Our client developed a novel highly efficient thermal dynamic cycle for use in waste heat recovery systems. The system makes use of waste heat and converts it to electrical energy by driving a generator with a heat engine. The system was comprised of a heat engine, a generator, a containment vessel, two heat exchangers and a high pressure (725 psi) and high temperature (325 F) plumbing and valving system.
For the engine, we started with the short block of an inline four cylinder diesel engine (engine block, pistons, crankshaft and oil pump). All other stock components were removed and redesigned starting with a custom desmodromic valve train along with the cam drive, flywheel and engine starting system.
For this project, Exact Engineering provided the following services:
Structural Analysis
- Epoxy bond joint strength and athermalization
- Metering structure FE analysis and athermalization
- Primary mirror design and FEA optimization for low weight and low surface figure distortion
- Dynamic FE analysis for operating environments
- Thermal stress analysis for environmental conditions
Alignment and Assembly
- Development of alignment strategies and methodologies
- Design and all component alignment stations
- Alignment and nulling fixtures for mechanical alignments to 1 arc-sec
- Production of manufacturing drawings
- All tooling and component fabrication
- Assembly of alignment and assembly stations
- Training for use of alignment and assembly stations
Optomechanical design
- Large diameter thru-hole azimuth motor with custom bearings and housings
- Gimbaled primary mirror with high bandwidth scanning axis
- Composite graphite shell metering structure
- Light-weighted metal primary mirror
- Kinematic demountable mirror interface
- Flexured zero-motion interfaces for navigation components
- Light-weighted metal metering structure
- Silicon dome window mount to frame
- Materials engineering for selection of metals, epoxies and plastics
- Production of manufacturing drawings
