Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Stirling-powered heat pumps - a worthwhile R and D project

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6450704
A study has been made of the technical and economic characteristics of a gas-fired Stirling engine powered heat pump to aid management in deciding whether it is an appropriate research area for Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Engineering Technology Division. The study shows that, if reasonable cost and performance goals can be met through research and development, such a system would be very attractive to consumers, with a 3-year payback in typical climates. Over the 20-year lifetime of the system, it would produce a national benefit of perhaps $75 billion, discounted to present-day values, by saving oil and gas. In reaching this conclusion, the study compared the Stirling/Rankine system with two of its likely competitors: a very high efficiency system, and an all-electric heat pump system. These competitors were chosen because they are the most efficient space conditioning systems currently on the market. The analysis also reveals the areas in which improvements brought about through research and development would bring the greatest benefits, and thus it helps to guide the planning of research programs.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
OSTI ID:
6450704
Report Number(s):
ORNL/PPA-83/3; ON: DE83010400
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Gas-fired heat pumps: an emerging technology
Journal Article · Mon Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1977 · ASHRAE J.; (United States) · OSTI ID:7213590

Free-piston Stirling engine development. Annual report, December 1, 1983-December 31, 1984
Technical Report · Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985 · OSTI ID:6306171

Duplex Stirling machines
Conference · Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984 · Proc., Intersoc. Energy Convers. Eng. Conf.; (United States) · OSTI ID:5854260