Stirling engines are machines based on a simple working principle and are well known for their theoretical high thermal efficiency. Technical drawbacks related to the high temperatures required for achieving high values of thermal efficiency and output power have limited their spread to low-power applications. Stirling engines can operate with almost any source of heat. For this reason, these engines are currently installed in applications with renewable energy sources for combined heat and power generation (CHP), where the mechanical output power is usually converted into electrical power. The paper is focused on the design and analysis of a novel mechanical configuration with a higher number of cylinders than current commercial solutions. The performances of several multicylinder configurations are evaluated via numerical simulations, taking into account the dynamics of the mechanism and the thermal aspects of the cycle. Finally, a prototype of the main mechanism, which allows the number of cylinders to be increased, is introduced and briefly described.
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April 2015
Research-Article
Design of a Novel Multicylinder Stirling Engine
Steven Chatterton,
Steven Chatterton
1
Mem. ASME
Via G. La Masa 1,
Milano 20156,
e-mail: steven.chatterton@polimi.it
Department of Mechanical Engineering
,Politecnico di Milano
,Via G. La Masa 1,
Milano 20156,
Italy
e-mail: steven.chatterton@polimi.it
1Corresponding author.
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Paolo Pennacchi
Paolo Pennacchi
Mem. ASME
Via G. La Masa 1,
Milano 20156,
Department of Mechanical Engineering
,Politecnico di Milano
,Via G. La Masa 1,
Milano 20156,
Italy
Search for other works by this author on:
Steven Chatterton
Mem. ASME
Via G. La Masa 1,
Milano 20156,
e-mail: steven.chatterton@polimi.it
Department of Mechanical Engineering
,Politecnico di Milano
,Via G. La Masa 1,
Milano 20156,
Italy
e-mail: steven.chatterton@polimi.it
Paolo Pennacchi
Mem. ASME
Via G. La Masa 1,
Milano 20156,
Department of Mechanical Engineering
,Politecnico di Milano
,Via G. La Masa 1,
Milano 20156,
Italy
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Mechanisms and Robotics Committee of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL DESIGN. Manuscript received May 6, 2014; final manuscript received January 6, 2015; published online February 16, 2015. Assoc. Editor: Ettore Pennestri.
J. Mech. Des. Apr 2015, 137(4): 042303 (12 pages)
Published Online: April 1, 2015
Article history
Received:
May 6, 2014
Revision Received:
January 6, 2015
Online:
February 16, 2015
Citation
Chatterton, S., and Pennacchi, P. (April 1, 2015). "Design of a Novel Multicylinder Stirling Engine." ASME. J. Mech. Des. April 2015; 137(4): 042303. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4029642
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