Stirling Generators: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

The current state of the market of Stirling generators shows that high-technology engines that have been tuned in the process of cooperation or competition between powerful corporations are winning. The main advantages of Stirling engines are the ability to use various heat sources and combustion chambers meeting environmental requirements, a low level of noise and vibration; favorable characteristics for both vehicles and stationary electric generators, and good consistency with a linear electric machine. High cost and weight—size parameters, as well as limited aggregate capacity and useful life, are constraints on the development of Stirling generators. It is a feature of a Stirling engine that the pressure-circuit, generator, and combustion-chamber parameters need to be regulated. The control system should be intelligent to provide starting conditions. Power control of a free-piston Stirling engine is usually accomplished by changing the piston stroke, which is realized a linear generator electronic control unit. At the moment, due to the development of alternative energy and distributed power supply, a potential niche for the use of Stirling generators is growing.