Performance of stirling engines (arrangement for experimental results and performance prediction method)

Abstract

The authors have been manufactured and developed five kinds of high-and low temperature difference type Stirling engines. Their engine performance was investigated by experimental operations. And in order to consider about parameters affected to the engine performance, the experimental results were discussed and compared with the calculated results by analysis simulation methods. This paper shows an arrangement method for the experimental results, and considers about the performance of general Stirling engines. After using the arrangement method with non-dimensional numbers by a dimensional analysis, a prediction metiod, which is used in an early design process, is lead. One of the non-dimensional numbers in this prediction method is calculated from the engine specifications including specifications of the working gas. Then, the prediction method has the characteristics that are able to predict the engine speed, the output power, effects of kinds of the working gas and the operating conditions.