Prof. Ir Aguk Zuhdi Muhammad Fathallah MEng Ph.D. who will be confirmed as ITS Professor, March 31, 2021

ITS Campus, ITS News – In this 21st century, transportation machinery technology has developed very rapidly. To save energy and fuel, many vehicles have adopted hybrid technology. ITS Professor, who will be inaugurated soon, Wednesday (31/3), Prof. Ir Aguk Zuhdi Muhammad Fathallah MEng Ph.D., in his oration highlighted how hybrid technology could reach its maximum potential when combined with a free-piston linear engine.

The lecturer, who is often called Aguk, explained a free-piston linear engine to reduce mechanical losses, which are overcome by eliminating rotary or rotational movements. In a conventional combustion engine, the piston’s motion is still pushed through the rotation of the crankshaft.

Whereas in the free-piston linear engine, the motion will be straight and focused on the return cycle. “Because there is no rotating motion, the electrical energy output will be greater,” explained the Naval Architecture and Shipbuilding Engineering Department, lecturer.

The free-piston linear engine is divided into three. The first is a single-piston which has one combustion chamber and one piston. On a single-piston, it is necessary to design a reverse work in the next cycle. Furthermore, dual pistons, which are designed with the combustion chamber in the opposite direction. “Opposing this direction so that they can provide mutual cycles,” he said.

Then the last and the most frequently used today are opposed pistons. In contrast to a dual-piston, two pistons are opposite each other, but there is only one combustion chamber without the cylinder head. The piston will produce exhaust gas, which will drive the turbine and have energy.

This free-piston linear engine, continued Aguk, is suitable for machines that do not require rotational energy, such as compressor drives, electric generators, and hybrid vehicles. Now, hybrid technology has been widely adopted by land vehicles. This technology provides significant advantages, especially in long-distance travel.

The semi-free piston linear engine design that has been researched by Prof. Ir Aguk Zuhdi Muhammad Fathallah MEng PhD

The energy source of a hybrid vehicle will automatically switch between batteries and gasoline. The engine will charge the battery if fuel is not used, such as during a traffic jam. “Then when the battery is full, energy will be taken from the battery,” said the man who was born on May 19, 1956.

Apart from land transportation, sea transportation also often uses hybrid technology with an electric propulsion system. With this system, according to the IMO Annex VI regulations, it will be more profitable in terms of propulsion, air pollution, and fuel efficiency because everything will be more controllable, considering the ship also requires electric power for the systems onboard.

Apart from land transportation, sea transportation also often uses hybrid technology with an electric propulsion system. With this system, according to the IMO Annex VI regulations, it will be more profitable in terms of propulsion, air pollution, and fuel efficiency because everything will be more controllable, considering the ship also requires electric power for the systems onboard.

This ITS Mechanical Engineering graduate has also conducted research related to linear free-piston engines since 2007. His research began with observing a free-piston linear machine with a single-piston which still uses a spring as its driving force. When the engine was observed through the application at a speed of 60 radius per minute (rpm), it was found that there was angular momentum (angular momentum) on the piston due to friction between the piston and the cylinder wall.

“Angular momentum will cause the piston to rotate and will seriously interfere with the scavenging process on a two-stroke engine. Because at certain times, there will be a miss fire, and the machine can shut down instantly, “he said.

Hybrid technology scheme that is applied to land and sea transportation

Ask finally developed a new model through trial and error, namely a semi-free piston linear engine with a reverse-engineering method. In this semi-free linear piston engine, the piston is given a peg on its axis to eliminate the angular momentum that will cause the piston to rotate.

The design developed by the alumni of the Mechanical Engineering Doctoral Program at Universiti Malaysia Pahang also uses a dual-piston and two-stroke system. In this case, the piston will move linearly to the right and left due to combustion on one side.

Based on the research he has done, with the same fuel, the energy output generated by a semi-free piston linear engine can be increased by up to 24 percent compared to conventional machines. This research, which is still in the form of a simulation, is planned to be applied to hybrid technology in various land and sea transportation. “With this combination, in addition to large energy output, vehicles will also be more energy-efficient,” he concluded. (ITS Public Relations)

Reporter: Muhammad Miftah Fakhrizal