Stirlingengine

Author:SteveRandall
Abstract.ThisreportwillmakeacomparisonbetweenanactualStirlingcycleandanidealStirlingcycle.
HowmuchenergyislostinanactualStirlingengine?Theenginerunningwith28.5wattsofinputpowershows
a98.7%energylosswithathermalefficiencyof1.22%.Thesameenginerunningat50.2wattsshows
improvementata94%energylosswithathermalefficiencyof5.95%.Thisreportincludesafulldescriptionof
theStirlingengine,alongwithillustrationsofaworkingStirlingengine.Reportalsoincludesdiscussionon
possibleapplicationsofStirlingenginessuchassolarpower,alternativefuelsourcesandrefrigeration.

INTRODUCTION:
TheStirlingengineisamechanicaldevicethatconvertsatemperaturedifferenceintomechanical
movement.TheenginewasinventedbyRev.Dr.RobertStirling;itwasoriginallycreatedtoreplace
dangeroussteamengineswhichhadatendencytoexplodeiftheboilerpressurebecametoohigh.
Stirlingwasnotthefirsttousethisconcepttomakeanengine,buthewasthefirsttorealizetheideaof
whathecalledtheeconomizerwhichisknowntodayasaregenerator.Stirlingpatentedthistypeof
enginein1816.Theregeneratorgreatlyimprovedtheefficiencyoftheenginegivingitmanymore
applicationsthanpreviousyears.Howevertheenginewasphasedoutoncetheelectricmotorwas
invented.
TherearethreebasictypesofStirlingenginesanalphaStirling,betaStirlingandagamma
Stirling.ThealphaStirlingusestwopistonsinseparatecylinders,eachcylinderwithahotandcold
heatexchanger.Thistypeofenginehasahighpowertovolumeratio,butbecausethecylindersare
separatethehotsidehasatendencytobecometoohot.Thisoverheatingwouldcauseleaks,resulting
inenginefailure.AbetaStirlinghasthepowerpistonanddisplacerbothcontainedinonecylinder.

ThegammaStirlingisbasicallythesameasabetaStirling,exceptthepowerpistonismountednextto
thedisplacementcylinder.ThistypeofStirlingengineisthemostcommontypeandwillbethe
primarytopicofdiscussionthroughoutthisanalysis.Figure1showsanillustrationofatypicalgamma
styleStirlingengine,madeusingcommonmaterialsandissimilartotheoneusedinthisanalysis.

Figure1.GammastyleStirlingEngine

TheStirlingengineoperateson2basicprinciples:
1.) Ifyouhaveagasatconstantvolumeandthetemperatureisraisedthepressurewillincrease.
2.) Converselyifyoudecreasethevolumeofthegasthepressureandtemperaturewillincrease.

TheseprinciplesareappliedtoaStirlingenginebyusingapowerpistonadisplacerpiston,ahot
sectionandacoldsection.Thepowerpistonisinatightlysealedcylinder;thedisplacerisinalarger
cylinderandiskeptloosesoaircanmovebetweenthe2sectionsoftheengine.Typicallythetopof
thedisplacercylinderisthecoldsectionandthebottomisthehotsection.Bothpistonsareconnected
byacrankshaftwith90degreeoffsets.Theideaisthatwhenthegasintheengineisheatedit
increasesthetotalpressureintheenginepushinguponthepowerpistonalsomakingthedisplacer
movedown.Itisimportantthatthepistonsareoffsetslightlybecauseasthedisplacermovesdownit

movesallthehotgastothetopoftheenginewhichiscoldcausingthegastocool.Thecoolingofthe
gascausesadecreaseinpressuremakingiteasyforthepowerpistontocomebackdown.Thenthe
displacermovesbackuppushingthegasdowntothehotsectionwhereitisheatedagainandthecycle
repeats.Figure2showsthechangesinpressureandvolumeateachstageofthecycle.

Figure2.PressurevolumediagramofanIdealStirlingcycle.(Haywood)

OBJECTIVES:
TodeterminethethermodynamicefficiencyofanactualStirlingengine.

PROCEDUREORMETHODS:
FirstdatafromafunctioningStirlingengineiscollected.Inordertomakeareasonableanalysis
2typesofdataareneeded,workandtemperature.Theworkthattheenginedoesonthecrankshaftis
theworkoutandtheworkgoingintotheengineintheformofheat.Theworkisenergyperunittime;

inthiscaseitwillbejoulespersecalsoknownasawatt.Therearealso2temperatures,ahigh
temperatureandalowtemperature.Thetemperatureismeasuredattheicereservoirandatthebaseof
thecanwheretheheatisgenerated.Themoreaccuratethesemeasurementsare,theclosertheideal
efficiencywillbetotheactualefficiency.Todeterminetheactualthermalefficiencythefollowing
equationisused:

th

Wout
Qin

(1)

TheworkinputorWincanbesubstitutedforQinintheequation.Thisequationwillyieldaratio
oftheworkoutputtotheworkinputorheatinput.ThethermodynamicefficiencyofanidealStirling
enginecanbefoundbyusingtheequationfortheCarnotcycle:

th 1

TL
TH

(2)

TheCarnotcycleassumestotalreversibilityasdoesanidealStirlingcycle,thisiswhytheCarnot
efficiencycanbeusedtofindtheidealStirlingefficiency.HoweverCarnotefficiencyisnotthemost
accuratewhendealingwitharealStirlingengine.InarealStirlingenginetherearemany
irreversibilityssuchasfrictionheatandgaspressure.
Toaccountforthetemperaturevarianceatthehotandcoldsectionsoftheengine,theequation
foridealefficiencyisstillused.Howeverthelowtemperatureisincreasedby10%andthehigh
temperatureisdecreasedby10%beforeputintotheidealefficiencyequation.Tofindthecorrected
temperatureatTLthefollowingequationisused:

TLVariation (TL 10%)

(3)

Thisvariationisthenaddedto TL
ForTHthesamecalculationismadetheonlydifferenceisthattheT Hvarianceissubtractedfrom
TH.

TH Variation (TH 10%)

(4)

RESULTSANDDISCUSSION:
Theenginerunningwith28.5wattsofinputpowershowsa98.7%energylosswithathermal
efficiencyof1.22%.Thesameenginerunningat50.2wattsshowsimprovementata94%energyloss
withathermalefficiencyof5.95%.Theseefficienciesarelowwhencomparedanidealthermal
efficiencyof34.5%and44%respectively.Figure3givesagoodvisualrepresentationofthedata,
showingthedifferenceinCarnotandactualengineefficiencies.

Figure3.EngineEfficiencyvs.WorkInput

Thelowexperimentalengineefficiencyisduetothedesignoftheengineandaccuracyof
measurements.Theengineusedwaspoorlyinsulatedallowingalargeamountofheattoescape.This
thermalinefficiencyoftheenginecausedadecreaseinthetemperaturedifferenceforT HandTL.The
measurementsforTHweretakenoutsidethecylinderhoweverthetemperaturearoundthedisplaceris
slightlylowerthanthetemperatureofthecylinder.AsaresulttheactualT Hshouldbeslightlylower
thanthemeasuredTH.TLisassumedtoberoomtemperature,butthisisonlytrueifthealltheheatis
removedfromthecoldsectionoftheengine.ThiswouldsuggestthatT Lisslightlyhigherthanthe
recordedvalue.ThesevariationsinthemeasurementofT HandTLsuggestsasmallertemperature
difference,thischangestheidealthermalefficienciestobeslightlylowerthanthecalculated
efficienciesof34.5%and44%.
Theregeneratorusedcouldhavealsocontributedtothelargelossofenergy.Asdiscussedearlier
TheStirlingenginewasnotperfecteduntilRobertStirlingdevelopedtheregeneratorin1816which
greatlyincreasedtheefficiency.Theregeneratorholdsheatinthehotsectionoftheengine,ifthe
regeneratorusedintheexperimentisnotretainingheatthiscouldsignificantlyreduceengine
performance.
Theresultsyieldedalargedifferenceinengineefficiencieswhencomparingtheidealandactual
efficiency.InordertogiveabetterIdeaoftheactualengineefficiencyversestheidealefficiencyan
estimatedcorrectionwillbemade.Thecorrectionassumesa10%variationintemperature.Thisis
assumedbecausethetemperaturesthatweretakencouldnotbetakenfrominsidetheengineandalso
duetotheincompleteheatdissipationofthediffuseratthecoldsection.Theassumptionwillbea
10%increaseintemperatureatTLanda10%decreaseintemperatureatTH.This10%variancein
temperatureresultsinanidealefficiencyof19%at28.5wattsand32%at50.2watts.Thisdecreasein
Idealefficiencyisshowninfigure4.

Figure4.TemperatureCorrectionEngineEfficiencyvs.WorkInput

TheStirlingengineusedintheexperimentisnotagoodexampleofthemodernStirlingengines
madetoday.AproperlyconstructedStirlingenginehasamuchhigherefficiency.AStirlingengine
hasmanyapplicationsrangingfromasmalldiscussionpiecetogeneratingelectricity.Onaugust8,
2005PresidentBushsignedanenergybillwithSouthernCaliforniaEdisontoinstall4,600acresof
solararrays.Thesolararrayscollecttheheatfromthesun,focusingitontotheheatinputpartof
Stirlingengine.TheStirlingengineisthenconnectedtoagenerator.ThesysteminSouthern
Californiawillbegenerating500megawattsofpower.Thissystemhasamuchhigherefficiencythan
thatofanormalsolarcollector.AStirlingenginecombinedwithageneratorhasasolartoelectric
efficiencyofupto30%.Otherapplicationsincludesubmarineengines,aircraft,automobilesand
refrigeration.Theengineshighefficiencyandreversibilityallowsittobeusedtoremoveheatfroma

source.TheStirlingengineisveryquietandproducesnopollutiongivingitalotofpotentialasa
futureenergysource.

CONCLUSION:
HowmuchenergyislostinanactualStirlingengine?Theanalysismadeindicatesthatthereis
betweena94%anda98.7%energylossfortheactualStirlingengine.Thethermalefficiencyis
between1.22%and5.95%.Thislowefficiencyisduetopoorenginedesignandalackofmaterials.
Furthertestingusingamoreinsulatedengineandhigherqualitymaterialsmayresultinhigherengine
efficiency.

REFERENCES:
Book:
engel,YunusA.&BolesA,Michael.NewYork,N.Y.:2006.ThermodynamicsAnEngineering
Approach.5thed.McGrawHillCompanies,Inc.

OnlineSource:
Wikipedia.2006.StirlingEngine:WikimediaFoundation,Inc.Availableat:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_engineAccessed6April2006.

OnlineSource2:
Allan,SterlingD.2004.StirlingEngine:20022006.PESNetworkInc.Availableat:
http://www.freeenergynews.com/Directory/StirlingEngine/Accessed19April2006.
OnlineSource3:

Haywood,David.2004AnIntroductiontoStirlingCycleMachines.Availableat:
http://www.mech.canterbury.ac.nz/documents/sc_intro.pdf.Accessed19April2006.

OnlineSource4:
Dobos,Aron.Kader,Adem.Park,Brian.Bond,Brendan2004.CharacterizationofaGammaType
StirlingEngine.Availableat:http://www.engin.swarthmore.edu/~adobos1/e41/lab5/Accessed
20April2006.

APPENDIX:

SeeEngineAnalysisfordetailsonefficiencyandenergyloss.

VarianceEstimate

AutoCAD

Webpage:http://www.personal.psu.edu/students/s/c/scr170/

StirlingEngineAnimation(DVD)

EngineAnalysis

ENGINEDATAAT28.5WATTS:
Wout

pv cycles / s

Wout .61 .57cycles / s .35watts

Qin Win 28.5watts

TH 177.5C 273 450.5k

TL 22C 273 295k

ACTUALENGINEEFFICIENCY:
th

Wou t
Qin

th

.35W
.0122 1.22%
28.5W

ENERGYLOSS:
energyloss Win Wout
energyloss 28.5W .35W 28.15W
%energyloss 28.1W / 28.5W 98.7%

IDEALENGINEEFFICIENCY:
th 1

TL
295k
.345 34.5%
th 1
TH
450.5k

10

ENGINEDATAAT50.2WATTS:
Wout

pv cycles / s

Wout 2.99 .99cycles / s 2.98watts

Qin Win 50.2 watts

TH 254C 273 527 k

TL 22C 273 295k

ACTUALENGINEEFFICIENCY:
th

Wou t
Qin

th

2.98W
.0595 5.95%
50.2W

ENERGYLOSS:
energyloss Win Wout
energyloss 50.2W 2.98W 47.22W
%energyloss 47.22W / 50.2W 94%

IDEALENGINEEFFICIENCY:
th 1

TL
295k
.44 44%
th 1
TH
527k

11

VarianceEstimate

IDEALEFFICIENCYCORRECTIONAT28.5WATTS:
TLVariation (TL 10%)
TLVariation (295k 10%) 29.5k
CorrectedT L 295k 29.5k 324.5k

TH Variation (TH 10%)

TH Variation (450.5k 10%) 45.05k
CorrectedT H 450.5k 45.05k 405.45k

th 1

TL
TH

th 1

324.5k
.19 19%
405.45k

IDEALEFFICIENCYCORRECTIONAT50.2WATTS:
TLVariation (TL 10%)
TLVariation (295k 10%) 29.5k

12

CorrectedT L 295k 29.5k 324.5k

TH Variation (TH 10%)

TH Variation (527 k 10%) 52.7 k
CorrectedT H 527 k 52.7 k 474.3k

th 1
th 1

TL
TH

324.5k
.32 32%
474.3k

13