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The United States of America As Represented by the United States

The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

Stirling Technology Company

Stirling Engine Associates

Stuart G Emigh

Peter Riggle

Jack E Noble

William R Martini

Maurice A White

Gregory A Lehmann

A common heat acceptor is provided between opposed displacers in a Stirling cycle machine. It includes two sets of open channels in separate fluid communications with the expansion spaces of the receptive cyclinders. The channels confine movement of working fluid in separate paths that extend between the expansion space of one cylinder and the compression space of the other. The method for operating the machine involves alternatively directing working fluid from the expansion space of each cylinder in a fluid path leading to the compression space of the other cylinder and from the compression space of each cylinder in a fluid path leading to the expansion space of the other cylinder.

Heat transfer head for a Stirling cycle machine

A heat exchanger having annular construction for a constant operation at high temperatures and pressures. A series of heating walls at high temperature surround the fluid to which heat is desired to be transferred in annular spaces. Counterbalancing pressures in areas filled with high pressure fluid and insulating gases allow use of thinwall construction for the heating walls to reduce cost and increase heat transfer. Spacers that are placed under compression are provided to maintain dimensional stability and transmit forces. Embodiments describing the use of the device as a heater or cooler and operation in either direction are illustrated. A second embodiment illustrates a heater with single sided heating of the fluid desired to be heated.

Heater head for stirling engine

A Stirling Engine or Heat Pump having two relatively movable machine elements for power transmission purposes includes a hermetic seal bellows interposed between the elements for separating a working gas from a pressure compensating liquid that balances pressure across the bellows to reduce bellows stress and to assure long bellows life. The volume of pressure compensating liquid displaced due to relative movement between the machine elements is minimized by enclosing the compensating liquid within a region exposed to portions of both machine elements at one axial end of a slidable interface presented between them by a clearance seal having an effective diameter of the seal bellows. Pressure equalization across the bellows is achieved by a separate hermetically sealed compensator including a movable enclosed bellows. The interior of the compensator bellows is in communication with one side of the seal bellows, and its exterior is in communication with the remaining side of the seal bellows. A buffer gas or additional liquid region can be provided at the remaining axial end of the clearnace seal, along with valved arrangements for makeup of liquid leakage through the clearance seal.

Stirling engine or heat pump having an improved seal

A regenerative heat engine designed to produce power for the operation of equipment such as an artificial heart is disclosed. The heat engine includes a temperature control heat pipe located around the periphery of the engine cylinder and a temperature distribution heat pipe located around the periphery of the heat source. A flywheel and bellows seal is included as part of the displacer piston drive, and a flexure support is positioned on the hot end of the displacer piston to allow the piston to move longitudinally while restricting lateral motion.

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Richland, WA, United States of America

Stuart G Emigh