The application of Stirling cooler to refrigeration

The application field of the free-piston Stirling cooler, Model 100A of Global Cooling BV in the refrigeration arena has been studied. The cooling effectiveness of the free-piston Stirling cooler (FPSC) (which possesses small capacity with better efficiency, a large range of temperature and capacity modulated operation) is of much use to cool a well-insulated space. One practicable application is suggested here, in which the FPSC and a secondary heat transfer fluid are as a single-temperature refrigerator (60 liter) instead of conventional vapor compression machines. In the freezer operation at -20/spl deg/C inside the cabinet, the steady-state test results show a 25% improvement in energy consumption over original designs. The application of the FPSC to a freezer at lower temperatures also shows great potential.