STIRLING ENGINE

WHAT IS STIRLING ENGINE?

A HEAT ENGINE OPERATING BY CYCLIC COMPRESSION AND EXPANSION OF FLUID,AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURE  THERE IS A NET CONVERSION OF HEAT ENERGY TO MECHANICAL WORK

COMMON CONFIGURATION

MAIN COMPONENTS
PISTON small tightly sealed piston that moves up when the gas inside the engine expands DISPLACER larger piston and it is very loose in its cylinder so air can move easily between the heated cooled sections of the engine as the displacer moves up and down These piston move by the action of compression and expansion. Difference in pressure causes the piston to move and produce power.

TYPES OF STIRLING ENGINE

ALPHA STIRLING ENGINE BETA STIRLING ENGINE

ALPHA TYPE STIRLING ENGINE

The two piston alpha type design has pistons in independent cylinders, and gas is driven between the hot and cold spaces.

ACTIONS OF ALPHA STIRLING ENGINE

1. First, the air moves to the hot side, where it is heated and it expands pushing up on a piston.

2. Then the air moves through the regenerator to the cold side, where it cools off and contracts pulling down on the piston.

3. Almost all the gas is now in the cold cylinder and cooling continues. The cold piston, powered by flywheel momentum compresses the remaining part of the gas. 4. The gas reaches its minimum volume, and it will now expand in the hot cylinder where it will be heated once more, driving the hot piston in its power stroke.