel being used. The response time of an internal combustion engine, on the other hand, is very short because the combustion gas is the working fluid and can be directly controlled by the fuel flow rate. MacDowell borrowed one of these Stirling engines from NASA and began experimenting with it to see if he could use the regenerative engine with 21st-century automotive know-how. In one embodiment, the external combustion engine is a Stirling cycle engine. Using this thermopile technology, aStirling-powered vehiclecan drive at highway speeds without having to recharge. Aktiebolag, ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:KAMEN, DEAN L.;LANGENFELD, CHRISTOPHER C.;NORRIS, MICHAEL;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:014256/0946;SIGNING DATES FROM 20030501 TO 20030701, PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEE, 12TH YEAR, LARGE ENTITY (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: M1553); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY, Hybrid electric vehicles using a sterling engine, Hybrid Electric Vehicles Using a Stirling Engine, Systems, methods and apparatus for vehicle battery charging, Hybrid vehicle and method of controlling hybrid vehicle, Self generating power generator for cryogenic systems, Electric vehicle with onboard electricity production, Lightweight integrated rear suspension and drive enclosure for a ridden motorized vehicle, Thermoelectric heat energy recovery module generator for application in a stirling-electric hybrid automobile, Water vapor distillation apparatus, method and system, Pressurized vapor cycle liquid distillation, Hybrid Electric Vehicle Energy Management System, Regeneration capacity control method for a battery, MOTOR VEHICLE WITH A COMBUSTION ENGINE AND AN ELECTRIC MOTOR, A kind of Full-day oil-electricity double-power motorcycle, Protective cover for battery box of electric vehicle, Battery box locking device for electric vehicle, Energy conversion apparatus and control system, Start-up and control method and apparatus for resonant free piston Stirling engine, Stored power system for vehicle accessories, Convertor for thermal energy into electrical energy using Stirling motor and integral electrical generator, Adaptive regulation system for a linear alternator driven by a free-piston stirling engine, Combination wheelchair and walker apparatus, Method and device for controlling an energy conversion system, Stirling cycle heat pump for heating and/or cooling systems, Method of decreasing nitrogen oxides in combustion device which performs continuous combustion, and apparatus therefor, Stirling machine operating method for vehicle esp electric vehicle, Speed and power control of an engine by modulation of the load torque, Power system for extending the effective range of hybrid electric vehicles, Transportation vehicles with stability enhancement using CG modification, Drive system, especially for a motor vehicle, and method of operating same, Off-board station and an electricity exchanging system suitable for use with a mobile vehicle power system, Combustion products pressure generators intermittent burner cycle and engines, Method to control NOX formation in fossil-fueled boiler furnaces, Power plants which include at least one hot gas engine, Apparatus for selectively applying electrical current to plants, Low emission burners and control systems therefor, System for supplying fuel and combustion air to an external combustion engine, Concentric crossflow recuperator for stirling engine, Method of charge control for vehicle hybrid drive batteries, METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REGULATING AIR / FUEL MIXTURE BY BURNER OF THE TYPE DESIGNED WITH AN EVAPORATOR TUBE, Air fuel control system for Stirling engine, Method and apparatus for regulating the combustion in a furnace, Double acting stirling engine phase control, Thermodynamic working fluids for Stirling-cycle, reciprocating thermal machines, Self-heated diffuser assembly for a heat pipe, Congeneration system with a stirling engine, Feedback air-fuel control system for Stirling engines, Power supply system for continuously energizing a D.C. load, Linear generator or motor with integral magnetic spring, Extended range motor vehicle having ambient pollutant processing, Low temperature solar-to-electric power conversion system, Method for monitoring the battery of a hybrid vehicle, Efficient energy conversion apparatus and method especially arranged to employ a stirling engine or alternately arranged to employ an internal combustion engine, Power generation control device for hybrid electric vehicles, Power generation control device for hybrid vehicle, TANDEM DRIVE UNIT WITH REDUCERS AND ELECTRIC OR HYBRID DRIVE VEHICLE COMPRISING SUCH A GROUP, Flexure bearing support assemblies, with particular application to stirling machines, Hybrid fuel-cell electric-combustion power system using complete pyrolysis, Hermetically sealed stirling engine generator, Power generation control device for hybrid electric vehicle, System and method for control of fuel and air delivery in a burner of a thermal-cycle engine, Stirling engine thermal system improvements, Stirling cycle generator control system and method for regulating displacement amplitude of moving members, Engine having external combustion chamber, Automatic gain control for input to analog to digital converter, Vehicle powered by a fuel cell/gas turbine combination, Hybrid vehicle and control method thereof, Motor-driven power inverter system, with cogeneration, Modular auxiliary power unit assembly for electric vehicle, Multi-cylinder engine control device for hybrid vehicle, Method of operation of internal combustion engine and internal combustion engine implementation the method, Propulsion mechanism of electric propulsion ship and electric propulsion ship, Co-generative power source for electric car, Hydrogen gas engine and energy-saving car, Gas turbine engine and method of operation, Fuel control device for multi-fuel engine, Engine control device of series hybrid vehicle, is an estimated efficiency factor for the DC/DC converter (shown in. HEVs characterised by the architecture of the hybrid electric vehicle, PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES, Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. As described above, the optimal fuel-air ratio of the fuel-air mixture decreases as the temperature of the preheated air increases. The vehicle includes a generator for converting the mechanical energy produced by the external combustion engine to electrical energy and an energy storage device for storing power provided by the generator and for providing power to the external combustion engine and the assembly. Nos. In addition, minimizing emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) requires a lean fuel-air mixture which still achieves complete combustion. In alternative embodiments, the personal vehicle is configured such that the vehicle lacks inherent stability at least a portion of the time with respect to a vertical in a fore-aft plane but is relatively stable with respect to a vertical in the lateral plane. With a personal account, you can read up to 100 articles each month for free. The thermal energy produced by the external combustion engine may be used to provide heat to an area surrounding the personal vehicle. The personal vehicle includes a controller for controlling a total power load placed on the external combustion engine providing short term regulation of external combustion engine parameters. This document is focused in the application of Stirling engines as the power source for automobile propulsion. hybrid propulsion systems comprising electric motors and internal combustion engines ; Control systems therefor, i.e. In his model, the Stirling engine runs at a fixed RPM generating electricity that is used to charge the batteries, which drive motors that propel the vehicle. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. For comparison, a standard internal combustion engine operates only at 14 percent efficiency. failures within the drive train relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. Hybrid Vehicles have gained momentum in the automotive industry. The result is a hybrid electric car so efficient that you never have to stop to recharge, reports Houstons KHOU11. No. Within the specification and the following claims, the term combustion axis shall refer to the direction of predominant fluid flow upon combustion of the fluid. Once proven and tested, MacDowell believes his idea will revolutionize the hybrid engine industry leading to the eventual end of the internal combustion engine. In order to optimize this process, a simulation tool for Stirling vehicle was developed based in ADVISOR, a proven hybrid electric vehicle simulation software, and MARWEISS, a Stirling engine simulator. Once the flame is stabilized, and the temperature of the combustion chamber of the burner reaches the desired warmup temperature, the fuel-air ratio is then controlled based on the air preheat temperature and the fuel type. 09/517,808, filed Mar. Unlike steam engines which utilizea similar principal, the Stirling engine has an internal regenerative heat exchanger that keeps the hot and cold air at the correct temperature. In general, a hybrid electric vehicle combines a combustion engine with a battery and an electric motor. KENSJosh Mac MacDowell of San Antonio Texas had a brilliant idea. In an alternative embodiment, heater tubes may be used to transfer heat from the hot fluid combustion products to the working fluid of the engine. Request Permissions, Luis Figueroa, Owen R. Fauvel and Graham T. Reader, Read Online (Free) relies on page scans, which are not currently available to screen readers. The invention may be implemented in a wide range of embodiments. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR, Other domestic- or space-heating systems using heat pumps, Indexing codes relating to the type of vehicle, Input parameters relating to a particular sub-units, Energy storage means for electrical energy, Output or target parameters relating to a particular sub-units, INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY, CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDE-CARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE, Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor, Stirling type engines having closed regenerative thermodynamic cycles with flow controlled by volume changes, Stirling type engines having closed regenerative thermodynamic cycles with flow controlled by volume changes having their pistons and displacers each in separate cylinders, FLUID HEATERS, e.g. MacDowell coupled the engine with existing hybrid technology, creating a system that will deliver 58 miles per gallon to a Ford F-150 and at least 100 miles per gallon in a smaller SUV. No. The air is considered fully warmed up when it exceeds its known ignition temperature. His idea was so brilliant that Texas A&M University became involved in the project, providing MacDowell with technical expertise and a testing environment to aid in the development of the engine. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:KAMEN, DEAN L.;LANGENFELD, CHRISTOPHER C.;NORRIS, MICHAEL;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:014256/0946;SIGNING DATES FROM 20030501 TO 20030701, Free format text: This recycling feature boosts the engines efficiency to a whopping 50 percent. In response to energy and environmental issues and concerns, hybrid electric vehicles, such as buses and cars, have been developed in an attempt to provide efficient, low emission vehicles. speed, deceleration or energy consumption, Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. All Rights Reserved. The external combustion engine and the generator may be housed in a hermetically sealed pressure vessel. In another embodiment, the personal vehicle includes a power output coupled to the energy storage device for providing power to an external load. d. a controller, coupled to the drive arrangement, for controlling a total electrical power load placed on the external combustion engine such that short term regulation of external combustion engine temperature is provided. Stirling cycle type engines the engine being of the free piston type, Controlling by varying the rate of flow or quantity of the working gas, Combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants, Combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants with reciprocating-piston engines, DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. Once the air reaches its warmed up preheated temperature, the air flow rate is adjusted to maintain the optimal fuel-air ratio for the warmed up preheated temperature. MacDowell also redesigned the Stirling engine to have the dimensions and appearance of a standard four-cylinder engine, making it compatible with existing automobiles. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. {/102}Depending on the size of heater head. NEW POWER CONCEPTS LLC, NEW HAMPSHIRE, Free format text: The foregoing references are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. The internal combustion engine, dominant of the vehicle market, has been the option of choice for auxiliary power unit of the hybrid vehicle, although other power sources as fuel cells, Stirling engines and gas turbines have been employed as well [1]. The power control system, therefore, is designed to account for the lengthy response time of a Stirling cycle engine. For example, Stirling cycle engines generally make poor traction motors due to poor throttle response and limited power in comparison to an internal combustion. Location: Costa Mesa California, United States, Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). For a sudden increase in the load, The adjustment current may be selected based on the known V-I characteristics of the battery. The present invention pertains to hybrid electric vehicles utilizing an external combustion engine and in particular, a Stirling cycle engine. Once the engine is warmed up, the fuel-air ratio is adjusted to minimize the emissions produced and to maintain a stable flame. A personal vehicle for transporting a user over a surface including an external combustion engine. 6,381,958, titled Stirling Engine Thermal System Improvements, incorporated by reference above. The closed-cycle air engine uses the expansion of hot air and the compression of cold air to generate the power needed to drive an engine. PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEE, 12TH YEAR, LARGE ENTITY (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: M1553); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY. We tested the self-driving Mercedes tech so advanced, its not allowed in the U.S. We drove Mercedes hand-built EQXX concept, and its unlike any other EV, 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB first drive review: An EV better than its gas sibling, Ford recalls 100,000 hybrid cars over fire risk, 2022 Rivian R1S first drive review: An EV SUV fit for an expedition or a drag race, With Tesla bleeding money, Elon Musk initiates hardcore spending review, Europe just suffered its worst DDoS attack ever, but we dont know why. The term flame speed is defined as the speed at which a flame front will propagate through a particular fuel-air mixture. Order URL: Abstract reprinted with permission of SAE International. As a result, the optimal fuel-air ratio decreases as the temperature of the preheated air increases during the warmup phase of the engine. In order to optimize this process, a simulation tool for Stirling vehicle was developed based in ADVISOR, a proven hybrid electric vehicle simulation software, and MARWEISS, a Stirling engine simulator. The CO and HC emissions will continue to increase as more air is added to the fuel-air mixture until the flame extinguishes at a Lean Blow-Out limit (LBO). In a preferred embodiment, where the fuel is propane, the ignition fuel-air ratio is set to 0.1 grams propane per grams air. The joint action of power sources and energy storage systems for energizing the vehicle improves the vehicle's fuel economy while reducing its pollutant emissions and noise levels, challenging automotive designers to optimize vehicle's cost, weight and control. The marketing success of hybrid vehicles significantly depends on the selection, integration and cost of the energy systems. batteries, Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors, Quantum Industrial Development Corporation, Stig G. Carlqvist Motor Consultant (C.M.C.) Dynamically stabilized vehicles are discussed in more detail in U.S. Pat.