Linear Power 2015 Event will be a Milestone for Power System Technology

Sandia National Labs and the German Aerospace Centre are confirmed speakers at the inaugural technology forum for linear power systems

Oxford, UK, 3rd August 2015... Linear Power 2015, held at the University of Brighton from 7-8 September, will be the world’s first technology forum for linear power systems technology researchers and application developers. The debate on how free piston linear power systems could transform how electrical power is generated, how vehicles are powered, how heating and cooling are provided and how energy is stored is gaining in momentum, and the forum will bring these discussions to a wider audience.

The event is being hosted by the university’s Centre for Automotive Engineering (CAE) which is housed in the world-leading Sir Harry Ricardo Laboratories (SHRL) and has, over the past 20 years, built an international reputation for its innovative research. Co-sponsored by Libertine FPE and Nidec SR Drives, a UK division of Nidec Corporation, Linear Power 2015 has attracted major international speakers including representatives from Sandia National Labs in the US and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), both of whom are working on potential power units for hybrid electric vehicles.

Linear Power 2015 will bring together leading edge academic researchers and market-led industrial technology developers, showcasing the latest innovations in this fast-moving field. The event will help to accelerate research, development and the deployment of novel linear power systems for power generation, heat recovery, cryogenics and many other applications, including low emission vehicles.

“Having specialist research organisations like Sandia Labs and DLR join the conference’s speaker list reflects the growing interest in both this innovative technology and the event itself,” said Sam Cockerill, Libertine FPE CEO. “Linear Power 2015 is the first of its kind and Libertine is very excited to be a part of it. Not only will we be showcasing our own technology but we expect to gain a great deal from the experiences of others working with linear power systems.”

Linear power technologies include linear electrical machines, linear free piston expanders and compressor systems, linear valves and bearings and linear motion control systems. The rapid pace of development in these areas is overcoming the obstacles that have held back progress for several decades, which makes the timing of Linear Power 2015 even more appropriate.

“At Nidec SR Drives we are applying our world-leading switched reluctance technology to develop a new class of linear electrical machine. This forum allows companies like us to share our findings and help further develop the field of linear power systems," said Steve Cummins, Nidec SR Drives’ Business Development manager. “It’s an exciting time for the field and Linear Power 2015 is helping to highlight the growing interest in the technology that  we are seeing from an array of different industries.”

Delegates and visitors to the event will have the opportunity to observe the University of Brighton’s own linear power system undergoing laboratory trials. Incorporating linear free piston gas expander technology from Libertine FPE, the project is part-funded by the UK government through Innovate UK and is scheduled to complete its test programme by the end of this year.

About Libertine
Libertine makes efficient, low cost linear power systems that will transform small scale power generation, heating, cooling and transport. Libertine licenses its intellectual property to industrial OEMs and other application developers who can develop products that make use of Libertine’s technology and bring these products to market. The first industrial applications for Libertine’s gas expander are linear actuators, rod pumps and biogas heat-to-power systems in the UK and EU. In addition, Libertine supplies linear power system developer kits to selected corporate and academic research partners for realisation of advanced combustion methods and application development. www.libertine.co.uk

About Nidec SR Drives
Nidec SR Drives are a UK division of Nidec Corporation, an $8.5Bn organization with a staff of 100,000 people, and are a leading engineering and technology provider in the field of advanced 

electrical machines and drive systems. The company has pioneered the development, application and commercialisation of Switched Reluctance technology and offers a variety of routes to market for machines & controls both from their UK manufacturing operation and from Nidec’s overseas facilities. www.srdrives.com

About DLR
The German Aerospace Centre (DLR) has an established programme of free piston engine research aimed at developing a viable range extender engine. DLR published prototype engine results in 2013 and is now spinning the technology out through SWEngin GmbH, a startup business formed at the end of 2014, dedicated to application development of the Free Piston Linear Generator (FPLG).

http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10081/151_read-6318//year-all/

About Sandia National Labs
Sandia Labs have developed a free piston research engine to demonstrate Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) combustion. Sandia’s research has been funded by General Motors and the US Department of Energy, and aims to develop high efficiency power generators for hybrid electric vehicles.

http://crf.sandia.gov/free-piston-engines-a-possible-route-to-hybrid-electric-vehicles/

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Richard Doherty of Market Engineering
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