Abstract
In a multi-cylinder type liquid piston Stirling engine (MCLPSE), liquid columns in U-shaped tubes play the role of solid pistons in a mechanical Stirling engine. Besides the straightforward structure, advantages of the MCLPSE are a relatively low operation temperature difference below 100 K and use of harmless working fluids of air and water. This study presents a mass spring model for the MCLPSE, from which we determine geometrical parameters of MCLPSE to achieve a target acoustic power production under a given temperature condition. The preliminary test results will be presented.
Highlights
An effort to eliminate solid piston in conventional Stirling engine has been successfully achieved by using thermally induced acoustic traveling waves in a looped tube [1]
Such a high specific acoustic impedance led to reduction of the viscous losses that are inevitably induced when gases oscillate in the narrow channel of regenerator
A traveling wave phasing and a high specific acoustic impedance are the keys to increase the thermal efficiency of the thermoacoustic Stirling engine
Summary
An effort to eliminate solid piston in conventional Stirling engine has been successfully achieved by using thermally induced acoustic traveling waves in a looped tube [1]. The improvement was attributable to the specific acoustic impedance z (ratio of pressure p and velocity u of the acoustic gas oscillations) in the regenerator that was increased to as high as 30ρgasc, where ρgas and c denote the density and adiabatic speed of sound of the gas, respectively. This type of engine can be called the multicylinder type of liquid piston Stirling engine (MCLPSE). A recent study reported that an equivalent mechanical model of MCLPSE based on masses and springs predicted the natural oscillation frequency and specific acoustic impedance, which assured the traveling wave phasing in the regenerator and the adjustability of the specific acoustic impedance by the filling ratio of water [6]. The experimental results were presented and compared with the calculation results
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