Optimization of a Linear Induction Oscillatory Machine in a Stirling Cogeneration System

The simultaneous production of heat and power at a small-scale is already a well known technique. Cogeneration is one of the main ways to bring about decentralized, embedded, localized and/or autonomous power production. However, it is still a challenge to design cogenerators to be below 10 kW as required for the smallest applications such as providing heat and power to a single house. This paper specifically presents an automated procedure to optimize the generator performances of a micro-cogenerator. The procedure uses a steady-state analytical model of the generator to determine the parameters of its dynamical model. Then, the micro-cogenerator dynamics are simulated to calculate two accurate objective functions that are minimized by a genetic algorithm.