Motion characteristics of a novel elastic rotating micro-electromechanical power system

Abstract

This article reports a conceptual study of a new micro-electromechanical power system using elastic leaf piston rotating engine rather than conventional engines as the main component. The proposed innovative elastic rotating micro-electromechanical power system adopts two leaf pistons to substitute the traditional rigid piston for establishing elastic combustors and operates with a novel Humphrey thermodynamic cycle, which brings about high power density and energy conversion efficiency. The motion model of leaf piston is carried out by using the Euler–Bernoulli theory, and a novel calculation method of trial and error is presented to iteratively simulate the motion of elastic piston. The effects of the piston length and installation position on the combustor variation are also investigated. Results indicate that the contact point of piston and cylinder is not the piston end and keeps moving, and the combustor is periodically compressed and expanded by the rotor and piston motion to perform the intake, compression, expansion, and exhaust. Besides, the minimum combustor volume lasts an amount of time, which provides a possible realization of full isovolumetric combustion. A larger installation phase angle of pistons means a longer compression and expansion, larger combustor volume and shorter constant-volume duration.