Basic principles of operation and applications

of the Stirling engine from its invention in

1816 to its modern uses
Presented by: Dr. John Walsh
Limerick Institute of Technology
Department of Mechanical and Automobile Engineering
School of Science, Engineering and Information Technology
Engineering Technology Teachers Association
Conference 2012
Athenry, Co. Galway
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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Solar power generation is one of the modern ways in which

Stirling engine technology is used.

Dr. John Walsh

The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Presentation Contents:
o History of the Stirling engine

o Stirling engine principles of operation

o The main components of a Stirling engine
o The Stirling engine cycle: Gamma and
Beta
o Stirling engine performance

o Applications of the Stirling engine

Dr. John Walsh

The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

History of the Stirling Engine

Invented in 1816 by Robert Stirling
The Stirling engine was originally
known as a hot air engine

First closed cycle hot-air engine

Produces power by repeatedly heating
and cooling a fixed amount of gas
sealed inside the engine
Intended as safer alternative to the
steam engine

Dr. John Walsh

The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

History of the Stirling Engine

Replica of the model engine built by
Stirling in 1816 to prove his invention

Power
Cylinder

Flywheel

Displacer
Cylinder

Robert Stirling built a full-size version

to pump water in a local quarry
Operated continuously for two years
with an estimated output of two horsepower (1.5 kW)
Not powerful enough to compete
steam engines

Burner

Suffered problems due to the poor

quality of metal available at the time
Dr. John Walsh

The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

History of the Stirling Engine

An improved Stirling engine was
installed at a Dundee iron foundry
in 1843 to drive machinery.
Engine produced thirty-seven
horse-power (27.6 kW)
Quieter, safer, and more efficient
than the steam engines of the day,
but it was not a success.
More prone to breakages than the
steam engine due to its higher
operating temperatures
Replaced by a now safer steam engine
Dr. John Walsh

The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

History of the Stirling Engine

Stirling engine was unable to compete with the steam
engine on an industrial scale
Continued in use for smaller applications, the Stirling engine
is remarkably quiet and reliable at lower power outputs.

Stirling engines, unlike steam engines, could be operated

safely by people with no background in engineering.
End of the 19th century: Number of Stirling engines in
operation declined Internal combustion engine and the
electric motor

Dr. John Walsh

The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

History of the Stirling Engine

Forgotten about until in 1936: Philips needed an efficient
engine to power radio receivers.
Over the next 20 years: Stirling engine usage investigated
for automotive, solar, cryocooler & submarine applications
Philips coined the name Stirling engine
The Stirling engine in modern times:
o Solar energy.
o Computer chip cooling
o Domestic CHP units
o Cryocooler technology
o Backup power supply for submarines
Dr. John Walsh

The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

How does the Stirling engine work?

Heating a gas causes it to
expand

Cooling a gas causes it to

contract

Heating and cooling causes linear movement of the piston

Dr. John Walsh

The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

How does the Stirling engine work?

Piston linked to a circular disc, known as a flywheel
Flywheel converts linear movement to rotational movement
Flywheels momentum needed for continuous operation.

Mechanical energy generated from temperature difference

Flywheel

Dr. John Walsh

Principle of a Heat engine power

from temperature difference
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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

How does the Stirling engine work?

Stirling engine is an external combustion engine
Ability to generate power from any source of heat

Dr. John Walsh

External heat
source

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Stirling engine types

Three layouts for Stirling engines: 1. Alpha, 2. Beta and 3. Gamma

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Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Stirling engine main components

Three components common to all Stirling engines:
The power piston connected to a flywheel via a
crankshaft to provide the output power of the engine
The displacer moves the air from one end of the
cylinder to the other, unique to a Stirling engine
The regenerator reduces the amount of waste heat in
the engine cycle to improve the efficiency of the engine,
unique to a Stirling engine.

Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

The displacer and power pistons

Heat is applied to one end of the displacer cylinder and
extracted at the opposite end
Displacer does not affect the pressure, it is not a piston,
but instead controls the position of the gas in the cylinder

When the displacer

moves, the air has
to move round the
displacer to get to
the other end of the
cylinder

Dr. John Walsh

Displacer
movement

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

The displacer and power pistons

Displacer at cold end: gas at hot end increasing in
temperature and pressure
Displacer moves from cold end to hot end, pressurised gas is
forced to the cold end, pushing the power piston forward

Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

The displacer and power pistons

When the displacer is at the hot end, the air is forced to the
cold end. The air contracts and pulls the piston back

Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

The regenerator
Positioned in the air
passageway between
the hot and cold ends
of the displacer
cylinder
The regenerator is a
thermal store as gas
moves between hot
and cold ends

Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

The gamma Stirling engine cycle

Stage 1 Expansion (Heating)
Power producing phase cycle
Gas at hot end
Expands to drive power piston

Stage 2 Transfer
Gas is moved around the displacer
to the cold end

Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

The gamma Stirling engine cycle

Stage 3 Contraction (Cooling)
Gas has moved to the cold end.
Gas cools and contracts,
allowing the piston inward.
Stage 4 Transfer
Power piston is top of its stroke, ready
to start the power output.
Gas transferred to hot end

Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

The beta Stirling engine cycle

Stage 1 Expansion (Heating)
Power producing phase cycle
Gas at hot end
Expands to drive power piston

Stage 2 Transfer
Gas is moved around the displacer
to the cold end

Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

The beta Stirling engine cycle

Stage 3 Contraction (Cooling)
Gas has moved to the cold end.
Gas cools and contracts,
allowing the piston inward.
Stage 4 Transfer
Air is fully cooled at the cold end
of the cylinder.
Flywheel momentum transfers
gas to hot end
Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Stirling engine performance

Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Stirling engine performance

Example:
If the room temperature in which the Stirling engine is
operating is 20C.
Butane is to be used as the fuel source. If the temperature
of a butane flame is 600C.

The greater the temperature difference between the hot end

and cold end the greater the efficiency of the Stirling engine
Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Stirling engine performance

Advantages of the Stirling Engine
Operate using any available heat source.
Closed cycle - gas is unpolluted.
Simple engine design.
Remarkably quite
Operates at lower pressures.
No phase changes take place in the engine
Continuous combustion - lower emissions/higher efficiency
Small engine sizes possible
Greater flexibility of applications.
Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Stirling engine performance

Disadvantages of the Stirling Engine
Low power to weight ratio
More expensive than internal combustion engines for
same power output.

Not self-starting.
Require a longer warm up time
Efficiency drops if the temperature difference between the
hot and cold ends decreases.
Difficult to vary the power output
Sealing of Stirling engines is extremely difficult.
Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Applications of the Stirling engine

Solar Power Generation
Stirling solar units are capable of generating 25kW electricity

Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Applications of the Stirling engine

Automobiles using Stirling engines
Research led by General Motors and Ford not a success
Low power to
weight ratio
More expensive
than internal
combustion engines
for same power
output.
Require a longer
warm up time
Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Applications of the Stirling engine

Computer chip cooling
Micro-Star International Co., Ltd, Taiwan. Miniature Stirling
engine. Uses heat from the processor to cool the processor

MSI claim the engine is 70 per cent efficient

Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Applications of the Stirling engine

Stirling engine powered submarines
Remarkably quite backup to primary modern diesel-electric
engines when a silent approach is required

Stirling engines are used to power a 75kW generator

Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Applications of the Stirling engine

Domestic heat and power - Stirling CHP unit
Fuel drives Stirling engine to generate mechanical power to
produce electricity. Waste heat from engine heats home.

Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Applications of the Stirling engine

Domestic heat and power
Stirling CHP unit

Displacer

Power
piston

Heater
(Hot End)

Regenerator
Cooler
(Cold End)

Alternator
magnets,
stator & coils
Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Low temp. difference type Stirling engine

Dr. John Walsh

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The Stirling engine

ETTA conference 2012

Basic principles of operation and applications

of the Stirling engine from its invention in
1816 to its modern uses
Presented by: Dr. John Walsh

Thank You
All Questions Welcome

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