Experimental Study of Stirling Engine Regenerator Efficiency and Pressure Loss

摘要

A high efficiency and high reliability energy convertor is the Stirling engine which is cxpected to be one of the future space power generation and commercial application. The regenerator is a key component to increase the efficiency of Stirling engines. Currently, most regenerators are made of either the random fibers or woven screens. However, these regenerators have flow losses leading to low performance. To solve this problem, a new robust type foil regenerator is designed. In this research, the robust type regenerator is tested under oscillating flow conditions. Two pressure transducers are placed at the regenerator inlet and outlet to determine the pressure drop. By comparing the experimental results to the other regenerator type experimental results, CFD results and SAGE results, we reveal the regenerator characteristics, and can optimize the regenerator configuration in the future.