Renewable Energy

Science Academy Transactions on Renewable Energy Systems Engineering and Technology (SATRESET) Vol. 1, No. 3, September 2011, ISSN: 2046-6404 © Science Academy Publisher, United Kingdom www.sciacademypublisher.com

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Numerical Model for Predicting Thermodynamic Cycle and Thermal Efficiency of an Alpha-type Stirling Engine with Ross Yoke Mechanism

Iskander Tlili

Mechanical engineering department, Engineering College, Majmaah University. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail: l.tlili@mu.edu.sa

Abstract – The rapid depletion of our natural resources has attracted attention to the emergency to seek new energy sources and rely on effective and innovative means of energy preservation. And looking for adequate strategies concerning energy saving and environmental protection. To achieve this target, much current interest was addressed to Stirling engine since it meets the demands of the efficient use of energy and environmental security. Hence, the development and the investigation about the Stirling engine have come to the attention of many scientific institutes and commercial companies. The engine operates on a closed thermodynamic cycle, which is a regenerative externally heated engine operating with a cycle that has the same thermal efficiency with Carnot cycle if it is ideal and lossless. Several prototypes have already been studied and produced specially gamma and beta configuration. Although the alpha Stirling engine using the Ross Yoke linkage has the advantage of minimizing lateral forces acting on the pistons leading to a more efficient and compact design compared to beta or gamma Stirling configuration, this kind of engine it is not well studied. The objective of this paper was to study the Ross Yoke Stirling engine, which has been developed and validated, by different kind of Stirling engine in order to perform a numerical modelisation of this engine. This model has been used to investigate the effect of the geometrical and physical parameters on Ross...