Design, fabrication, and performance evaluation of a beta-type solar-based Stirling engine for power generation

Abstract

Mitigation of energy consumption from conventional sources is now a prime challenge for the world, as the reservation of this energy is declining day by day. To compensate for these energies, people are now moving toward the utilization of renewable energy sources. Solar energy is one of them that has been used for a long time in various sectors. From this perspective, in this work, a solar-powered Stirling engine has been designed and developed, and its performance has been evaluated in terms of power generation. Several metrics, including temperature, thermal and electric efficiency, voltage, and speed of the engine, have been evaluated at various times to assess the functioning of the Stirling engine. After the analysis of the engine’s performance, it has been observed that a remarkable temperature range of 308–516 K and a pressure rise to 3.697 bar are found. Consequently, the engine achieves an impressive thermal efficiency of 40.3% and an electric efficiency of 15.03%. Additionally, the engine reaches a speed of 2680 rpm in just 180 seconds, demonstrating an output power of 4.68 W at the same speed. On the other hand, the generation of voltage has increased progressively and attained its maximum value of 2.6 V at 180 seconds. Besides, the highest irradiance has recorded 22 768 lux for optimal energy absorption. Finally, it may be concluded from the development, performance analysis, and prospective applications that the constructed Stirling engine can be sustainable and efficient in the renewable energy field.