Next Big Future - Latest Comments in Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Razer — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 10:27:20 -0000

The Free Piston engine was designed, developed and patent in Kingston, Ontario Canada in 1970. Credit to Professor James Campbell of Queens University, This engine would develope 5 times the horsepower of an equivalent diesel engine and use 50% less fuel mixture. The company, Free Piston Developement, also manufactured parts for equipment for the Canadian and American military and later became a jobber Shop serving the Kingston area.

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Daniel — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:08:45 -0000

False claims too :-) A "real" free-piston engine works with an uniflow scavenging system. piston Advantages of a free-piston engine see below:
http://www.freikolben.ch

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Daniel — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:02:44 -0000

It is a crankless combustion engine that has just some 2% friction loss, because of the absence of any bearings. It is noisy like any other combustion engine. No more, no less. But it is twice as efficient.
http://www.freikolben.ch

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Daniel — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:00:03 -0000

What you see on this website is a boneshaker engine without any sound suppression at all. Each conventional crank engine makes the same noise in such experimental stage. The only real problem is the vibration of such double acting free piston engine. Please find an inherently balanced free piston engine here:
http://www.freikolben.ch

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Daniel — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:55:07 -0000

Think of chances, not of limits. Modern NdFeB magnets work up to 100 degrees, SmCo magnets having a similar power dense work up to 200 degrees. The mass of magnets is not a problem. The average speed is not low but high.
http://www.freikolben.ch

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Daniel — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:52:19 -0000

please find some information about Free Piston Engines in German and English language: http://www.freikolben.ch

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Daniel — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:46:48 -0000

You ara absolutely right, it does shake like hell :-)
Therefore, use the one and only Pescara Free Piston Engine:
http://www.freikolben.ch

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Daniel — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:45:31 -0000

please check this out, information about Free Piston Engines in German and English language: http://www.freikolben.ch

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Sarat Rout — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:45:18 -0000

why that engine is known as free piston engine?

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Sarat Rout — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:43:17 -0000

i also interested to about free piston engine give me information as soon as possible

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Sarat Rout — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:40:51 -0000

i am ready devote to all my effort and time but my intention is to gain experience

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Sarat Rout — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:37:01 -0000

NOW tech. is devlop. ,if by any method absolutely remove exhaust gas indicated efficiency will increase.

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

João Paulo Fernandes Teixeira — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:37:18 -0000

What about using magnetic gears (like the ones developed by Magnomatics, http://www.magnomatics.com) to convert linear to rotary kinetic energy. They do linear -> rotary kinetic energy converters that have high efficiency, reduced friction losses, and would work here as a magnetic crankshaft replacement.

Also, no complex energy conversion cycle (kinetic energy -> electrical energy --> kinetic energy) would be needed. And we'd use conventional transmission, brakes, and suspension, which would make it easier to scale up production.

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Robert — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:15:13 -0000

How about just using steam pistons ? no head crashing, and no complicated electronics to malfunction.and 80% of our electricity is allready produced by it.steam is a reliable well understood process

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

J T — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 05:28:29 -0000

another (possibly simpler alternative) is to have a Direct injection system and dely the introduction of the fuel for as long as possible (maybe 10 degrees before top dead center or something ) which means that the fuel would combust at the right time, you could find where the pistion is based on the output of the generator (which Im presumeing would output an AC current which would allow you to moniter the fluction in the voltage) the electronics would need to be precise otherwise the piston would make contact with the head anyways. also having the generator set up to extract as much energy out of it as possible (Longer coil, or larger numbers of coils possibly, but Im not 100% sure how that would work) as the more energy you could extract the slower you could make the piston travel. as for the heat against the magnets if you cased the Magnets in a ceramic with a high magnetic permeabillity but also a low thermal conductivity you could run the engine as hot as you like (Im not sure if such a material exists)

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

SikterEfendi — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:15:24 -0000

What about balancing? This should shake like there's no tomorrow...

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

ocean_f — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 23:17:43 -0000

i worked many months on this idea but now I try some other unconventional solution. For 1 kW engine the idea I not bad, but for 50kW or 70kW the mass of the magnets is serious limitation. The problem is in the low average speed of the mover in the linear generator plus the 80 degC limit of neodymium magnets and their price. Many things can go wrong with serious financial consequences.

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

govindarajulu — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:40:15 -0000

hi i want do a project on fatigue life preduction of free piston engine mounting using FEM ,plz give me a related information

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

hermetic — Sun, 17 May 2009 11:54:25 -0000

Tesla patent 511916 of 1893 covers all the basic technology shown here, the reciprocating piston was driven by steam or compressed air, but the text also allows for other fuels. by using only one piston driven in both directions Tesla's patent eliminates the risk of piston/head collision, and he used it as a high frequency electrical generator. As other comments here say, it is certainly not friction free, and also the current generated in the coils will magnetically resist the travel of the piston rod/magnet assembly as would happen in a normal alternator when electrical load is applied to the output. Best to build a working prototype and test the overall efficiency from tank to pavement, as someone else here comments. As an ex motorcyclist on large two strokes I can vouch for the fact that they are very powerful, but NOT economical (as in fuel efficient) at all!
Phil.

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

Crude Oil Trader — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:37:48 -0000

Looks like it would make a great battery charger. LOL

Great Post!

http://thealternativeenergy...

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

JasonR — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:55:06 -0000

I found the video and posted it on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

nextbigfuture — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:20:29 -0000

Too much noise does not seem to be a problem for the Chinese researchers. However, if there is a noise issue there is recent developments in Micro Honeycomb Materials Enable New Physics In Aircraft Sound Reduction

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

JasonR — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:59:29 -0000

When I first saw this and took a look at the iceproject.org website, I thought how great this would be in a plug-in hybrid like the Chevy Volt. While I was at that site or another site, I found a video of the prototype being tested and now I can't find it again but it is out there. In the video, the engine was VERY loud and didn't have a pleasing growl like some engines do. That said, I think some type of sound suppression would be required for a commercial application in a hybrid car.

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

mike_murray — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:11:45 -0000

Interesting article. Please do not report that it is "free of friction" --- "It is small, has only one moving part, and is free of friction and noise..."

Re: Free-piston engine could be twice as fuel efficient as combustion engines

nextbigfuture — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:03:20 -0000

You have no research to support your assertions. MIT Technology Review and Sandia National lab researchers and other scientists are publishing peer reviewed research which indicates that the free-piston engine can achieve 50% or greater efficiency.