Analysis and testing of internal combustion engine driven linear alternator

Introduction. Internal combustion engine technology has been considered for the alternator system in the last two decades. Especially when considering fuel diversity, reliability, portability, power density, research studies are increasing day by day. In this respect, interest has been focused on linear generator studies. Purpose. The goal of the research is to investigate the performance of a linear generator and its application to generate electrical energy from an internal combustion engine to solve the range problem of small electric powered vehicles. The generator, unlike a traditional generator, consists of a linear generator with a crank mechanism driven by an internal combustion engine. Originality. The configuration of the linear generator with internal combustion engine crank has not previously been reported. Methods. The numerical solution of the generator was carried out by the finite element method in the Ansys Maxwell software in a cylindrical coordinate system. The effect of stroke length and frequency on voltage and output power was investigated by monitoring an external electrical load. A prototype linear generator has been designed and produced considering the sizing dimensions. The configuration can be used in power-hungry applications and increase the range of small electric vehicles. Results. The results from simulation and practice are largely in agreement. Practical value. A practical mechanical system was built comprising a linear generator connected to a 2.2 kW internal combustion engine via a crank connecting rod for analysis.