Toyota Motor Corp. announced that it has developed a new internal combustion engine called the Free Piston Engine Linear Generator (FPEG) to increase the efficiency of electric cars.
The FPEG can convert gasoline and other fuels into electricity much better than current systems, according to Fox News.
The linear generator uses the piston as an energy source, rather than connecting a separate generator to the crankcase of an internal combustion engine. The change makes the machine smaller and its mechanics less complicated.
Instead of connecting rods or a crankshaft, a linear engine has a chamber filled with gas. The chamber acts as a gas spring, which returns the piston after the expansion and compression phases of a combustion cycle, Motor Authority reported.
The FPEG uses a W-shaped piston located in its combustion chamber in the middle of the "W".
The piston moves back and forth to create kinetic energy used to generate power, according to Green Car Reports.
While a linear generator could cause vibration problems, the issue can be solved by using more than one FPEG in a horizontally-opposed layout.
The engine works in a two-stroke cycle, Fox News reported.
Intake valves are located in the sides of the combustion chamber at the bottom of its travel, as well as in an exhaust valve at the end next to the spark plug. Small units can be collected together to cancel out vibrations and increase power.
A magnetic "move" is included on the sides of the "W", and static coils are featured on the walls of the chamber. An electrical charge is generated when the permanent magnets on the piston pass the coils, Green Car Reports said.
The FPEG concept was presented by Toyota's R&D Division at the SAE 2014 World Congress in Detroit, Mich. The new engine shows that range-extended vehicles in the future could include piston engines.
