Pressure modulation system for load matching and stroke limitation of stirling cycle apparatus

Patent · Tue Jul 10 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6191861

Beale, W T

A Stirling heat pump driven by a Stirling engine has its stroke limited under conditions of decreasing pump load. This stroke limitation is accomplished by effecting the flow of gas from the engine to the heat pump in response to a maximum piston stroke. Preferably, a valved passageway is formed in communication between the gas in the engine and the gas of the pump. The passageway is valved by a means which normally blocks the flow of gas but opens when the piston of either the pump or the engines strokes to an extreme selected position. The passageway opens into the engine and into the pump at zones so that when the valve is open the zones are at a pressure differential which will cause a flow of gas from the engine to the pump. By this means the power delivered by the heat engine portion of the machine can be made to be equal to the power absorbed by the heat pump at all conditions of heat pump temperature differential.

• Assignee: Sunpower Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4458495
• OSTI ID: 6191861
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320100 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Buildings
42 ENGINEERING
425003* -- Engineering-- Power Cycles-- Stirling-- (1980-)
CONTROL
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
DESIGN
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENGINES
EQUIPMENT
FLOW REGULATORS
FLUID FLOW
GAS FLOW
HEAT ENGINES
HEAT PUMPS
HEAT TRANSFER
LEAKS
MODULATION
PISTONS
POWER DEMAND
PRESSURE CONTROL
STIRLING ENGINES
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
VALVES