Development of a high frequency Stirling engine-powered 3 kW(e) generator set

Author

Lane, N.W. ; Berchowitz, D.M. ; Shade, D. ; Karandikar, A.

Author_Institution

Sunpower Inc., Athens, OH, USA

fYear

1989

fDate

6-11 Aug 1989

Firstpage

2213

Abstract

The development of a Stirling engine-powered, 3 kW electric generator set is discussed. The generator set contains two high-frequency (115 Hz), helium-charged, free-piston Stirling engines mounted in an opposed configuration and heated by gas-fired sodium heat pipe, a power conditioner, an adaptive load controller, and the engine cooling system. The maximum power from a single engine, at this stage of development, is 2.1 kW(e) with an efficiency of 19% (engine/alternator). The maximum engine efficiency is 23%. The engine mass of 28 kg results in a low mass per unit power of 13.3 kg/kW

Keywords

alternators; electric generators; heat engines; heat pipes; linear machines; power convertors; 115 Hz; 19 percent; 2.1 kW; 23 percent; 3 kW; adaptive load controller; alternators; cooling system; development; electric generator; free-piston Stirling engines; heat engines; heat pipe; power conditioner; Adaptive control; Control systems; Cooling; Frequency; Generators; Heat engines; Power generation; Programmable control; Stirling engines; Temperature control;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, 1989. IECEC-89., Proceedings of the 24th Intersociety

Conference_Location

Washington, DC

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IECEC.1989.74781

Filename

74781