TWO CYLINDER STIRLING ENGINE- WORKING PRINCIPLE
TWO CYLINDER STIRLING ENGINE The Stirling engine is one of my favorites. It was invented in 1816 by Rev. Robert Stirling of Scotland. The Stirling is a very simple engine, and was often billed as a safe alternative to steam (since there’s no boiler to explode).It enjoyed some success in industrial applications, and in small appliances like fans and water pumps, but was eclipsed by the advent of inexpensive electric motors. Since it can run on any source of heat, it now holds promise for alternative fuel engines, solar power, geothermal power, etc. Stirling engines feature a completely closed system in which the working gas (usually air but sometimes helium or hydrogen) is alternately heated and cooled by shifting the gas to different temperature locations within the system. In the two-cylinder or alpha configured Stirling, one cylinder is kept hot while the other is kept cool. In the illustration the lower-left cylinder is...