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Stirling engines: Difference between revisions
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A '''Stirling engine''' is a [ | A '''Stirling engine''' is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_engine| heat engine] which turns a heat differential into mechanical work. | ||
Its invention is credited to [ | Its invention is credited to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Stirling| Robert Stirling] in the year 1816, as he was the first to patent the device. It has remained largely an engineering curiosity until modern day, with little interest in automotive usage. In 1978, however, at the direction of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), NASA was directed to investigate alternative engines under the Automotive Propulsion Research & Development Act (Public Law 95-238). | ||
Originally intended as a 5-year program to evaluate the use of Stirling type engines in automobiles, due to funding shortfalls the program had to be extended to 10 years. Running from 1978 to 1988, the program evaluated a variety of engine designs, materials, and automotive testbeds. At the project's conclusion, following over 20,000 combined hours of tests on three distinct engine families, the final test engine (known as the "Mod II") had achieved a 30 percent increase in fuel economy (when compared to the standard spark ignition engine in the test vehicle) and an overall fuel efficiency of 40 percent. | Originally intended as a 5-year program to evaluate the use of Stirling type engines in automobiles, due to funding shortfalls the program had to be extended to 10 years. Running from 1978 to 1988, the program evaluated a variety of engine designs, materials, and automotive testbeds. At the project's conclusion, following over 20,000 combined hours of tests on three distinct engine families, the final test engine (known as the "Mod II") had achieved a 30 percent increase in fuel economy (when compared to the standard spark ignition engine in the test vehicle) and an overall fuel efficiency of 40 percent. | ||
[ | [http://ntrs.nasa.gov/index.cgi?method=search&limit=25&offset=0&mode=simple&order=DESC&keywords=%22Automotive+Stirling+Engine%22%0D%0A%0D%0A| NASA Technical Reports Server search results for "Automotive Stirling Engine"] | ||
Revision as of 06:19, 3 August 2006
A Stirling engine is a heat engine which turns a heat differential into mechanical work.
Its invention is credited to Robert Stirling in the year 1816, as he was the first to patent the device. It has remained largely an engineering curiosity until modern day, with little interest in automotive usage. In 1978, however, at the direction of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), NASA was directed to investigate alternative engines under the Automotive Propulsion Research & Development Act (Public Law 95-238).
Originally intended as a 5-year program to evaluate the use of Stirling type engines in automobiles, due to funding shortfalls the program had to be extended to 10 years. Running from 1978 to 1988, the program evaluated a variety of engine designs, materials, and automotive testbeds. At the project's conclusion, following over 20,000 combined hours of tests on three distinct engine families, the final test engine (known as the "Mod II") had achieved a 30 percent increase in fuel economy (when compared to the standard spark ignition engine in the test vehicle) and an overall fuel efficiency of 40 percent.
NASA Technical Reports Server search results for "Automotive Stirling Engine"
