Everything You Need to Know Regarding the working of Stirling Engine

 

Since the days of the great industrial revolution, engines have been constantly powering our planet and improving our day to day lives.

What started off with the coal-powered steam engines was soon taken over by the less messy gasoline ones, and the latest name in the same league are the jets which have been seamlessly augmenting our air travel experience. However, despite so many improvisations, the basic working ground for powering an engine and i.e. by exploiting the variable of temperature difference remains the same.

Low-temperature differential SterlingEngine has been around for quite some time now and they also use the similar concept in which the first air is heated up and cooled down. This process is repeated in a cyclic manner to power various devices. 

When coupled with other sustainable technologies like solar and wind power, Sterling engines can actually come up with a magnificent power generation model to follow.

Working of a Stirling Engine

If we speak of the working concept, Stirling engines do look quite simple at the surface, however, there are many complex working mechanisms involved. Merely seeing it in operation is not enough to understand the process. You need to actually scrutinise the cyclic process very closely and more importantly, observe how it differs from the working of a steam engine. 

Components of Sterling Engine

In order to understand the working of a Stirling Engine, you need to have a clear understanding of its constituting components.

·         Heat Source: For powering any engine, you need an energy source. For example, in case of a Steam engine, it is Coal. Unlike their counterparts, Stirling engines do not use combustion as a source of energy. Instead, they exploit the difference of temperature between the source and the sink to drive the power.

That’s why even a cup of coffee, heated palm or even an ice cube can power a Sterling engine but the power produced here is going to be obviously low.

·         Gas: Another Gas is another major component of the Stirling Engine which is sealed inside a cylinder. It could be helium, hydrogen or even normal air which can retain its form when heated and cooled down through the process cycle. The gas which circulates the heat is also sometimes referred to as the working fluid.

·         Sink: Sink is the place where the gas is cooled down before sending it to the source.

·         Pistons: Usually, there are two pistons in a Stirling engine where the gas shuffles back and forth.

A Low-temperature differential Stirling Engine typically follows the above-mentioned process to aid the power generation. For more details on such engines, visit us now at Stirlingkit.com