Design of selected parts of non-conventional Stirling engine with FIK
mechanism
Dalibor Barta, Juraj Saniga, Martin Mruzek, Martin Kendra
University of Zilina, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Slovakia
[email protected]
Abstract: This paper deals with a design implementation of Stirling engine with a
non-conventional FIK mechanism, contains a description of its operation and discusses the
possibilities of compression ratio changes. It presents the results of a research focused on
individual parts of the engine, including the regenerator, FIK mechanismand heat transfer.
These results have been obtained by calculation, simulation and experiments performed
directly in the selected engine parts. The FLUENT software was used for the simulation.
Key words: Stirling engine, FIK, regenerator, CFD simulation
Introduction
One of many applications of the patented FIK engine construction with non-conventional mechanism with
a swing plate is its modification for the Stirling engine (Kukuca et al., 2002). In this configuration, the Stirling engine
uses air, which is heated in the heat cylinder of the cylinder wall and cylinder head, as a power medium.
Figure 1: Virtual model of non-conventional mechanism FIK: 1 regenerator, 2 cooled cylinder, 3 swing plate, 4
heated cylinder, 5 flywheel, 6 heat output, 7 heat input
Two heated and two cooled cylinders connected with a regenerator form the basic concept of the Stirling
engine with the non-conventional FIK mechanism with a swing plate. The basic dimensions of the piston group were
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taken from the an air-cooled vehicle engine with cylinder diameter of 75 mm and a stroke of 72 mm. When designing
this engine, theoretical calculations were used. Subsequently, the proposal of the swing plate and other main engine
dimensions were made. The project continued with the creation of 3D models using the Catia V5R20 software. Figure
1 shows a virtual model of non-conventional FIK mechanism. The other parts are described below.
Description of constructive units
The basic supporting structure of the engine consists of two steel plates with a thickness of 10 mm. At the top
plate, there are holes for cylinders and holes for screws connection.
Figure 2: Top plate with cylinders and heads
The bottom plate performs several functions. The gearing that is there is used to assure kinematic movement of
the swing plate. The bearing housings where the crankshaft is housed are there too and also the holes for fastening of
the stabilization feet. The top and bottom plates are connected with four capped pipe beams with shoulder on the top.
Inserting washers under the top plate can change the engine compression ratio and other performance parameters as
well. The plate is screwed with four threaded rods M14.
Figure 3: Piston group: 1 piston, 2 thread rod, 3. rod end
The piston group of Stirling engine with non-conventional FIK mechanism was used from the air cooled
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engine. The ribs of the aircooled cylinders allow regular and steadier heating of heated cylinders in order to keep the
optimal working temperature. On the other hand it allows better cooling dawn of cooled cylinders where the
temperature must be stabile isothermal.
The connecting rod of swing mechanism consists of three parts, two rod ends SKF SI 20ES and a thread rod
M20, as can be seen in the figure 3. In the mechanism of the FIK engine the swing plate makes a movement in three
axes. Therefore the crank bearings and piston-pin bearings use the rod ends. The rod length is variable. The designed
length of connecting rod is L =164mm (Kukuca et al., 2006).
Figure 4: Swing plate with rod ends and gear
The swing plate in the figure 4 and 5 transfers the straight-line reciprocating motion of the piston to the
crankshaft. In the swing plate, there are bearing housings for conical bearing, in which the crankshaft is supported. The
same type of conical bearings is used in the bottom plate.
Figure 5: Swing plate with rod ends, crankshaft, bearings and gear wheels
The position of the swing plate stabilizes the helical gearing which transmits forces on the bottom plate and defends
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the rotation of the swing plate around its own axis. The design of the swing plate is letweight in order to achieve lower
mass and lower inertia forces.
Figure 6: Crankshaft
The crankshaft is cranked in the angle 15 this value was calculated. The pitch diameter of the cylinders and
the piston stroke were used as the input data for calculation. The bigger pitch diameter of the cylinders, the lower
crankshaft crank at the constant piston stroke. The flywheel for steady running of the engine is located in the lower end
of the crankshaft. Below the flywheel, there is an engine-speed sensor.
An important part of non-conventional mechanism FIK is a balancing mechanism. Balancing equipment must
secure the balance of inertia forces and moments in the engine. When this is not balanced, the participating mass
makes the running around the engine axis unstable. The process of balancing depends on the mass of pistons,
connecting rods, piston pins and the swing plate and on the values of basic kinematic parameters. Balancing is realized
with counterweight. The counterweight is connected with the crankshaft. The radius of the counterweight arm is
bigger than the radius of the swing plate. The correct position and mass of the counterweight reduce the inertia forces
and moments. The values of position and mass were calculated from the input parameters. The methodology and
process of calculation of FIK mechanism balancing can be found in literature (Kukuca et al., 2003, Kukuca et al.,
2004).
The engine was designed for maximum operating speeds of 2000 rpm. The maximal engine power depends on
the quantity of the input heat and the efficiency of the regenerator. The regenerator consists of the body and the filling.
Figure 7 shows the cut of engine.
Figure 7: Cut of the engine
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Working principle
Both heated cylinders are heated from outside with directed flow of heat air from two independent hot-air
devices. The parameters of hot-air devices are: performance 2000W, air flow 650l/min and temperature of heated air
from 50 to 600C. Also other sources of heat can be used for heating, for example, a gas-jet. For directing the flow of
hot air around the heated cylinder walls was designed the cylinders sheathing. The limiting factor of heating the
cylinders is the temperature at the internal wall of the cylinder, due to the maintaining of lubricating properties of oil.
The oil could not go over 240C. The cooled and heated cylinders are connected with the regenerator by pipes. The
phase shift between the pistons in heated and cooled cylinders is 90. In order to achieve the highest thermal stability
in the cylinders, the highest engine efficiency and performance and the best heat utilization, the engine design includes
the heat regenerator.
Regenerator
The basic requirement for the regenerator is to capture the maximum amount of heat contained in the air as a
working medium when the heated air is moving from the heated cylinder to the cooled cylinder and then to reabsorb
it when the cooled air is moving from the cooled cylinder to the heated cylinder.
It is therefore necessary to propose a regenerator with a space large enough and with a reasonable volume, lowering
the final compression engine ratio (Bigos, Puskar, 2008). The first regenerator concept showed the need
to synchronize its size and the engine speed.
The simulation of regenerator work was made by Fluent software (Sojcak et al., 2005).
Figure 8: Distribution of temperatures in the cylinders and regenerator - porosity 0.961
Program Fluent use these main steps of CFD analysis:
- the basic formulation of the task (problem definition),
- creating a geometric model and the control area (use of CAD system),
- creating boundary and initial conditions,
- set the correct physical model with regards to the studied problem,
- creation and generation of adequate mesh (structure, size, or local concentration),
- CFD calculation (the assessment of convergence solution, eventually review of model parameters),
- data processing to obtain results,
- comparison with other results (experimental when available),
- critical evaluation of the obtained results.
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In this case was used a standard turbulence k model. This model is simplest "complete model'' of turbulence
with two-equation models in which the solution of two separate transport equations allows the turbulent velocity and
length scales to be independently determined. The k - standard model in FLUENT software falls within this class of
turbulence model and has become the workhorse of practical engineering flow calculations in the time since it was
proposed by Launder and Spalding. Robustness, economy, and reasonable accuracy for a wide range of turbulent
flows explain its popularity in industrial flow and heat transfer simulations.
For our problem was created 2D geometry of cylinders, pipes and regenerator in Catia software. Sketch was
exported as a step file to the Gambit program, which is used to computing grid creating.
Results of 2D simulations showed the problems which must be solved in 3D simulation. It was found how the
geometry of the regenerator inlet and outlet sections influences flow in the regenerator and how to determine the
regenerator volume to avoid an excessive heating of the medium in the cold cylinder as seen in the figure 8. 2D
simulation showed also how the porosity and material of regenerator filling influences the function of regenerator.
Figure 9: Measuring equipment for measurement of flow resistance in regenerator
It is necessary to know the flow resistance values caused by regenerator filling to get more accurate simulation
calculations in 3D geometry. These values are in figure 11 and they were obtained by real measurement on the test
model shown in figure 9. Coefficients C
2
and 1/ determining the regenerator filling properties were calculated from
the values of flow resistance as follows:
Experimental data that is available in the form of pressure drop against velocity through the porous component, can be
extrapolated to determine the coefficients for the porous media
Then a p-v curve can be plotted to create a trend line through these points yielding the following equation
p = 11,592v2 + 7E-13v
where p is the pressure drop and v is the velocity.
For the coefficients we can write
11,592 = C
2
1
2
n
with =1,1845 kg/m3 at 25 Celsius, porous media thickness n =0,19 m, inertial resistance factor
C
2
= 103
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7.10
13
=
n
with air kinematic viscosity =1,56E-5 m2/s, the viscous inertial resistance factor
1
= 2,3616
7
Figure 10: Formulation of porous media coefficients in Fluent software
Figure 11: Measuring equipment for measurement of flow resistance in regenerator
Cylinders
It is important to put a maximum of input heat in the shortest time. The heat transfer through the cylinder wall
and ribs was simulated. To avoid the local overheating of the cylinder from the source of hot air, the deflector, which
directs the hot air flow around the cylinders, had to be used. To ensure the flow of the air through the cylinder ribs and
more even distribution of temperature on the whole surface of the cylinder the sheathing with a minimum gap (1mm)
between the cylinder ribs and sheathing was designed. Figure 12 shows the airflow around the cylinder and its
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guidance to hot air exhaust.
Figure 12: The course of velocity of hot air flowing between the cylinder ribs
Figure 13: The course of temperatures of heated air and the cylinder through the ribs
As seen in the figure 13, about 65% of the cylinder surface flowed around by hot air reaches approximately
identical temperature, about 680 K. The lowest temperature is achieved on the back of the heated cylinder,
approximately 540 K, what is quite significant temperature difference.
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Figure 14: The course of temperatures of heated air and the cylinder through the volume between the ribs.
Figure 15: The course of temperatures inside the heated cylinder
As seen in figure 15, which shows the inner surfaces of the cylinder, the back part of the cylinder where miss
the sheathing and guidance the flow of hot air remain significantly cooler. Because the sheathing is common for both
heated cylinders the simulation was solved as symmetrical. The simulation showed that the designed shape of
sheathing can not ensure more even heating of the cylinder on the whole surface and that the hot air flowing the
opposite cylinder do not cause sufficient change of the flow in the area between the cylinder and the air outlet of the
sheathing. As a result, the hot air will be not guidance on the back of the heating cylinder. To achieve better
temperature distribution on the cylinder surface will be necessary to modify the sheathing form and to verify it by next
simulations.
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Figure 16: The course of temperatures inside the heated cylinder with ribbing
Figure 17 shows the heating of the cylinder and piston in the current position in top dead center. The simulation was
performed at a moving piston and speed 400 min
-1
.
Figure 17: The course of temperatures in the cross-section of heated cylinder with ribbing
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Conclusions
The design of the non-conventional Stirling engine with the FIK mechanism was created as a part of the
VEGA 1/0763/11 project. The paper describes the current state of the project. The projects goal is the construction of
a functional engine. The engine parts that are already available are shown in the figures above. Simulations by the
Fluent software were used when designing some heat-affected parts such as the regenerator, cylinders, cylinder
sheathing . The regenerator Simulations showed a need to modify some regenerator parts to improve the flow and to
ensure a sufficient regenerator output. It will be needed to perform a 3D simulation of the real state with accurate
computation input conditions.
Laboratory measurements of the flow resistance for a specific regenerator type that were taken will be used in
a 3D model simulation calculation. The determination of the heat input for the Stirling engine function was another
task of the solution. That was based on the heat transfer simulation calculations for the heated engine cylinder with the
optimal airflow of heating medium hot air coming from heat guns through the cylinder ribs. The calculations showed
insufficient heating of the cylinder back on approximately 35% of its circumference even when the hot air flow from
another heated cylinder was taken into account.
Acknowledgements
This contribution was created within the framework of the project VEGA 1/0763/11, which is supported by the
Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic.
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