Academic Report：Transform Fluid Power Based Powertrain System using Hydraulic Free Piston Engine
Speaker：Prof. Zongxuan Sun
Time：2019.4.15 10:30-12:00
Location：Conference Room 211，Shao Ke Museum
Abstract：
Off-road vehicles including construction machinery and agriculture equipment use fluid power based powertrain systems, where internal combustion engines (ICE) are used as the prime mover and hydraulic pumps, motors and cylinders are used for driving and working functions. The main drawbacks of this architecture are the relatively low efficiency and pollutants emission. An alternative approach is to produce power using a hydraulic free piston engine (FPE), where the piston motion is unconstrained by eliminating the crankshaft. The FPE architecture can be used to address concerns on both the engine and the fluid power system. FPE enables variable compression ratio control, lower friction and less moving parts in a modular and compact design. This feature matches well with advanced combustions such as Low Temperature Combustion (LTC). Thermal efficiency of more than 50% can be achieved. The output of the FPE is converted into fluid power by integrating a linear hydraulic pump directly with the combustion piston. Given the modular nature of the FPE, different power modules can be used for different functions such as driving or working circuits. The various power modules can operate at different pressures and flow rates, and they can be turned on and off in real time, even better they can be located at various locations of the machine. This modular arrangement will significantly reduce throttling loss, improve part load efficiency, and offer extra degree of freedom for machine design and packaging.
Brief Bio：
Zongxuan Sun is a Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota. He received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2000. He is currently Director of the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP). He was a Staff Researcher (2006-2007) and a Senior Researcher (2000-2006) at General Motors Research and Development Center in Warren, MI. His research interests include controls and mechatronics with applications to the automotive and commercial vehicle propulsion systems. Dr. Sun has published over one hundred thirty referred technical papers and received twenty one US patents. Dr. Sun is a recipient of the Charles E. Bowers Faculty Teaching Award, George W. Taylor Career Development Award from College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, NSF CAREER Award, SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, Best Paper Award from ASME Automotive and Transportation Systems Technical Committee in 2018, Best Paper Award from 2012 International Conference on Advanced Vehicle Technologies and Integration, Inventor Milestone Award, Spark Plug Award, and Charles L. McCuen Special Achievement Award from GM R&D.