Theoretical and experimental study on regenerative rotary displacer Stirling engine

Conference · Wed Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:351668

Raggi, L; Katsuta, Masafumi ^[1]; Isshiki, Naotsugu ^[2]; Isshiki, Seita ^[3]

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1. Waseda Univ., Tokyo (Japan)
2. Nihon Univ., Tokyo (Japan)
3. Isshiki R and D Lab., Tokyo (Japan)

Recently a quite new type of hot air engine called rotary displacer engine, in which the displacer is a rotating disk enclosed in a cylinder, has been conceived and developed. The working gas, contained in a notch excavated in the disk, is heated and cooled alternately, on account of the heat transferred through the enclosing cylinder that is heated at one side and cooled at the opposite one. The gas temperature oscillations cause the pressure fluctuations that get out mechanical power acting on a power piston. In order to attempt to increase the performances for this kind of engine, the authors propose three different regeneration methods. The first one comprises two coaxial disks that, revolving in opposite ways, cause a temperature gradient on the cylinder wall and a regenerative axial heat conduction through fins shaped on the cylinder inner wall. The other two methods are based on the heat transferred by a proper closed circuit that in one case has a circulating liquid inside and in the other one is formed by several heat pipes working each one for different temperatures. An engine based on the first principle, the Regenerative Tandem Contra-Rotary Displacer Stirling Engine, has been realized and experimented. In this paper experimental results with and without regeneration are reported comparatively with a detailed description of the unity. A basic explanation of the working principle of this engine and a theoretical analysis investigating the main influential parameters for the regenerative effect are done. This new rotating displacer Stirling engines, for their simplicity, are expected to attain high rotational speed especially for applications as demonstration and hobby unities.

• OSTI ID: 351668
• Report Number(s): CONF-970701--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
HEAT TRANSFER
REGENERATION
ROTATION
STIRLING ENGINES