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Numerical Optimization of a Four-Cylinder Double-Acting Stirling Engine Based on Non-Ideal Adiabatic Thermodynamic Model and SCGM Method

Author

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  • Chin-Hsiang Cheng

    (Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101, Taiwan)

  • Yi-Han Tan

    (Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101, Taiwan)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to optimize a four-cylinder, double-acting α-type Stirling engine with wobble-yoke mechanism using an optimization scheme incorporated with an efficient thermodynamic model. In this study, the non-ideal adiabatic thermodynamic model is improved by taking into account factors including pressure drops due to the sudden expansion or contraction of flow cross-sectional areas in the engine, multiple nodes in the regenerator adopted to accurately capture the temperature gradient in the regenerator, and the dependence of the transport properties (thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity) of the working fluid on temperature and pressure. A parametric analysis is firstly performed to identify the designed parameters that need to be optimized. In this study, engine optimization is carried out by using the simplified conjugate-gradient method (SCGM). The effects of the weighting coefficients of the objective function are studied. For a particular case considered, the optimization successfully elevates the power output from 1062.56 to 1659.72 W, and thermal efficiency from 27.41% to 37.22%. Furthermore, the robustness of the optimization method is tested by giving different sets of initial guesses. It is found that the present approach can stably lead to the same optimal design and is independent of the initial guess.

Suggested Citation

  • Chin-Hsiang Cheng & Yi-Han Tan, 2020. "Numerical Optimization of a Four-Cylinder Double-Acting Stirling Engine Based on Non-Ideal Adiabatic Thermodynamic Model and SCGM Method," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-19, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:8:p:2008-:d:347133
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Huang, Yu-Xian & Wang, Xiao-Dong & Cheng, Chin-Hsiang & Lin, David Ta-Wei, 2013. "Geometry optimization of thermoelectric coolers using simplified conjugate-gradient method," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 689-697.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Chin-Hsiang Cheng & Jhen-Syuan Huang, 2020. "Development of a Beta-Type Moderate-Temperature-Differential Stirling Engine Based on Computational and Experimental Methods," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-14, November.
    2. Chin-Hsiang Cheng & Yi-Han Tan & Tzu-Sung Liu, 2021. "Experimental and Dynamic Analysis of a Small-Scale Double-Acting Four-Cylinder α-Type Stirling Engine," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Peter Durcansky & Radovan Nosek & Jozef Jandacka, 2020. "Use of Stirling Engine for Waste Heat Recovery," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-15, August.
    4. Chin-Hsiang Cheng & Duc-Thuan Phung, 2021. "Numerical Optimization of the β-Type Stirling Engine Performance Using the Variable-Step Simplified Conjugate Gradient Method," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-14, November.
    5. Chin-Hsiang Cheng & Duc-Thuan Phung, 2022. "Modeling of Thermal-Lag Engine with Validation by Experimental Data," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-17, October.
    6. Cheng, Chin-Hsiang & Yang, Hang-Suin & Tan, Yi-Han, 2022. "Theoretical model of a α-type four-cylinder double-acting stirling engine based on energy method," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(PA).

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