MIcropower

Research that includes: 

  • Photosynthetic fuel cell
  • Surface-tension and osmotic driven micropower sources
  • Silicon-based rotary engine power system
  • Proximity power sensor for energy management

APP49: MEMS Rotary Engine Power System / 2.4 mm Rotary Engine with Integrated Generator

Aaron Knobloch
2003

The MEMS Rotary Engine Power System (MEMS) 2.4 mm engine is the power generating source for the MEMS REPS and it will be the first design to be integrated with an electric generator.

Project end date: 07/30/03

APP60: MEMS Rotary Engine Power System / 2.4 mm Engine Demonstration Unit

Jack Yu
2003

For the demonstration unit of the 2.4 mm Wankel rotary engine, the engine will be redesigned as an expander to be run on compressed gases. Once the expander micro-fabrication is complete, an integrated generator will be incorporated to power an electronic device.

Project end date: 07/30/03

APP50: MEMS Rotary Engine Power System / 1 mm Engine Design and Fabrication

Kelvin Fu
2003

The development of a portable power system using liquid hydrocarbon as fuel promises significant advantages in energy density over conventional batteries. The goal of MEMS Rotary Engine Power System (REPS) is to fabricate a small scale (1.2mm^3 displacement) rotary (Wankel) engine with an integrated electric generator and all necessary ancillary equipment (thermal management, fuel delivery, thermal packaging, etc.).

Project end date: 07/30/03

APP59: MEMS Rotary Engine Power System / Dynamic Fuel Evaporator System

Chen-li Sun
2003

The goal of this project is to design a dynamic fuel evaporator to deliver a constant mass-flow rate of vaporized fuel for a MEMS Rotary Engine Power System (REPS).

Project end date: 07/30/03

LWL12: Disposable Microbatteries and Microvehicles for MEMS

Ki Bang Lee
Firas Sammoura
2003

This research aims to develop microbatteries and microvehicles that can be integrated with disposable MEMS or bioMEMS devices as power sources and transport microdevices from one place to other place. As such, the fabrication processes of the microbatteries and microvehicles are to be compatible with common MEMS fabrication processes and IC manufacturing processes, such as the CMOS process.

Project end date: 01/24/04

APP85: A High Pressure Micro-Combustion Chamber for a Viscous Rotary Engine Power System

Jose Rosario-Rosario
2006

Characterize the operating conditions present in high pressure fuel combustion for power generation in a novel MEMS Viscous Rotary Engine Power System (VREPS). Inside the VREPS, a high pressure fluid adheres to the surface of a hollow cylinder (rotor) and imposes a rotation by means of viscous shear forces. An integrated micro magnetic generator will enable the mechanical to electrical power conversion. The end goal for this part of the project is to provide high pressure combustion effluents in a proper vessel for throttling into a functional VREPS device. Micro-combustion chamber...

APP88: Experimentally Verified Simple Analytical Models of the Viscous Rotary Engine Power System (VREPS)

Thomas H. Cauley III
2004

Determine the efficiency and feasibility of a new type of power system, the Viscous Rotary Engine Power System (VREPS), using simple analytical models that have been verified through micro-scale fluidic experiments. VREPS will be driven by a Couette-Poiseuille Flow in a small gap between a rotating disk or annulus and a stationary housing, similar to a drum and cylinder viscometer except the fluid is driving the drum in the case of VREPS. The proposed VREPS design, as shown in Figure 1, converts mechanical rotation of the disk or annulus into electrical power by using an integrated...

APP87: Thermal Management of Next Generation Rotary Engine Power System

Jonathan Rheaume
2004

As the MEMS Rotary Engine Power System project team designs a larger engine (1500mm3) with increased power output, it may no longer possible to rely on natural convection for engine cooling. An active thermal management system is necessary to regulate engine temperature and to reject waste heat. This project will model the increased thermal load of the more powerful, fuel flexible, next generation rotary engine; analyze cooling options; and provide feedback to the design of the rotor, endplates, fuel vaporizer, air preheater, and rotor housing. This project entails essential steps...

APP48: MEMS Rotary Engine Power System / Soft Magnetic Pole Integration

Debbie G. Jones
2004

The goal of this research is to electroform ultra thick ferromagnetic structures into a silicon mold patterned with DRIE.

Project end date: 01/20/05

APP51/RM: Silicon Carbide–Coated Microcomponents for the Rotary Engine–Based Power System

Muthu B.J. Wijesundara
Jingchun Zhang
Carlo Carraro
Bob Ashurst
2016

The goal of this project is to develop a facile method for the realization of SiC-coated Si and SiC-based components for MEMS-based micropower systems.

Project end date: 09/10/04