16-08-2011, 11:38 AM
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Stirling engines can be hard to understand. Here are the key points. Every
Stirling engine has a sealed cylinder with one part hot and the other cold. The working gas inside the engine (which is often air, helium, or hydrogen) is moved
by a mechanism from the hot side to the cold side. When the gas is on the hot side
it expands and pushes up on a piston. When it moves back to the cold side it
contracts. Properly designed Stirling engines have two power pulses per
revolution, which can make them very smooth running. Two of the more common
types are two piston Stirling engines and displacer-type Stirling engines. The two
piston type Stirling engine has two power pistons. The displacer type Stirling
engine has one power piston and a displacer piston.
Displacer Type:
The displacer type Stirling engine is shown here. The space below the displacer
piston is continuously heated by a heat source. The space above the displacer
piston is continuously cooled. The disp