Innovative Rotary Displacer Stirling Engine: Sustainable Power Generation for Private and Fleet Vehicle Applications

The Stirling cycle and related terminology is defined. Selected contemporary research involving the cycle in environmentally friendly applications is cited. Three conventional engine configurations that utilize a reciprocating power piston and crank shaft (the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma) are characterized, in terms of minimum number of components, advantages, and disadvantages. A new type of Stirling engine that employs a segmented rotary displacer and other related design improvements is presented along with preliminary findings from engine test runs.