STIRLING ENGINE

Dr.Robert Stirling
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING
MINI PROJECT- ZEROTH REVIEW

SATHYAPRAKASH S - 142219114059
SRINIVASAN A - 142219114062
SRIVATHSUN M - 142219114064
YOGESHKUMAR S- 142219114067
INTRODUCTION
◦ Stirling engine is an external combustion heat engine where heat is provided outside the cylinder. It operates by continuous
cyclic compression and expansion of air or any other gas, the working fluid, is subjected to different temperature levels so that
there is a net conversion of heat energy to mechanical work. In this type of engine the working fluid is constantly held inside
the cylinder. Which means the system is in thermal equilibrium. Stirling engine is distinct from other heat engines by means of
regenerator through which hot gases moves from one chamber to another chamber. The main advantage of Stirling engine is
that it can operate with any heat source. The efficiency of this heat engine is very high when compared to any other heat
engine.
PRINCIPLE
◦ Ideal Stirling engine is based on Stirling cycle which is shown in
above figure. The following are the process that are involved in
Stirling cycle Process 1- 2: Isothermal compression At constant
temperature air (working fluid) is compressed Q (1-2) =area 1-2-b-a
on T-s diagram Work is done on the working fluid W (1-2) =area 1-
2-b-a on P-v diagram. Process 2- 3: Isochoric heat addition At
constant volume heat is added to the hot cylinder Q (2-3) = area 2-3-
c-b on T-s diagram Work done [W (2-3)] is zero Process 3- 4:
Isothermal expansion At constant temperature working fluid is
expanded Q (3-4) = area 3-4-d-c on T-s diagram Hot air expands
Work is done by the working fluid W (3-4) = area 3-4-a-b on P-v
diagram Process 4- 1: Isochoric heat rejection Heat is rejected at
constant volume. Q (4-1) = area 1-4-d-a on T-s diagram
 WORKING
Like a steam engine or an internal combustion car engine, a
Stirling engine converts heat energy to mechanical energy (work)
by repeating a series of basic operations, known as its cycle.
Let's consider a simplified displacer-type Stirling engine.
It's actually quite confusing and hard to figure out until you
realize that what's happening is that the gas inside is alternately
expanding and contracting and, in between, moving from the hot
side of the cylinder to the cool side and back again. The dark blue
work piston's job is to use energy from the expansion of the gas to
drive the machine the engine is powering, then compress the gas so
the cycle can repeat. The green displacer piston's job is to shuttle the
gas from the hot side of the cylinder (on the left) to the cold side (on
the right) and back. Working as a team, the two pistons ensure that
heat energy is repeatedly being moved from the source to the sink and
converted into useful mechanical work.
1.Cooling and compression: Most of the gas (shown by the blue squares) is over on the right at the
cooler end of the cylinder. As it cools and contracts, giving up some of its heat, which is removed
by the heat sink, both pistons move inward (toward the center).
2.Transfer and regeneration: The displacer piston moves to the right and the cooled gas moves
around it to the hotter part of the cylinder on the left. The volume of the gas remains constant as it
passes back through the regenerator (heat exchanger) to pick up some of the heat it previously
deposited.
3.Heating and expansion: Most of the gas (shown by the red squares) is now on the left in the hot
end of the cylinder. It's heated by the fire (or other heat source) so its pressure rises and it expands,
absorbing energy. As the gas expands, it pushes the work piston to the right, which drives the
flywheel and whatever the engine is powering. In this part of the cycle, the engine converts heat
energy into mechanical energy (and does work).
4.Transfer and cooling: The displacer piston moves to the left and the hot gas moves around it to the
cooler part of the cylinder on the right. The volume of the gas remains constant as it passes
through the regenerator (heat exchanger), giving up some of its energy on the way. The cycle is
now complete and ready to repeat itself.
APPLICATIONS
◦ Stirling engines work best in machines that need to produce power continuously
using the difference between something hot and something cold. They're ideal for
solar power plants, where the Sun's heat plays on a mirror that acts as the heat
source, and high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) plants that need to
produce steady supplies of electricity. Recently, Segway pioneer Dean Kamen has
helped to rekindle interest in Stirling engines by using them as the basis for a
compact, home electricity generator, called Beacon 10, roughly the size of a
domestic washing machine.
◦ In a normal Stirling engine, you put heat in at the hot end of the machine (the heat
source) and get mechanical work and less heat out of the other, cooler end (the heat
sink). Just as electric motors can be used in reverse as generators, so you can put
energy into a Stirling engine and run it backward, effectively removing heat from the
heat sink and expelling it at the source. That turns a Stirling engine into a
"cryocooler"—a very efficient cooling device. Stirling-engine coolers are used in 
superconductivity and electronic research.
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
◦ The biggest advantage of Stirling engines is that they're much more efficient than steam engines
(largely because of the closed cycle and regenerative heat exchanger). They don't have boilers
that can explode, don't need supplies of water, and don't have the complex system of opening
and closing valves that steam engines require. That's one reason why they're much quieter than
steam engines and, because they don't necessarily involve burning fuel, can be much cleaner.
Unlike steam engines, which typically burn coal to boil water, Stirling engines can run from all
kinds of different fuels.
◦ On the down side, Stirling engines don't start instantly (it takes time for the all-important heat
exchanger to warm up and the flywheel to run up to speed) and they don't work so well in stop-
start operation (unlike internal combustion engines). They also need large radiators that can
expel waste heat, which makes them unsuitable for some applications