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STIRLING ENGINE
A Technical seminar report submitted to the
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Ananthapuram
in partial fulfilment for the award of the degree of
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
in
MACHANICAL ENGINEERING
by
B.ANILKUMAR
(Regd.NO.132U1AO304)
2014-2017
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CERTIFICATE
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1:
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 2:
HISTORY
CHAPTER 3:
WHAT IS STIRLING ENGINE
CHAPTER4:
WORKING PRINCIPLE OF STIRLING ENGINE
CHAPTER 5:
DIFFERENT CONFIGURATION OF STIRLING ENGINE
5.1. Alpha Stirling
5.2. Beta Stirling
5.3 Gamma Stirling
5.4 Other types
CHAPTER 6:
KEY COMPONENT OF STIRLING ENGINE
6.1. Heat source
6.2. Heater / hot side heat exchanger
6.3. Regenerator
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CHAPTER 7:
EFFICIENCY
CHAPTER 8:
APPLICATION OF STIRLING ENGINE
CHAPTER 9:
ADVANTAGE& DISADVANTAGES
CHAPTER 10:
PROTOTYPES OF STIRLING ENGINE
CHAPTER 11:
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER12:
REFERENCES
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CHAPTER-1
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INTRODUCTION
The Stirling Engine was invented by Robert Stirling. This device was born as a competence to
the vapor machine, since a Sterling Engine works with smaller pressures than the device created
by Watt and it did not require a qualified train engineer.
At the end of s.XIX with the development of the internal combustion engine and the
appearance of electric engines, the machine of this study was forgotten.
Nowadays the technology that involves the invention of Robert Stirling is in completely
development because of the fact that now very useful applications are available.
A Sterling engine is a heat engine operating by cyclic compression and expansion of air or
other gas, the working fluid, at different temperature levels such that there is a net
conversion of heat energy to mechanical work.
Or more specifically, a closed-cycle regenerative heat engine with a
permanently gaseous working fluid, where closed-cycle is defined as a thermodynamic system in
which the working fluid is permanently contained within the system, and regenerative describes
the use of a specific type of internal heat exchanger and thermal store, known as the regenerator.
It is the inclusion of a regenerator that differentiates the Stirling engine from other closed
cycle hot air engines.
Originally conceived in 1816 as an industrial prime mover to rival the steam engine, its
practical use was largely confined to low-power domestic applications for over a century.
The Stirling engine is noted for its high efficiency compared to steam engine, quiet
operation, and the ease with which it can use almost any heat source. This compatibility with
alternative and renewable energy sources has become increasingly significant as the price of
conventional fuels rises, and also in light of concerns such as peak oil and climate change.
This engine is currently exciting interest as the core component of micro combined heat
and power (CHP) units, in which it is more efficient and safer than a comparable steam engine.
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CHAPTER-2
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The Stirling Engine is one of the hot air engines. It was invented by Robert Stirling (1790-1878)
and his brother James. His father was interesting in engine andhe inherited it. He became a
minister of the church at Scotland in 1816. At this period,he found the steam engines are
dangerous for the workers. He decided to improve thedesign of an existing air engine. He hope it
wound be safer alternative. After one year,he invented a regenerator. He called the Economizer
and the engine improves theefficiency. This is the earliest Stirling Engine. It is put out 100 W to
4 kW. But theinternal combustion engine substituted for it quickly. The Ericsson invented the
solarenergy in 1864 and did some improvements for after several years. Roberts brother, James
Stirling, also played an important role in the development of Stirling engines.
The original patent by Reverend Stirling was called the "economizer", for its improvement of
fuel-economy. The patent also mentioned the possibility of using the device in an engine. Several
patents were later determined by two brothers for different configurations including pressurized
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versions of the engine. This component is now commonly known as the "regenerator" and is
essential in all high-power Stirling devices.
Stirling engine of the second generation began in 1937.The Philips of Holland used new
materials and technology to ascend a very high level. The knowledge about the heat transfer and
fluid physical, which is a great significance to improving of the structure and raised the stability.
Subsequent to the failure of the Dundee foundry engine there is no record of the Stirling brothers
having any further involvement with air engine development and the Stirling engine never again
competed with steam as an industrial scale power source (steam boilers were becoming safer and
steam engines more efficient, thus presenting less of a target to rival prime movers). However,
from about 1860, smaller engines of the Stirling/hot air type were produced in substantial
numbers finding applications wherever a reliable source of low to medium power was required,
such as raising water or providing air for church organs.These generally operated at lower
temperatures so as not to tax available materials, so were relatively inefficient. Their selling
point was that, unlike a steam engine, they could be operated safely by anybody capable of
managing a fire. Several types remained in production beyond the end of the century, but apart
from a few minor mechanical improvements the design of the Stirling engine in general
stagnated during this period
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During the early part of the twentieth century the role of the Stirling engine
as a "domestic motor was gradually taken over by electric motors and
small internal combustion engines. By the late 1930s, it was largely
forgotten, only produced for toys and a few small ventilating fans.
Around that time, Philips was seeking to expand sales of its radios into parts of the world where
grid electricity and batteries were not consistently available. Philips' management decided that
offering a low-power portable generator would facilitate such sales and asked a group of
engineers at the company's research lab in Eindhoven to evaluate alternative ways of achieving
this aim. After a systematic comparison of various prime movers, the team decided to go forward
with the Stirling engine, citing its quiet operation (both audibly and in terms of radio
interference) and ability to run on a variety of heat sources (common lamp oil "cheap and
available everywhere" was favored). They were also aware that, unlike steam and internal
combustion engines, virtually no serious development work had been carried out on the Stirling
engine for many years and asserted that modern materials and know-how should enable great
improvements.
By 1951, the 180/200 W generator set designated MP1002CA (known as the "Bungalow set")
was ready for production and an initial batch of 250 was planned, but soon it became clear that
they could not be made at a competitive price. Additionally, the advent of transistor radios and
their much lower power requirements meant that the original rationale for the set was
disappearing. Approximately 150 of these sets were eventually produced. Some found their way
into university and college engineering departments around the worldgiving generations of
students a valuable introduction to the Stirling engine.
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CHAPTER-3
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A Stirling engine is a heat engine that operates by cyclic compression and expansion of air or
other gas (the working fluid) at different temperatures, such that there is a net conversion
of heat energy to mechanical work. More specifically, a closed-cycle regenerative heat engine
with a permanently gaseous working fluid. Closed-cycle, in this context, means a thermodynamic
system in which the working fluid is permanently contained within the system,
and regenerative describes the use of a specific type of internal heat exchanger and thermal store,
known as the regenerator. The inclusion of a regenerator differentiates the Stirling engine from
other closed cycle hot air engines
Originally conceived in 1816 as an industrial prime mover to rival the steam engine, its practical
use was largely confined to low-power domestic applications for over a century.
The Stirling engine is noted for high efficiency compared to steam engines, quiet operation, and
its ability to use almost any heat source. This compatibility with alternative and renewable
energy sources has become increasingly significant as the price of conventional fuels rises, and
also in light of concerns such as peak oil and climate change. This engine is currently exciting
interest as the core component of micro combined heat and power (CHP) units, in which it is
more efficient and safer than a comparable steam engine.
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CHAPTER-4
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The Stirling engine cycle is a closed cycle and it contains, most commonly a fixed mass of gas
called the "working fluid" (air, hydrogen or helium). The principle is that of thermal expansion
and contraction of this fluid due to a temperature differential.
So the ideal Stirling cycle consists of four thermodynamics distinct processes acting on the
working fluid: two constant-temperature processes and two constant volume processes.
1. Isothermal expansion: The expansion space is heated externally, and the gas undergoes
near-isothermal expansion.
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4. Constant-volume heat addition: The compressed air flows back through the regenerator
and picks up heat on the way to the heated expansion space.
The process lines in the figure above reflect the properties of an ideal gas. The main processes,
like for most heat engines, are cooling, compression, heating and expansion. A Stirling engine
operates through the use of an external heat source and an external heat sink having a sufficiently
large temperature difference between them.
The gasses used inside a Stirling engine never leave the engine. There are no exhaust valves that
vent high-pressure gasses, as in a gasoline or diesel engine, and there are no explosions taking
place.
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CHAPTER-5
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Mechanical configurations of Stirling engines are classified into three important distinct types:
Alpha, Beta and Gamma arrangements.
These engines also feature a regenerator (invented by Robert Stirling). The regenerator is
constructed by a material that conducts readily heat and has a high surface area (a mesh of
closely spaced thin metal plates for example).
When hot gas is transferred to the cool cylinder, it is first driven through the regenerator, where a
portion of the heat is deposited. When the cool gas is transferred back, this heat is reclaimed.
Thus the regenerator pre heats and pre cools the working gas, and so improve the efficiency.
But many engines have no apparent regenerator like beta and gamma engines configurations
with a loose fitting displacer, the surfaces of the displacer and its cylinder will cyclically
exchange heat with the working fluid providing some regenerative effect.
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In practice, this piston usually carries a large insulating head to move the seals away from the
hot zone at the expense of some additional dead space.
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5. 2. Beta Stirling:
The Beta configuration is the classic Stirling engine configuration and has enjoyed popularity
from its inception until today. Stirling's original engine from his patent drawing of 1816 shows a
Beta arrangement.
Both Beta and Gamma engines use displacer-piston arrangements. The Betaengine has both the
displacer and the piston in an in-line cylinder system. The Gammaengine uses separate cylinders.
The purpose of the single power piston and displacer is to displace theworking gas at constant
volume, and shuttle it between the expansion and the compression spaces through the series
arrangement cooler, regenerator, and heater.
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A beta Stirling has a single power piston arranged within the same cylinder on the same shaft as
a displacer piston. The displacer piston is a loose fit and does not extract any power from the
expanding gas but only serves to shuttle the working gas between the hot and cold heat
exchangers.
When the working gas is pushed to the hot end of the cylinder it expands and pushes the power
piston. When it is pushed to the cold end of the cylinder it contracts and the momentum of the
machine, usually enhanced by a flywheel, pushes the power piston the other way to compress the
gas.Unlike the alpha type, the beta type avoids the technical problems of hot moving seals.
Again, the following diagrams do not show internal heat exchangers or a regenerator, which
would be placed in the gas path around the displacer
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1. Power piston (dark 2. The heated gas 3. The displacer piston 4. The cooled gas is now
grey) has compressed the increases in pressure now moves, shunting compressed by the
gas, the displacer piston and pushes the power the gas to the cold end flywheel momentum. This
(light grey) has moved piston to the farthest of the cylinder. takes less energy, since its
so that most of the gas is limit of thepower pressure drops when it is
adjacent to the hot heat stroke. cooled.
exchanger.
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5. 4 . Other types:
Changes to the configuration of mechanical Stirling engines continue to interest engineers and
inventors who create a lot of different version of the Stirling engine.
There is also a large field of "free piston" Stirling cycles engines, including those with
liquid pistons and those with diaphragms as pistons.
For example, as an alternative to the mechanical Stirling engine is the fluidyne pump,
which uses the Stirling cycle via a hydraulic piston. In its most basic form it contains a working
gas, a liquid and two non-return valves. The work produced by the fluidyne goes into pumping
the liquid.
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CHAPTER-6
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6.3. Regenerator
In a Stirling engine, the regenerator is an internal heat ex-changer and temporary heat store
placed between the hot and cold spaces such that the working fluid passes through it first in one
direction then the other, taking heat from the fluid in one direction, and returning it in the other.
It can be as simple as metal mesh or foam, and benefits from high surface area, high heat
capacity, low conductivity and low flow friction.[34] Its function is to retain within the system that
heat that would otherwise be exchanged with the environment at temperatures intermediate to the
maximum and minimum cycle temperatures, thus enabling the thermal eciency of the cycle to
approach the limiting Carnot eciency.
The primary eect of regeneration in a Stirling engineis to increase the thermal eciency by
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'recycling' internal heat that would otherwise pass through the engine irreversibly. As a
secondary eect, increased thermal eciency yields a higher power output from a given set of
hot and cold end heat exchangers. These usually limit the engines heat throughput. In practice
this additional power may not be fully realized as the additional dead space (unswept volume)
and pumping loss inherent in practical regenerators reduces the potential eciency gains from
regeneration.
The design challenge for a Stirling engine regenerator is to provide sucient heat transfer
capacity without introducing too much additional internal volume ('dead space') or flow
resistance. These inherent design conflicts are one of many factors that limit the eciency of
practical Stir-ling engines. A typical design is a stack of fine metal wire meshes,with low
porositytoreduce dead space, and withthe wire axes perpendicular to the gas flow to reduce
conduction in that direction and to maximize convective heat transfer.[36]
The regenerator is the key component invented by Robert Stirlingandits presence distinguishes a
true Stirling engine from any other closed cycle hot air engine. Many small 'toy' Stirling engines,
particularly low-temperature dierence (LTD) types, do not have a distinct regenerator
component and might be considered hot air engines, however a small amount of regeneration is
provided by the surface of the displacer itself and the nearby cylinder wall, or similarly the
passage connecting the hot and cold cylinders of an alpha configuration engine.
6.6. Displacer
The displacer is a special-purpose piston, used in Beta and Gamma type Stirling engines, to
move the working gas back and forth between the hot and cold heat exchang-ers. Depending on
the type of engine design, the displacer may or may not be sealed to the cylinder, i.e. it may be a
loose fit within the cylinder, allowing the working gas to pass around it as it moves to occupy the
part of the cylinder beyond.
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CHAPTER-7
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EFFICIENCY
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CHAPTER-8
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APPLICATION OF STIRLING
ENGINE
1. STIRLING ENGINES FOR PUMPING WATER USING SOLAR ENERGY AS A
SOURCE OF POWER.
2. Limited availability of petroleum product and electricity in rural areas and high
demandable human need for water make demand for searching another alternative for
pumping water.
3. One optional and potential engine solving this problem is the solar stirling engine.
4. In this system, the solar heat collector provides heat for the solar,stirling engine whic h in
turn provide AC power. The electrical power can be transferred toa battery charger, then
to DC control unit which can either go into a battery or into an inverter. Efficiencies for
this type of small scale system can range from 18% - 23%.
5. Cost of the equipment is low comparatively.
6. Aviation is last major user of leaded fuel, stirling engine produce less pollution.
7. Altitude performance is the stronger reason why these engines are needed. If a plane
could hold a constant power, it could cruise twice as fast at 40000ft as it can at sea level.
8. The main reasons these engines are needed in aviation is because their motor is silent,
smooth torque and lack of vibration.
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CHAPTER-9
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The problems of sealing are difficult to solve as soon as one wishes to have high
pressures of operation. The choice of ideal gas would be hydrogen for its lightness and
its capacity to absorb the calories, but its ability to diffuse through materials is a great
disadvantage.
Heat transfers with a gas are delicate and often require bulky apparatuses.
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CHAPTER-10
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CHAPTER-11
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CONCLUSION
The stirling engine is noted for its high efficiency compared to steam engines, quiet
operations, and the ease with it can use almost any heat source.
This engine is currently exciting interest as the core component of micro combined heat
and power (CHP) units,in which it is more efficient and safer than a comparable steam
engine.
Substantial reduction of Co &HC emissions
Easy to install
Payback within a year or less depends upon driving
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CHAPTER-12
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REFERENCES
In order to accomplish the current project, the following web pages have been consulted. The
authors of the project would like to thank the following for their accuracy, clarity and
conciseness.
.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_engine
http://www.kockums.se
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/tmsb/index.html
http://www.infiniacorp.com/main.htm
http://www.stirlingenergy.com
http://www.whispergen.com/index.cfm
http://www.sunpower.com/index.php
www.Sterlingenergy.com
www.Stirlingengine.com
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