Design of a new type of rotary Stirling engine

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:474386

Abenavoli, R I; Dong, W; Fedele, L; Sciaboni, A ^[1]

---

1. Univ. La Sapienza, Rome (Italy). Dipt. di Meccanica e Aeronautica

The Stirling machine has had wide diffusion only in cold or cryogenic applications (Philips) while the engine, despite big efforts of large Companies (Philips, Westinghouse, General Motors, etc.), never definitively reached the market; today new interest is raised correlated with environmental and energy related considerations. Thus, researchers efforts are addressed towards the design of innovative and more competitive Stirling engine configurations, like the one here proposed. This paper describes the configuration of a new, rotary Stirling engine. In the cold part of the engine, the working fluid is compressed by a rotating element, then it passes through the regenerator from the cold to the hot end, where it absorbs the heat and expands in the high pressure and temperature area. The high pressure working fluid pushes on the rotating element (the so called rotator) and the engine outputs power. In the design, compression and expansion volumes change with the rotation. Two rotators are connected with a set of gears: therefore, the engine transmission system is simplified and dimensions are reduced.

• OSTI ID: 474386
• Report Number(s): CONF-960805--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
DESIGN
DIAGRAMS
MECHANICAL TRANSMISSIONS
ROTARY ENGINES
STIRLING ENGINES