Application of Stirling Engine Type Alpha Powered by the Recovery Energy on Vessels

Abstract The Stirling engine is a device in which thermal energy is transformed into mechanical energy without any contact between the heat carrier and the working gas enclosed in the engine. The mentioned feature makes this type of engine very attractive for the use of the recovery energy taken from other heat devices. One of the potential applications of Stirling engines is the use of thermal energy generated in the ship’s engine room for producing electricity. The work presents the concept of the Stirling engine type alpha powered by the recovery energy. The model of Stirling engine developed in this work allows a quantitative assessment of the impact of the design features of the engine, primarily the heat exchange surfaces and the volume of control spaces, on the achieved efficiency and power of the engine. Using an iterative procedure, Stirling engine simulation tests were carried out taking into account the variable structural features of the system. The influence of the size of the heater and the cooler, as well as the effectiveness of the regenerator and the temperature of the heat source on the efficiency and power produced by the Stirling engine have been presented.