Test results of a Stirling engine utilizing heat exchanger modules with an integral heat pipe

Technical Report · Thu Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:6271702

Skupinski, R C; Tower, L K; Madi, F J; Brusk, K D

The Heat Pipe Stirling Engine (HP-1000), a free-piston Stirling engine incorporating three heat exchanger modules, each having a sodium filled heat pipe, has been tested at the NASA-Lewis Research Center as part of the Civil Space Technology Initiative (CSTI). The heat exchanger modules were designed to reduce the number of potential flow leak paths in the heat exchanger assembly and incorporate a heat pipe as the link between the heat source and the engine. An existing RE-1000 free-piston Stirling engine was modified to operate using the heat exchanger modules. This paper describes heat exchanger module and engine performance during baseline testing. Condenser temperature profiles, brake power, and efficiency are presented and discussed.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (United States). Lewis Research Center
• OSTI ID: 6271702
• Report Number(s): N-93-25136; NASA-TM--105883; E--7681; NAS--1.15:105883; CNN: RTOP 590-13-11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330000* -- Advanced Propulsion Systems
42 ENGINEERING
425003 -- Engineering-- Power Cycles-- Stirling-- (1980-)
ALKALI METALS
EFFICIENCY
ELEMENTS
ENGINES
HEAT ENGINES
HEAT PIPES
METALS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
SODIUM
SPACE VEHICLES
STIRLING ENGINES
TESTING
VEHICLES