Piston centering method and apparatus for free-piston stirling engines

Patent · Tue Apr 22 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5744643

Wood, J G

This patent describes a free piston Stirling engine of the type having a housing support containing a reciprocating piston and displacer driven by the alternate expansion and compression of a working gas in a work space of the engine and also having a bounce space, an improved apparatus for preventing the creep of the mean piston position from the leakage of working gas between the work space and the bounce space. The apparatus consists of: a passageway formed through the engine between the working space and the bounce space, the passageway including at least one valve means linked to the piston for opening the valve means for a relatively brief interval when the piston is at a selected position and the bounce space pressure is to be equal to the working space pressure and for blocking the passageway when the piston is at the same position but the pressures are to be unequal.

• Assignee: Sunpower, Inc., Athens, OH
• Patent Number(s): US 4583364
• OSTI ID: 5744643
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330201* -- External Combustion Engines-- Stirling Cycle
COMPRESSION
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
CREEP
ENGINES
EQUIPMENT
EXPANSION
FLOW REGULATORS
HEAT ENGINES
LEAKS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
PISTONS
POSITIONING
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
SPACE DEPENDENCE
STIRLING ENGINES
VALVES