Performance analysis of rotary Stirling engine

The performance analysis of a rotary type Stirling engine was performed in this paper. This engine is constructed by two eccentric circles with displaced centers. The space between these two circles was divided into four chambers. As the rotation of these two circles is synchronized, the volume of each chamber would vary. The wall temperature was set at different value in the circumferential direction, and the engine would deliver work as heat transfer occurs during rotation. A thermodynamic model of this engine was developed in this paper, and the results of analysis showed that a maximum engine efficiency of 15% could be reached for the specified engine condition. It was also found that a grouped parameter called M number in this paper plays an essential role to determine the engine performance.