Status of the Advanced Stirling Conversion System Project for 25 kW dish Stirling applications

Conference · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5344081

Shaltens, R K; Schreiber, J G

Under the Department of Energy's (DOE) Solar Thermal Technology Program, Sandia National Laboratories is evaluating heat engines for terrestrial Solar Heat Receivers. The Stirling engine has been identified by Sandia as one of the most promising heat engines for terrestrial applications. The Stirling engine also has the potential to meet DOE's performance and cost goals. The NASA Lewis Research Center is conducting technology development for Stirling convertors directed toward a dynamic power source for space applications. Space power requirements include high reliability with very long life, low vibration and high system efficiency. The free-piston Stirling engine has the potential for future high power space conversion systems, either nuclear or solar powered. Although both applications appear to be quite different, their requirements complement each other. NASA Lewis is providing management of the Advanced Stirling Conversion System (ASCS) Project through an Interagency Agreement (IAA) with the DOE. Parallel contracts continue with both Cummins Engine Company (CEC), Columbus, Indiana, and Stirling Technology Company (STC), Richland, Washington for the designs of an ASCS. Each system'' design features a solar receiver/liquid metal heat transport system, and a free-piston Stirling convertor with a means to provide nominally 25 kW of electric power to a utility grid while meeting DOE's performance and long-term'' cost goals. The Cummins free- piston Stirling convertor incorporates a linear alternator to directly provide the electrical output, while the STC design generates electrical power indirectly through a hydraulic pump/motor coupled to an induction generator. Both the Cummins and STC ASCS designs will use technology which can reasonably be expected to be available in the early 1990's. 17 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (United States). Lewis Research Center
• Sponsoring Organization: National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA); National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AT04-85AL33408
• OSTI ID: 5344081
• Report Number(s): DOE/NASA/33408-5; NASA-TM-104528; CONF-910801-22; ON: DE91018650
• Resource Relation: Conference: 26. intersociety energy conversion engineering (IECE) conference, Boston, MA (United States), 3-9 Aug 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
42 ENGINEERING
STIRLING ENGINES
SOLAR THERMAL CONVERSION
ALTERNATORS
COOLING SYSTEMS
DESIGN
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
HYDRAULICS
SOLAR ENERGY
SOLAR RECEIVERS
CONVERSION
ELECTRIC GENERATORS
ENERGY
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENGINES
FLUID MECHANICS
HEAT ENGINES
MECHANICS
PUBLIC UTILITIES
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
140700* - Solar Thermal Power Systems
425003 - Engineering- Power Cycles- Stirling- (1980-)