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Mechanical Configuration and Thermodynamic Analysis of an Alpha-Type Stirling Engine with Crank-Shifted Driving Mechanism

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Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Mechanical Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study involves performance examination of an alpha-type novel Stirling engine and performance comparison with a V-type alpha engine. The novel engine displays very different features from the conventional V-type alpha engine. In the conventional engine, the work calculated with nodal analysis (real work) is lesser than isothermal work. In the novel engine, however, the real work becomes larger than the isothermal work if the heat transfer in compression and expansion cylinders is poor. If performances of engines are compared for equal amount of working fluid mass, the real work of the novel engine is always larger than the real work of the conventional V-type alpha engine. If performance comparison is made for equal amount of charging pressure of the working fluid, the difference of works of engines becomes multiple. The thermal efficiency of the novel engine is also greater. At relatively lower speeds and lower charging pressures of the engine, the efficiency difference between novel engine and conventional engine becomes more than 25%. The mean gas pressure in the novel engine is about 40% lesser than that in the conventional engine. All of the properties of the novel engine were found to be advantageous except flow losses.

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Abbreviations

A c :

Crosscut area of regenerator shell (m2)

A k :

Heat transfer area of cells (m2)

A p :

Area of piston crowns (m2)

C p :

Constant pressure specific heat of working fluid (J/kg K)

C v :

Constant volume specific heat of working fluid (J/kg K)

\(D_{k}^{h}\) :

Hydraulic diameter (m)

e :

Distance from cylinder axis to crankshaft center (m)

f :

Regenerator friction factor

\(H^{i}\) :

Enthalpy follow into cells (J)

\(H^{o}\) :

Enthalpy follow out of the cells (J)

h p :

Distance from piston pin center to piston top (m)

\(H_{{\mathrm{p}}}\) :

Length of piston (m)

\(\ell\) :

Thickness of regenerator cells (m)

m :

Total gas mass (kg)

\(\dot{m}\) :

Time derivative of mass in cells

N p :

Number of pistons

Nu:

Nusselt number

p :

Pressure exerting on the piston top (Pa)

\(Q_{{\mathrm{c}}}\) :

Heat from gas to cooler (J)

\(Q_{{\mathrm{h}}}\) :

Heat from heater to gas (J)

R :

Crank radius of novel engine (m)

Re:

Reynolds number

\(\Re\) :

Gas constant of working fluid (J/kg K)

S :

Crank radius of the V-type engine (m)

\(T_{{\mathrm{c}}}\) :

Cold end inner surface temperature (K)

\(T_{{\mathrm{h}}}\) :

Hot end inner surface temperature (K)

\(T_{k}\) :

Working gas temperature in the cells (K)

Δt :

Differential of time

ΔT k :

The temperature variation in cells during a time step (K)

u :

Distance from crankshaft axis to cylinder top for novel engine (m)

\(V_{{\mathrm{cc}}}\) :

Cold cylinder volume (m3)

\(V_{{\mathrm{hc}}}\) :

Hot cylinder volume (m3)

\(V_{k}\) :

Volume of cells (m3)

\(W\) :

Work obtained with nodal analysis (J/cyc)

\(W_{{{\text{iso}}}}\) :

Work obtained with isothermal analysis (J/cyc)

x :

Horizontal axis of coordinate system, Figs. 1 and 2

\(x_{l}\) :

The position of compression piston (m)

\(x_{r}\) :

The position of expansion piston (m)

y :

Vertical axis of coordinate system, Figs. 1 and 2

Z :

Distance from crankshaft axis to cylinder top for V-type engine (m)

\(\varepsilon\) :

Minimum distance between cylinder top and piston top (m)

\(\lambda\) :

Length of piston connecting rod of novel engine (m)

η :

Thermal efficiency

\(\mu {\kern 1pt}\) :

Kinematic viscosity (m2/s)

θ :

Amount of crankshaft rotation (rad) or (°)

\(\rho\) :

Density (kg/m3)

τ :

Length of piston connecting rod for the V-type engine (m)

\(\phi\) :

Porosity

\(\psi\) :

Angle between cylinder axis and connecting rod for novel engine, Fig. 1

\(\psi_{{\mathrm{c}}}\) :

Angle between cylinder axis and connecting rod of cold piston for V-type alpha engine, Fig. 2

\(\psi_{{\mathrm{h}}}\) :

Angle between cylinder axis and connecting rod of hot piston for V-type alpha engine, Fig. 2

Ω :

A dummy constant used in energy equation to avoid divergence of solution process

c:

Cold

h:

Hot

k :

Cell counter

p:

Piston

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Automotive Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey

    Halit Karabulut, Melih Okur & Can Cinar

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  1. Halit Karabulut
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  2. Melih Okur
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  3. Can Cinar
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Correspondence to Can Cinar.

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Karabulut, H., Okur, M. & Cinar, C. Mechanical Configuration and Thermodynamic Analysis of an Alpha-Type Stirling Engine with Crank-Shifted Driving Mechanism. Iran J Sci Technol Trans Mech Eng 46, 431–448 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40997-021-00436-2

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