Drive for the energy turnaround
Zero-emission cycle engine for on-demand use of green power. Renewable energies are not constantly and reliably available. The energy turnaround therefore requires solutions for the storage and on-demand provision of electricity from wind and sun. One such has the
WTZ Roßlau gGmbH developed with the zero-emission recirculating engine. The innovation makes it possible to convert hydrogen and oxygen generated from green electricity back into electricity while remaining completely emission-free. The closed-circuit engine operates according to the functional principle of an internal combustion engine, combined with an innovative combustion process. Instead of ambient air and diesel, hydrogen and pure oxygen are supplied. This means that no environmentally harmful nitrogen oxides are produced during combustion. The intake and exhaust tracts together form a recirculating system filled with an inert inert gas. This ensures more efficient combustion and thus higher efficiency. The gas mixture is ignited in the combustion chamber by a glow plug and its expansion drives a generator via the piston and crankshaft. This converts the kinetic energy into electrical energy. The reaction product is
only water vapor, which is subsequently available again for electrolysis. In addition to lower manufacturing costs, the closed-loop engine offers higher performance than the fuel cell. Possible application scenarios for the engine, which has already been realized as a prototype, include large gas engines and CHP units for grid stabilization.