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Title: Thermal lag test engines evaluated and compared to equivalent Stirling engines

Conference ·
OSTI ID:170419

Thermal lag engines run both free piston and with pistons kinematically linked. Free piston, a thermal lag engine may be the simplest of all piston engines as it is valveless and has only one moving part, the piston. Horizontal and vertical thermal lag engines with substantially identical cooled pistons and cylinders are tested and evaluated, particularly as to power density. The horizontal engine has an elongated, small diameter heated chamber and the vertical engine has a large diameter flat heated chamber. Both heated chambers may be altered in volume to maximize engine power at optimum compression ratios. The power density of unpressurized thermal lag engines is compared to that of early commercial Stirling cycle unpressurized air engines. The comparison indicates the potential for applying well-known modern Stirling technology to thermal lag engines.

OSTI ID:
170419
Report Number(s):
CONF-950729-; TRN: IM9605%%438
Resource Relation:
Conference: 30. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference, Orlando, FL (United States), 30 Jul - 5 Aug 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 30. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference. Volume 3; Goswami, D.Y. [ed.] [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)]; Kannberg, L.D.; Somasundaram, S. [eds.] [Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)]; Mancini, T.R. [ed.] [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)]; PB: 493 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English