[Parax]

Interesting concept from Toyota for a Free-Piston Generator (Piston is free to slide with no crank)
http://www.tytlabs.com/tech/fpeg/fpeg02.html

Would this be ideal for a EREV/Rex?


I can't help feeling this is leaning very heavily on The Free piston Sterling engine that SunPower developed and Nasa have been testing to replace the thermocouple RTG (Stirlings have been producing Up to 55% Carnot efficiency!)

 

[Parax]

More on this engine here http://www.roadandtrack.com/go/out-of-turn-toyota-engine

 

[Edd Beesley]

Yeah it's a nice idea, and at 42% thermal efficiency could well replace the normal engine in a hybrid or plugin hybrid car. Could also be very useful as a compact range extender for short range BEVs. I suppose it sort of starts to blur those lines.

 

[Olivier]

Brilliant