The effect of power converter on the design of a Linear Alternator for use with a Joule Cycle Free Piston Engine
This paper describes the effect of alternative power conversion techniques on the performance of a Linear Alternator driven by a Joule Cycle Free Piston Engine for electrical power generation. The design of a tubular Longitudinal Flux machine with axial magnets is performed using 2 D axisymmetric FEA modelling with transient solver to extract the rated power for three power conversion scenarios: Resistive Loading, Grid Interface, and Unity Power Factor Controlled Converter. The design study is carried out for a specific engine operating force and velocity, taking into consideration geometrical constraints for a compact system. Results are presented and discussed emphasizing the effect of the power conversion method on the idealized resultant machine physical and performance parameters.
2017 IEEE International Electric Machines and Drives Conference (IEMDC)