This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a power generating
system particularly suitable for field use in remote locations, which is fuel-efficient, relatively quiet, tolerant of dust, capable of operating on low grade logistics and diesel-like fuels and capable of generating between 500 W and 2 KW of continuous electrical power. This generator employs a miniature
internal combustion engine / generator (MICE) having a
piston moving within a cylinder arranged for two-cycle operation, and an interconnected, axially arranged
piston shaft that oscillates an
alternator coil within a
magnetic core. The
piston shaft is opposed by a strong, multiple-
helix spring. The
cylinder head, in which the piston operates, is cooled by moving (electrically pumped) fluid in a cooling head, or by another heat-
transfer mechanism. The MICE generator's intake arrangement includes a preheater heated by a heated fluid flow thereon. The MICE generator is vibration-isolated using a base that supports the MICE on a plurality of soft coil springs. The MICE generator is encased in an acoustic
enclosure having a shell composed of sheet
metal or another stiff material extending from the base plate and being covered by a top side. Holes in the
enclosure top are covered by porous discs that allow exhaust gasses from the internal
muffler to pass therethrough. The acoustic
enclosure resides in a large, typically portable, external
package enclosure.