초록 ▼

A Stirling engine having a cooler, regenerator and heat exchanger stacked end to end along with a working cylinder position adjacent to the heat transfer stack and connected thereto by several connecting ducts. By using more than one hot connecting duct, their bending stiffness is less as compared w

A Stirling engine having a cooler, regenerator and heat exchanger stacked end to end along with a working cylinder position adjacent to the heat transfer stack and connected thereto by several connecting ducts. By using more than one hot connecting duct, their bending stiffness is less as compared with a single duct being the same area as the multiple ducts, allowing thermally induced relative displacement between the elements to occur. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of axially extending tubes spaced apart from one another with a combustor positioned adjacent to the tubes such that the combustion gases flow between the tubes. The tubes are preferably flattened in the direction of the gas flow between them to increase the surface area for heat transfer. Furthermore, wire is coiled around and brazed to the tubes creating a fin for additional heat transfer. A gas flow restrictor is positioned around the heat exchanger tubes over a portion of their lengths in order to produce isothermal heating of the tubes. The combustor has a number of tangential air flow inlets which mixes air with a combustible fuel injected from a nozzle providing a highly turbulent combustion gas flow.

대표청구항 ▼

A Stirling engine comprising: a plurality of heat transfer stacks having a cooler, regenerator and heat exchanger stacked end-to-end along an axis; a plurality of working cylinders with one cylinder positioned adjacent each of said heat transfer stacks, each cylinder being generally parallel to and

A Stirling engine comprising: a plurality of heat transfer stacks having a cooler, regenerator and heat exchanger stacked end-to-end along an axis; a plurality of working cylinders with one cylinder positioned adjacent each of said heat transfer stacks, each cylinder being generally parallel to and spaced from said adjacent stack; said heat exchangers each including a plurality of tubes for conducting a working cycle fluid of said Stirling engine, said tubes extending axially from said regenerator and terminating in a manifold axially spaced from said regenerator; at least one combustion chamber having a gas flow outlet communicating with said heat exchangers; each stack being connected to said adjacent working cylinder by a plurality of connecting ducts for conducting said working cycle fluid between said heat exchanger and said working cylinder whereby bending deflection of said ducts permits movement of each stack relative to the adjacent cylinder as said stacks and cylinders are exposed to thermal gradients and expansion.