An energy converter (201) operating according to the Stirling, Ericsson, or similar thermodynamic cycle and being power-controlled by adjustment of the mean pressure of the working gas with the aid of at least one pressure tank (214) which is filled with working gas and connected to the cylinder(s) of the energy converter and in which the gas pressure is substantially higher than the mean pressure, thus enabling an increase of the latter; at least one gas pump (213) which at the exhaust side communicates with the pressure tank and at the inlet side generates a negative pressure enabling a decrease of the working-gas pressure; and valves (215, 216) for controlling both the pressure increase and decrease. Further, the energy converter accommodates at least one low-pressure tank, e.g. the crankcase (211), which is filled with working gas and in which the gas pressure is substantially below the mean pressure. The low-pressure tank communicates both with the inlet side of the gas pump and, via the valve for controlling the decrease in mean pressure, with the cylinder of the energy converter, the total volume of the low-pressure tank being much larger than the stroke volume of the energy converter.
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