Sterling Engine Controller

97 Control Electronics for Palm Power 35W Free-Piston Stirling Engine Ezekiel Holliday1 and Douglas E. Keiter2 Sunpower Inc., Athens, Ohio 4501 A 35We, JP8-fueled, soldier-wearable power system for the DARPA Palm Power program is being developed by Sunpower. A 42We Sunpower Free-Piston Stirling Engine (FPSE) with integral linear alternator, which was originally developed under a Phase II SBIR from NASA GRC, is the prime mover for this system. Due to the complexities associated with controlling a FPSE and the requirements of the Palm Power program for modulation, high efficiency, and low mass, a non-dissipative, efficient electronic control system is also being developed by Sunpower to convert the AC output voltage of the FPSE into 28Vdc for the Palm Power end user.

Nomenclature P pmean Xp τ

T • • • • •

= = = =

average power mean gas pressure piston amplitude acceptor to rejector temperature ratio

I. Introduction he soldier-wearable power source developed under the Palm Power program must provide a soldier with up to 35We while maximizing system efficiency and therefore the length of time a liter of JP8 fuel will last. The engine controller under development at Sunpower performs a variety of functions including: Modulating the engine power output to match the power demanded by the load Converting the engine AC output into regulated 28Vdc independent of load or engine stroke.

Controlling the alternator current so that it is nearly sinusoidal.

Starting the engine when the hot-end temperature reaches the proper temperature.

Stopping the engine when commanded by the user or when necessary due to other system requirements.

In addition to controlling the engine as described above, the conversion efficiency from AC power out of the engine to DC power delivered to the user must average > 90% during the course of a three day mission. Because the power source must be soldier-wearable, the controller size and mass must be minimized.

A breadboard controller is currently operational at Sunpower and meets all of the functional requirements. The conversion efficiency of the AC-DC conversion stage is better than 95%. Currently a commercial DC-DC converter is being used as the final output stage to provide regulated 28Vdc to the end user. The maximum efficiency of this device is 80%, resulting in an overall efficiency of approximately 75%. A new DC-DC converter is being designed at Sunpower that is expected to be greater than 95% efficient for output power levels higher than 10W. A significant qualitative test that the Sunpower FPSE controller has passed is the ability to control during near instantaneous transients from no-load to full power and then back to no-load with no damage to the FPSE. An important and difficult requirement for any FPSE controller is that it be able to protect the engine from damage when the load is unplugged and that it prevents the engine from stalling when the load is increased, all while maintaining constant output voltage for the user. The Sunpower FPSE controller has demonstrated that it meets both requirements.

Current work at Sunpower is focused on testing of the custom DC-DC converter, integration of each component of the controller into a single system, and packaging the entire controller into a 70mm (2.75in) x 70mm (2.75in) x 50mm (2in) volume in time to support the demonstration of a form, fit, and functional soldier wearable power system in February of 2006.

1 2

Electrical Engineer, Sunpower, Inc. 182 Mill Street Athens OH 45701 .Research and Development Manager, Sunpower, Inc., 182 Mill Street Athens OH 45701 AIAA Member 1 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Copyright © 2005 by Sunpower, Inc., 15-18 August , International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, San Francisco, California

II. Free-piston Stirling Engine Operation A free-piston Stirling engine is a closed-cycle, reversible heat engine which converts heat from any external source into work by moving a volume of gas between a hot acceptor and a cold rejector. The resulting oscillating pressure wave causes an appropriately sprung piston to oscillate sinusoidally with a linear motion.

The Sunpower FPSE design employs a moving magnet alternator. When the piston oscillates, a ring of permanent magnets moves in an airgap surrounded by a coil of wire, causing current to flow in that coil of wire.

This combination of magnets, coil, and lamination structure is the linear alternator. To ensure stable operation at a fixed piston stroke, real power must be extracted from the FPSE through the linear alternator. The real power extracted must be exactly equal to the real power produced by the FPSE or the FPSE will either stall or the piston stroke will grow uncontrollably.

III. Operation and Control of Free-piston Stirling Engines There are two fundamental approaches for varying the power produced by a free-piston Stirling engine. The output power of a FPSE is dependent on the temperature ratio between the heat acceptor and heat rejector as shown in Eq. (1)1 and also as plotted in Fig. 1.

1  Ρ ∝ p mean X p2  1 −   τ

Temperature Ratio = 3.5 Temperature Ratio = 2.75

Output Power (W)

Temperature Ratio = 2

Piston Stroke (mm) Figure 1. FPSE predicted output power variation with changing piston stroke, plotted for different acceptor to rejector temperature ratios.

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(1)

To a first approximation a particular Stirling engine will maintain a fixed fraction of the Carnot efficiency over a range of hot-end to cold-end temperature ratios. To maximize efficiency and output power, the FPSE should always be operated at the maximum allowable acceptor temperature and the minimum possible reject temperature.

The reject temperature is influenced by environmental conditions that often cannot be tightly controlled. The maximum allowable head temperature is a result of material selection and design life requirements of the FPSE. Lowering the acceptor temperature to reduce the power produced by the FPSE will clearly reduce the efficiency of the engine as illustrated in Fig. 2. Besides the reduction in efficiency, another disadvantage of controlling output

Palm Power 35W Engine 46

36% Power Efficiency

35%

44

34%

43

33%

42

32%

41

31%

40 2.60

2.65

2.70

2.75

2.80

2.85

Efficiency

Output Power (W)

45

30% 2.90

Acceptor to Rejector Temperature Ratio (K/K) Figure 2: Palm Power 35W FPSE measured power and efficiency plotted for a constant 8mm piston stroke and varying acceptor to rejector temperature ratio3. power using head temperature is that, due to the thermal mass of the heater head, the response of the engine is very slow compared to potential changes in load. To prevent the engine from being damaged due to piston overstroke during rapid reductions in the output load, a resistive dump load must be available to absorb excess power from the engine for the amount of time required for the acceptor temperature to drop. The total system energy wasted during the transient is the integral of power delivered to the dump load during the time needed for the acceptor to reach the new steady-state operating temperature. The transient time is proportional to the thermal time constant of the heater head so the energy wasted is also proportional to the same time constant. A head temperature based controller must also have sufficient energy storage to provide power during a transient increase in load power to prevent the engine from stalling while the acceptor temperature increases.

Eq. (1) and Fig. 1 also show that for an ideal FPSE, the output power is proportional to the square of piston stroke. An engine controller that modulates piston stroke to match engine power to load power, coupled with a temperature controller that can vary heat input to the head to maintain constant acceptor temperature, results in an overall system that has a nearly flat efficiency curve from half power to maximum output power.

Fig. 3 shows the measured output power and efficiency of the Palm Power 35W engine for a constant temperature ratio of 2.6 as piston stroke varies from 0mm to 8mm. This approach to FPSE control was presented in 3 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Palm Power 35W Engine 45

45% Power

40%

Efficiency

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Piston Stroke (mm) Figure 3. Palm Power 35W FPSE measured power and efficiency plotted for a constant 2.6 acceptor to rejector temperature ratio and varying piston stroke3. a paper by Berchowitz2 using tapped windings on the linear alternator to provide three discrete piston strokes that all delivered the same AC output voltage. Additionally, piston stroke can be increased or decreased relatively quickly in response to changes in the output load. As mentioned previously, the total energy wasted in the resistive dump load and the mass and volume required for energy storage are greatly affected by how rapidly the engine output power can be changed to match the load demand.

IV. Controller Description A block diagram of the Palm Power engine controller is shown in Fig. 4. The controller consists of an AC-DC converter, a resistive dump load, energy storage capacitors, and a DC-DC converter. The engine controller modulates piston stroke to match the power produced by the FPSE to the power demanded by the output load. Piston stroke is measured as part of the stroke control algorithm and the commanded alternator current is the output of the piston stroke control loop.

If the fuel and air input to the JP-8 burner are not changed, then when the power produced by the FPSE is increased, the acceptor temperature drops. When the power produced decreases, the acceptor temperature rises. To maintain constant acceptor temperature for the Palm Power program, the mixture of JP-8 and air into the JP-8 burner must be varied as the power produced by the FPSE changes. The burner control system is being developed by the same team who are providing the burner for the Sunpower engine and is currently not part of the Sunpower engine controller.

The mid-stage DC voltage is the voltage at the output of the AC-DC converter and at the input to the DC-DC output converter. This voltage rises when the load power drops and lowers when the load power increases. The capability of the controller to respond quickly to load changes reduces the capacity requirements for a resistive dump load when the output load drops and for transient energy storage when the output load increases.

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35Vdc to 95Vdc

Lalt

Rac

AC-to-DC Converter

FPSE

Xpfb

Engine Stroke Control

28Vdc

Transient Dump Resistor Energy Storage Capacitor

Mid-stage DC Voltage Control Circuit

DC/DC Power Supply

Icmd Xpcmd

Figure 4. Palm Power engine controller block diagram/schematic.

The AC-DC converter is a four quadrant, high frequency switch-mode converter which converts the FPSE AC output voltage into 75Vdc. The AC-DC converter also forces the current in the alternator to be sinusoidal while controlling the amplitude of the alternator current at the level necessary to maintain the desired piston stroke.

Another benefit of the AC-DC converter is that it eliminates the need for the series capacitor that is usually used to tune out the relatively large impedance from the alternator winding inductance. This alternator inductance is an advantage and is actually needed in the AC-DC converter topology to maintain sinusoidal alternator current.

The purpose of the resistive dump load and energy storage capacitor or battery has already been discussed. The capability of the Palm Power engine controller to respond quickly to load changes reduces the capacity requirements for a resistive dump load when the output load drops and for transient energy storage when the output load increases. For the 35W engine controller the dump resistor bank occupies a volume of 1.7cm3 and can dissipate 50W indefinitely, although this would never be required. The energy storage capacitor is 1000µF and occupies a volume of 12.3cm3.

The mid-stage voltage can vary from 35Vdc to 95Vdc as part of the transient response of the engine controller.

When the output load drops from 35W to no-load or increases from no-load to 35W, the transient response time for the FPSE and engine controller to change the engine output power is approximately 3.5 seconds. The response time will be shortened to approximately 2 seconds as a result of the final optimization of the engine power control loop.

Reducing this response time will allow a reduction in size and mass of the dump resistor and energy storage capacitor.

Because the mid-stage voltage is allowed to vary widely as part of the transient response capability of the controller, a final stage output voltage regulator is required to provide constant 28Vdc to the user independent of piston stroke. The variation of output voltage with piston stroke has been one of the primary difficulties associated with controlling FPSE output power through modulation of piston stroke because output voltage is directly proportional to stroke. By using a modern switching power supply to regulate the widely varying mid-stage DC voltage at a constant 28Vdc, the user sees the proper output voltage regardless of the FPSE piston stroke.

V. Controller Requirements For the overall soldier-wearable power system to achieve the desired performance goals including conversion efficiency from JP-8 tactical fuel to electrical power and energy density for a specified mission length, the electronic engine controller must meet the following specifications: • • • •

Engine controller efficiency: > 90% Mass: < 236 grams Volume: < 250 cm3 (W70mmxL70mmxH50mm) Output voltage: 28Vdc +/- 5% from no load to 35We

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Initial breadboard testing of the Palm Power engine controller began in February of 2005. The breadboard controller is modular in design. The AC-DC converter, stroke controller, piston position sensor, and mid-stage transient load handling circuits were designed, built, and tested at Sunpower. Measured component and overall system efficiency plots are shown in Fig. 5. The DC-DC converter plot is for a commercially available power supply that was purchased to expedite controller proof of concept testing. The total system efficiency plot includes the

Palm Power 35W Breadboard Engine Controller Measured Efficiency 100%

Efficiency (We /We )

80%

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Engine Output Power (We ) Figure 5: Measured breadboard controller efficiency with commercial DC-DC output convertor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;housekeepingâ&#x20AC;? power or power required to operate the controller. At the highest output power point, the mid-stage voltage dropped below the minimum voltage at which the DC-DC converter could maintain regulation. In this condition, the efficiency of the DC-DC converter dropped, also reducing the total controller efficiency as can be seen in the plot.

The mass and volume of the purchased DC-DC converter is too great and the efficiency is too low for the Palm Power application. A new DC-DC converter with improved efficiency is being designed which will fit within the required package. The calculated efficiency of the new DC-DC converter is shown in Fig. 6, along with the predicted overall efficiency. This predicted DC-DC converter efficiency is based on the availability of low on resistance MOSFET transistors, a low resistance buck inductor, minimal losses in the current sensor and estimates for the necessary gate drive power. Final efficiency numbers for the DC-DC converter may differ from the predicted values depending on the unaccounted for high frequency losses in the buck inductor or possible power dissipated in any snubber circuit or EMI filtering that might be required.

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The overall efficiency includes the AC-DC stage, the DC-DC stage as well as between 1W and 1.5W of housekeeping power. The predicted controller efficiency with the new DC-DC converter is greater than 90% for output powers higher than 25W.

Palm Power 35W Breadboard Engine Controller Predicted Efficiency 100%

Efficiency (We /We )

90%

80%

70%

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60%

Custom DC-DC Converter Total Controller with Custom DC-DC Converter

50% 0

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Engine Output Power (We ) Fig 6: Predicted controller efficiency with Sunpower-designed DC-DC output converter.

VI. Conclusions A FPSE engine controller has been designed, built, and tested by Sunpower as part of a high-efficiency, lowmass, soldier-wearable power system that replaces batteries by converting JP-8 tactical fuel to electrical power. The controller modulates piston stroke to match power produced by the engine to power demanded by the load while maintaining a constant DC output voltage. The controller is small and efficient and addresses many of the control challenges inherent to FPSEs control with rapidly varying load. A fully integrated version of the Palm Power system including JP-8 burner, burner controller, 35We FPSE, and engine controller will be demonstrated in February of 2006.

Acknowledgments Sunpower is pleased to thank the DARPA Palm Power management team. Sunpower also acknowledges the input of the internal technical team members.

1

References

West, Colin D. PhD, Principles and Applications of Stirling Engines, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1986.

2 Berchowitz, D.M. “Operational Characteristics of Free-piston Stirling Engines”, Proceedings of the 23rd Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering, 1988.

3 Wood, J.G, Lane, N., “Development of the Sunpower 35 We Free-Piston Stirling Convertor,” Space Technology and Applications International Forum – STAIF 2005, AIP CP746, edited by M.S. El-Genk, Issue 1, American Institute of Physics, Albuquerque New Mexico, February 6, 2005, pp. 682-687.

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