System Design and Performance Prediction of a Free-Piston Stirling Engine/Magnetic Coupling/Compressor Assembly in a Gas Residential Heat Pump.

摘要

Based on the previous evaluation of a magnetic coupling and the described system-design targets, a gas-fired free-piston Stirling engine/magnetic coupling/compressor (FPSE/MC/C) assembly as a power module for a residential heat pump application has been designed and analyzed. A porous combustor/FPSE/magnetic coupling/variable-gas control spring/reciprocating compressor assembly was the design selected and reported in this paper. Based on the system characteristics, design efforts are described on the following issues: one, design of a combustor allowing low pressure of natural-gas supply; two, the means to achieve engine power-load matching; three, the method to maintain the assembly as a resonant system tuning over a wide range of operating conditions; four, the design of an engine/coupling structure to minimize the magnet mass without sacrificing its mechanical properties; and five, compressor load-capacity modulation. The system analysis and the system performance, which is analytically predicted and described in this paper, indicate all the system design goals can be met leading to a strong recommendation for further development. 9 refs., 10 figs., 5 tabs.