Posted on 04/18/2023 12:02:46 PM PDT by Twotone
Scientists at Stanford University's Advanced Energy Systems Laboratory have developed what appears to be a miracle generator that can run on pretty much any fuel source. Called a linear generator, this ultimate flexi-fuel generator might be the "holy grail" of generators for many industries.
The product of 14 years of development, this generator is a genuine breakthrough as it can handle and switch between different fuel sources on the fly without losing power. While that might sound like science fiction, it is, in fact, very much a reality. It also has few moving parts, doesn't require lubrication, and produces very few, if any, emissions.
“The linear generator can quickly switch between different types of green—and no-so-green, if need be—fuel, including biogas, ammonia, and hydrogen,” explained Matt Svrcek, Mainspring Energy co-founder, in an IEEE Spectrum article. “It has the potential to make the decarbonized power system available, reliable, and resilient against the vagaries of weather and fuel supplies,” he added.
So, how does this fantastic generator work? While a Stanford student, Svrcek worked on a project to transform chemical-bond energy into a more macro-scale, usable form. The earliest concepts used air and fuel in a confined chamber with movable walls. These walls compressed the fuel-air mixture as they traveled in opposite directions, causing the molecules to clash quickly and violently until they broke apart and reformed into other molecules. According to Svrcek, this method releases energy in chemical bonds without a spark or ignition source.
(Excerpt) Read more at interestingengineering.com ...
Yes, a confusing way to explain a fuel/compression flash point.
Contrary to popular belief, so can an Abrams tank. New ones come with built in generator. Home defense and emergency power. What more could a guy want?
Yeah, but I’ll bet yours doesn’t have walls that compress the fuel-air mixture causing the molecules to clash quickly and violently until they break apart and reform into other molecules. That’s the really cool part!
Mine usually reforms the wood molecules into gold, but sometimes I flip a switch and have it reform them into ice cream.
Will it run on coal? Wood pellets? Buffalo chips? Lard? Peat?
Only in the short term and small scale. Beyond a given point, it takes so much fuel as to be uneconomical.
Yes, but with two opposed, converging pistons driven by compressed-air cylinders instead of a crankshaft. Power is obtained by making part of each piston assembly a magnet and wrapping copper windings around the cylinder.
The video at the source is a bit vague on how the pistons will ride on an oilless air cushion, though.
Is it like a Mr. Fusion?
“Beyond a given point, it takes so much fuel as to be uneconomical.”
Yep, absolutely. That is one of the reasons this design was not pursued earlier. It was invented in 1943. It is the one thing not mentioned in the article. While this will function as proposed it is not at all going to be efficient.
I think they are just fishing for funding...
There are still reaction products (exhaust), guess I will have to read the article to see if they bother to address that.
Did read the article. They avoid naming the byproducts of the low temp combustion. If it is indeed low, just how low?
High temp is associated with nitrogen oxides and other stuff IIRC. It may be lower bad emissions, but something is coming out. The avoidance of detailing the chemistry is interesting.
Maybe I missed it, but no mention of how well regulated the AC power is?
Still an interesting way to directly produce electricity.
—”I don’t buy it for the simple reason that different fuel sources have different quantities of energy.”
True but...
Ethanol has a lower specific energy content (65% of gasoline).
Yet makes more horsepower!
Higher octane; runs higher compression, and burns faster/ cooler...
many cars can run on e85 which is up to 83% alcohol
on one of my cars I could have increased the hp by about 75% if I did a dedicated e85 tune and got high alcohol gas.
but it would destroy the engine if a mostly gas mix was used.
A diesel engine has the fuel injected near the peak of the input air compression cycle. That air is compressed, then near TDC of the piston movement, a squirt of liquid diesel is injected. In this device, the air and fuel are pre-mixed, and then compressed together. The advantage is they can adjust the compression to just to the point of the reaction occurring, while in a diesel, you don’t have that flexibility. That improves the efficiency.
Here is a link to a more detailed article:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/mainspring-energy
BTW, their stated AC efficiency of 45% is easily better than the 25 to 30% of a diesel engine, but still far away from the >60% efficiency of a fuel cell.
That might even be able to power the Fart Car. Eat beans and drive across the country free.
As for regulating the generated electricity, I don't know. I've seen some LED "survival" flashlights that operate like this, shaking the thing slides a magnet to and fro through a copper field coil and charges a capacitor. This scaled-up version seems like it'd need some sort of storage buffer to smooth out the current.
“https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelzer_engine“
That wikipedia article describes a generator that’s identical in operation to the Mainspring thing. So we’re both still mystified as to what’s new with the Mainspring thing.
Morning... My issue is with the keywords “Low Temp” and “No Exhaust”. I am having trouble imagining being able to take advantage of all these different fuels without a “Flame”? No combustion cycle at all?
Or are they meaning no “Spark plug”? It could be self igniting with the compression cycle like a diesel. It can happen at a lower temp but it is STILL a “combustion cycle” that requires a explosive burn “flame” of the fuel and produces exhaust.
There is something being left out or they are being deceptive about the true cycle and capabilities when claiming low temp and no exhaust. Without some special unknown fuel it is impossible...
But here is a generator made in 1943 that works the exact same but has a different configuration. Still requires a combustion cycle...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Early_FPLG_design_-_1943_Pontus_Ostenberg,_USA.jpg
They are basically claiming that it runs without a “combustion cycle” and produces “no exhaust” yet runs on “any fuel”?. If it is capable of doing something miraculous with no combustion cycle then why even add any fuel at all? Something is being twisted or left out of the equation here.
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