Engine is on the pulse

The backers of the concept, from Barreiro, claim that its PulseMoto engine offers 42 per cent efficiency, which they say is double if not three times better than ICEs.

The PulseMoto engine relies on electric pulses from a 12V battery. The electrical energy is converted to mechanical potential energy by a series of springs. The energy from the springs is then transferred and stored in a flywheel, which can then be used to do work with devices such as generators, pumps or vehicles.

Tony Higson, chairman and chief executive of Barreiro, said that taking pulses from the battery, rather than letting it drain, allows the chemical reaction within the battery to recover so it lasts longer.

“You can reduce the amount of rotations you need and lower wear”

‘We put our engine into the equivalent of a 150cc motorcycle and got 2,000km of travel by using the pulse methodology,’ he said. ‘If you look at the comparative bikes that are on the market now, which are continuous drain electric motor-driven-type bikes, you’re lucky to get 150km.’

Higson said the PulseMoto engine, which has only recently been made commercially available, will likely achieve 80 per cent efficiency in the future, with new developments on its spring design so that it stores more energy.

Barreiro is packaging the Pulse- Moto with another new product known as the CoRo generator.

Higson said that the interesting part of the CoRo’s design is its rotating stator. ‘The generator rotates the stator in one direction and the rotor
in the opposite direction,’ he said. ‘The main benefits of that is we can reduce the RPM by 50 per cent so you can reduce the amount of rotations you need and lower bearing wear and friction. It also improves the electrical reaction between the stator and the rotor.’

Barreiro has recently taken orders for 2,000 generators in Southeast Asia and the company is in discussions with UK companies interested in taking on the manufacturing and distribution rights of Barreiro’s products for Europe.