Integrated Calendar

In 1816 Robert Stirling patented a device he hoped would sweep aside the then-dominant “atmospheric” steam engine. Instead of a messy process of using steam to make a vacuum beneath a piston, thus causing atmospheric pressure to drive the piston down, Stirling’s version uses the heating and cooling of gas sealed inside the engine to do the piston-driving. When incorporating the regenerator, or a heat 'economizer', this cycle was also be shown to be very efficient. In fact, since his early invention the now coined 'Stirling cycle' has been shown in theory to be the single Thermodynamic cycle capable of matching the efficiency of that of a Carnot cycle. Over the centuries, while engineers have loved the idea for its elegance, the practical realization of the Stirling engine into an effective power platform has shown to be complex and difficult to the point of almost impossible. This talk will discuss some of the recent breakthroughs in Stirling cycle thermodynamics, mechanics and control as well as its practical implementation into today's energy mix.