Development and Validation of an Improved Quasisteady Flow Model with Additional Parasitic Loss Effects for Stirling Engines

Abstract

This paper presents the development and validation of an improved quasisteady flow model (iQSFM) that applies comprehensive parasitic losses to the quasisteady flow model (QSFM) considering an oscillating flow, which is the actual type of flow occurring in a regenerator. Validation of iQSFM was evaluated by comparing it with a QSFM based on the experimental results of a RE-1000 regenerator. Compared to QSFM, iQSFM improved the prediction accuracy by reducing the indicated power error from 66.7% to 24.9% and the efficiency error from 35.3% to 9.4%. In addition, the prediction accuracy of iQSFM was compared when the oscillating flow and the steady flow correlation were applied to a regenerator. When iQSFM applied an oscillating flow correlation to the regenerator, it predicted the experimental results of RE-1000 slightly more accurately than in a steady flow correlation. Finally, the engine performance and parasitic losses were analyzed through a parameter study of RE-1000 using iQSFM. Through this, it was confirmed with iQSFM that the RE-1000 is designed to maximize the engine performance by minimizing the parasitic losses.