Excitation Of A Fluidyne Tuning Line

The fluidyne, or liquid piston Stirling engine, incorporates liquid columns as displacers and pistons in a heat engine type which can be used in conjunction with low-grade heat sources to provide useful work in the form of liquid pumped over a modest head. The liquid feedback type of fluidyne offers particular advantages including the absence of moving mechanical parts; this type of machine incorporates a liquid column to divert a small quantity of cycle work which is then used to re energise the displacer of the engine which must supply all of the pumping work of the engine. Previous research has demonstrated the import ance of correct design of the mixing of the liquid of the tuning line and the displacer. In this paper the results of an exDeriment are reported which demonstrate the response of the two liquid columns to tho varying system pressure which is both the consequence of engine operation as well as the means bv which the svstem is actuated.