Design and fabrication of a Stirling engine heat exchanger module with an integral heat pipe

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5675763

Schreiber, J G

The conceptual design of a free-piston Stirling Space Engine (SSE) intended for space power applications has been generated. The engine was designed to produce 25 kW of electric power with heat supplied by a nuclear reactor. A novel heat exchanger module was designed to reduce the number of critical joints in the heat exchanger assembly while also incorporating a heat pipe as the link between the engine and the heat source. Two inexpensive verification tests are proposed. The SSE heat exchanger module is described and the operating conditions for the module are outlined. The design process of the heat exchanger modules, including the sodium heat pipe, is briefly described. Similarities between the proposed SSE heat exchanger modules and the LeRC test modules for two test engines are presented. The benefits and weaknesses of using a sodium heat pipe to transport heat to a Stirling engine are discussed. Similarly, the problems encountered when using a true heat pipe, as opposed to a more simple reflux boiler, are described. The instruments incorporated into the modules and the test program are also outlined.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (USA). Lewis Research Center
• OSTI ID: 5675763
• Report Number(s): N-88-26732; NASA-TM--101296; E--4101; NAS--1.15:101296; CONF-880702--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420400* -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
425003 -- Engineering-- Power Cycles-- Stirling-- (1980-)
DESIGN
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENGINES
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
HEAT ENGINES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT PIPES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
POWER SUPPLIES
SPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES
STIRLING ENGINES