A plug-in hybrid vehicle requires an on-board system to recharge a battery. The system could be a fuel cell stack or a combustion engine. Unlike an engine which directly drives the vehicle, such an engine does not require much torque. It can be either an external combustion engine or an internal combustion engine.
The Rotary Stirling-Cycle Engine is a combustion engine which can be in a rotary Stirling configuration in a rotary IC configuration. It provides smoother operation than free-piston Stirling or free-piston IC engines. The Rotary Stirling-Cycle Engine is a true rotary engine without eccentricity, but requires a precise electronic control of the synchronised valves for integrated inlet and outlet.
The rotor itself acts as a flywheel in the Rotary Stirling-Cycle Engine. The valves are controlled mechanically or electromechanically with optical sensors, actuators and a microprocessor with precise timing control to open/close.
