etavalve - Piston-based Thermal Engine

Our new piston-based thermal engine is designed to operate using the well-known Brayton cycle, also known as Joule cycle or gas turbine process. In this cycle, air as a working fluid is compressed, then heat is added at a constant pressure, and finally, it is expanded to generate work. However, in our approach, compressors and expanders will be implemented using piston machines instead of turbine wheels. Unlike turbomachinery, piston machines compress and expand nearly isentropically (n=l) even at low power levels and under partial load conditions. Consequently, a a piston-based Brayton engine can be operated with exceptionally high efficiency over a wide range of heat amount and temperature, typically between 35% and 45%, and it is highly dynamic, as adjustments can be made in each cycle. Furthermore, a piston machine is extremely cost-effective and can be scaled to a desired rated power level through adjustments in speed, cylinder size, and the number of cylinders.

As the airflow of the compressor and the expander must be precisely coordinated, the feasibility of a piston-based Brayton engine relies on the implementation of a variable valve actuator. We have developed such an actuator - highly efficient and fully automated. This patented core technology allows the piston-based Brayton engine, unlike the gas turbine, to dynamically adjust to the desired power and to fluctuations of the heat source.