1.2kW beta type Stirling engine with rhombic drive mechanism

Because of some advantages such as higher theoretical thermal efficiency, lower pollutant release, working with lower noisy, working with any kind of thermal energy, and having longer life time, Stirling engines receive attentions of academic workers. The development studies related to the drive mechanism as well as the other components of Stirling engine are progressing. In the present study, a beta type Stirling engine with a rhombic-drive mechanism was manufactured and tested. Tests were performed at hot end temperatures of 600 and 800 degrees C for five different stages of charge pressure ranging from 1 to 5bar with 1bar increments. Torque and power characteristics of the engine were deduced. The maximum engine torque and power were obtained as 18Nm and 1215W at engine speeds of 612 and 722rpm, respectively, at 4bar charging pressure. The cyclic work generations of the engine, which is an important parameter indicating the engine performance, were determined as 19, 27, and 25J corresponding to 1, 3, and 5bar charging pressures, respectively. In the experiments, the cylinder pressure variation was also measured at various charging pressures. While the charge pressure increases from 1 to 5bar, the location of the maximum cylinder pressure ranged from 86 degrees to 74 degrees of crankshaft angle, which may have a bit influence on the engine performance. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.