HOW DO WAVE ROTOR ENGINE WORK?
The wave disk engine is a new implementation of wave rotor technology (think micro turbines). The first successful realization of a wave rotor was developed in the mid-1950s. Wave rotors (also called pressure wave machines or pressure exchangers) are unsteady-flow devices that utilize shock waves to transfer energy directly between a high-energy fluid to a low-energy fluid, thereby increasing both temperature and pressure of the low-energy fluid. According to a paper published by the MUS and Warsaw scientists in 2004, wave rotor technology can enhance cycle power and efficiency, plus possibly reduce the overall size, weight and cost. It allows a higher cycle peak temperature without need for a cooling system. Additionally, the rotational speed of a wave rotor is low compared with turbo-machines, resulting in low material stresses. The new wave disk has a leg up on earlier wave rotor implementation that were mainly axial flow. In axial-flow configurations pure scavenging (the process of returning the hot compressed air back to the turbine) is a challenging task. Although it’s possible to achieve a full scavenging process for both through and reverse-flow configurations, the solutions lead to more complex configurations. The wave disc technology, however, uses a radial and circumferential flow, which can substantially improve the scavenging process by using centrifugal forces. Compared with straight channels, curved channels provide a greater length for the same disc diameter, which can be important to obtain certain wave travel times for tuning. (Another paper, published in December 2008, explores this topic in detail.) Previous research by the MSU team led them to position the combustion process internally in the wave rotor, thereby simplifying porting between the turbo-compressor and the wave disc “enormously”. That led to a proposed concept of a Radial Internal Combustion Wave Rotor—the precursor to the wave disk engine. Now, with the wave disk engine, Norbert Müller’s goal is to: “Enable hyper-efficient hybrid vehicles to meet consumer needs for a 500-mile driving range, lower vehicle prices, full-size utility, improved highway performance and very low operating costs. The WDG [wave disk generator] also can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 95 percent in comparison to modern internal combustion vehicle engines.”
http://automobileinnovations.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-wave-disk-generator-new-fuel.html
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New engine sends shock waves through auto industry
Prototype could potentially decrease auto emissions up to 90 percent
Komentáře
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