Stirling cycle

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This article is about the "adiabatic" Stirling cycle. For the "idealized" Stirling cycle ,
see the Stirling engine article.

The Stirling cycle is a thermodynamic cycle that describes the general class of Stirling devices.
This includes the original Stirling engine that was invented, developed and patented in 1816 by
Reverend Dr. Robert Stirling with help from his brother, an engineer.[1]

The cycle is reversible, meaning that if supplied with mechanical power, it can function as a heat
pump for heating or cooling, and even for cryogenic cooling. The cycle is defined as a closed
regenerative cycle with a gaseous working fluid. "Closed cycle" means the working fluid is
permanently contained within the thermodynamic system. This also categorizes the engine
device as an external heat engine. "Regenerative" refers to the use of an internal heat exchanger
called a regenerator which increases the device's thermal efficiency.

The cycle is the same as most other heat cycles in that there are four main processes:
compression, heat addition, expansion, and heat removal. However, these processes are not
discrete, but rather the transitions overlap.

Contents
 [hide] 
  1 Idealized Stirling cycle thermodynamics
 2 Technical complexity of topic
 3 Piston motion variations
 4 Volume variations
 5 Pressure-versus-volume graph
 6 Particle/mass motion
 7 Heat-exchanger pressure drop
 8 Pressure versus crank angle
 9 Temperature versus crank angle
 10 Cumulative heat and work energy
 11 See also
 12 References
 13 External links

[edit] Idealized Stirling cycle thermodynamics

A pressure/volume graph of the idealized Stirling cycle. In real applications of the Stirling cycles
(e.g. Stirling engines) this cycle is quasi-elliptical.

The idealized Stirling cycle consists of four thermodynamic processes acting on the working
fluid ( See diagram to right):

1. Isothermal expansion. The expansion space is heated externally, and the gas undergoes
near-isothermal expansion.
2. Constant-volume (known as isovolumetric or isochoric) heat removal. The gas is passed
through the regenerator, thus cooling the gas, and transferring heat to the regenerator for
use in the next cycle.
3. Isothermal compression. The compression space is intercooled, so the gas undergoes
near-isothermal compression.
 4. Constant-volume heat addition. The compressed air flows back through the regenerator
and picks up heat on the way to the heated expansion space.

[edit] Technical complexity of topic

The Stirling cycle is a highly advanced subject that has defied analysis by many experts for over
190 years. Highly advanced thermodynamics is required to describe the cycle. Professor Israel
Urieli writes: "...the various 'ideal' cycles (such as the Schmidt cycle) are neither physically
realizable nor representative of the Stirling cycle" [2]

The analytical problem of the regenerator (the central heat exchanger in the Stirling cycle) is
judged by Jakob to rank 'among the most difficult and involved that are encountered in
engineering '.[3][4]

[edit] Piston motion variations

A model of a four-phase Stirling cycle

Most thermodynamics textbooks describe a highly simplified form of Stirling cycle consisting of
four processes. This is known as an "ideal Stirling cycle", because it is an "idealized" model, and
not necessarily an optimized cycle. Theoretically, the "ideal cycle" does have high net work
output, but it is rarely used in practical applications, in part because other cycles are simpler or
reduce peak stresses on bearings and other components. For convenience, the designer may elect
to use piston motions dictated by system dynamics, such as mechanical linkage mechanisms. At
any rate, the efficiency and cycle power are nearly as good as an actual implementation of the
idealized case. A typical piston crank or linkage in a so named "kinematic" design often results
in a near-sinusoidal piston motion. Some designs will cause the piston to "dwell" at either
extreme of travel.

Many kinematic linkages, such as the well known "Ross yoke", will exhibit near-sinusoidal
motion. However, other linkages, such as the "rhombic drive", will exhibit more non-sinusoidal
motion. To a lesser extent, the ideal cycle introduces complications, since it would require
somewhat higher piston acceleration and higher viscous pumping losses of the working fluid.
The material stresses and pumping losses in an optimized engine, however, would only be
intolerable when approaching the "ideal cycle" and/or at high cycle rates. Other issues include
the time required for heat transfer, particularly for the isothermal processes. In an engine with a
cycle approaching the "ideal cycle", the cycle rate might have to be reduced to address these
issues.

In the most basic model of a free piston device, the kinematics will result in simple harmonic
motion.

[edit] Volume variations

In beta and gamma engines, generally the phase angle difference between the piston motions is
not the same as the phase angle of the volume variations. However, in the alpha Stirling, they are
the same.[5] The rest of the article assumes sinusoidal volume variations, as in an alpha Stirling
with co-linear pistons, so named an "opposed piston" alpha device.

[edit] Pressure-versus-volume graph

This type of plot is used to characterize almost all thermodynamic cycles. The result of
sinusoidal volume variations is the quasi-elliptical shaped cycle shown in Figure 1. Compared to
the idealized cycle, this cycle is a more realistic representation of most real Stirling engines. The
four points in the graph indicate the crank angle in degrees.[6]
The adiabatic Stirling cycle is similar to the idealized Stirling cycle; however, the four
thermodynamic processes are slightly different (see graph above):

 180° to 270°, pseudo-isothermal expansion. The expansion space is heated externally,

and the gas undergoes near-isothermal expansion.
 270° to 0°, near-constant-volume (or near-isometric or isochoric) heat removal. The gas
is passed through the regenerator, thus cooling the gas, and transferring heat to the
regenerator for use in the next cycle.
 0° to 90°, pseudo-isothermal compression. The compression space is intercooled, so the
gas undergoes near-isothermal compression.
 90° to 180°, near-constant-volume (near-isometric or isochoric) heat addition. The
compressed air flows back through the regenerator and picks up heat on the way to the
heated expansion space.

With the exception of a Stirling thermoacoustic engine, none of the gas particles actually flow
through the complete cycle. So this approach is not amenable to further analysis of the cycle.
However, it provides an overview and indicates the cycle work.

[edit] Particle/mass motion

Figure 2 shows the streaklines which indicate how gas flows through a real Stirling engine. The
vertical colored lines delineate the volumes of the engine. From left to right, they are: the volume
swept by the expansion (power) piston, the clearance volume (which prevents the piston from
contacting the hot heat exchanger), the heater, the regenerator, the cooler, the cooler clearance
volume, and the compression volume swept by the compression piston.
 Alpha type Stirling.
Animated version.

[edit] Heat-exchanger pressure drop

Also referred to as "pumping losses", the pressure drops shown in Figure 3 are caused by viscous
flow through the heat exchangers. The red line represents the heater, green is the regenerator, and
blue is the cooler. To properly design the heat exchangers, multivariate optimization is required
to obtain sufficient heat transfer with acceptable flow losses.[5] The flow losses shown here are
relatively low, and they are barely visible in the following image, which will show the overall
pressure variations in the cycle.
[edit] Pressure versus crank angle
Figure 4 shows results from an "adiabatic simulation" with non-ideal heat exchangers. Note that
the pressure drop across the regenerator is very low compared to the overall pressure variation in
the cycle.
[edit] Temperature versus crank angle
Figure 5 illustrates the adiabatic properties of a real heat exchanger. The straight lines represent
the temperatures of the solid portion of the heat exchanger, and the curves are the gas
temperatures of the respective spaces. The gas temperature fluctuations are caused by the effects
of compression and expansion in the engine, together with non-ideal heat exchangers which have
a limited rate of heat transfer. When the gas temperature deviates above and below the heat
exchanger temperature, it causes thermodynamic losses known as "heat transfer losses" or
"hysteresis losses". However, the heat exchangers still work well enough to allow the real cycle
to be effective, even if the actual thermal efficiency of the overall system is only about half of
the theoretical limit.
[edit] Cumulative heat and work energy
Figure 6 shows a graph of the alpha-type Stirling engine data, where 'Q' denotes heat energy, and
'W' denotes work energy. The blue dotted line shows the work output of the compression space.
As the trace dips down, and work is done on the gas as it is compressed. During the expansion
process of the cycle, some work is actually done on the compression piston, as reflected by the
upward movement of the trace. At the end of the cycle, this value is negative, indicating that
compression piston requires a net input of work. The blue solid line shows the heat flowing out
of the cooler heat exchanger. Notice that the heat from the cooler and the work from the
compression piston have the same cycle energy! This is consistent with the zero-net heat transfer
of the regenerator (solid green line). As would be expected, the heater and the expansion space
both have positive energy flow. The black dotted line shows the net work output of the cycle. On
this trace, the cycle ends higher that it started, indicating that the heat engine converts energy
from heat into work.
[edit] See also
 Pseudo Stirling cycle
 Stirling engine
 Stirling Radioisotope Generator

[hide]

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Thermodynamic cycles
 Without phase change (hot air engines)

 Bell Coleman ·
 Brayton/Joule ·
 Carnot ·
 Ericsson ·
 Stirling ·
External combustion
 Stirling (Pseudo / Adiabatic) ·
cycles
 Stoddard

With phase change

 Kalina ·
 Rankine (Organic Rankine) ·
 Regenerative

 Atkinson ·
 Brayton/Joule ·
 Diesel ·
 Expander ·
 Gas-generator ·
 Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition ·
Internal combustion cycles  Lenoir ·
 Miller ·
 Otto ·
 Scuderi ·
 Pressure-fed ·
 Staged combustion

Mixed cycles  Combined ·

  HEHC ·
 Mixed/Dual

 Hampson-Linde ·
 Kleemenko ·
 Pulse tube ·
 Regenerative cooling ·

Refrigeration cycles  Transcritical ·

 Vapor absorption ·
 Vapor-compression ·
 Siemens ·
 Vuilleumier

 Barton ·
Uncategorized  Humphrey

[edit] References
1. ^ Robert Sier (1999). Hot air caloric and stirling engines. Vol.1, A history (1st Edition
(Revised) ed.). L.A. Mair. ISBN 0-9526417-0-4.
2. ^ Organ, "The Regenerator and the Stirling Engine", p.xxii, Forward by Urieli
3. ^ Organ, "The Regenerator and the Stirling Engine", p.7
4. ^ Jakob, M. (1957) Heat Transfer II John Wiley, New York, USA and Chapman and
Hall, London, UK
5. ^ a b Organ, "The Regenerator and the Stirling Engine"
6. ^ Israel Urieli (Dr. Iz), Associate Professor Mechanical Engineering: Stirling Cycle
Machine Analysis

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stirling_cycle&oldid=529456972"
Categories:

 Thermodynamic cycles
 Stirling engines
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