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Design Alpha Stirling Engine

This document is a senior design project final report for a Stirling engine powered by a solar collector. It was completed by four mechanical engineering students in partial fulfillment of their Bachelor of Science degrees. The project aimed to design and fabricate a Stirling engine using solar energy as a heating source to minimize environmental impacts. The report documents the design, manufacturing, testing, and analysis of the system, as well as the project management process. It includes sections on the literature review, system design, experimental setup and results, project planning and execution, analyses, conclusions, and recommendations.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
125 views70 pages

Design Alpha Stirling Engine

This document is a senior design project final report for a Stirling engine powered by a solar collector. It was completed by four mechanical engineering students in partial fulfillment of their Bachelor of Science degrees. The project aimed to design and fabricate a Stirling engine using solar energy as a heating source to minimize environmental impacts. The report documents the design, manufacturing, testing, and analysis of the system, as well as the project management process. It includes sections on the literature review, system design, experimental setup and results, project planning and execution, analyses, conclusions, and recommendations.

Uploaded by

Cedric
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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College of Engineering

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Spring 2018-2019

Senior Design Project Final Report

Stirling Engine Powered By Solar Collector

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of


Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Team Members
Student Name Student ID
1 Abdulaziz AL-Janoubi 201601046
2 Abdullah AL-Shammari 201600548
3 Mohammed AL-Otaibi 201401166
4 Abdulaziz AL-Olayan 201401988

Project Advisor:
Advisor Name: Dr.Esam Jassim

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List of Figures:

Figure # 3.4 (a): Stirling Cycle PV Diagram…………………………………………….....21


Figure # 3.4 (b): Stirling Cycle efficiency Graph…………………………………………..23
Figure # 3.4 (C) PV (left) and TS (right) Diagrams of an Ideal Stirling Cycle……………23
Figure # 3.4 (d) Solar Collector focal point………………………………..………………24
Figure # 3.5 (a): CNC Universal Machine…………………………………………………25
Figure # 3.5 (b): Stirling Engine Assembly & Exploded View…………………………….26
Figure # 4.1.1: Tachometer…………………………………………………………………27
Figure # 4.1.2: Multimeter………………………………………………………………….28
Figure # 4.1.3: Infrared Thermometer……………………………………………………...29
Figure # 4.2.1: Parabolic Solar Collector Dish……………………………………………..31

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List of Tables:

Table # 2.3: Alpha and Gamma Types Work Comparison…………………………….12


Table # 3.2: Design Specification………………………………………………………16
Table # 3.3.2: Engineering Standards…………………………………………………..18
Table # 3.4: Calculations Parameters…………………………………………………...19
Table # 4.1.1: Tachometer Specifications………………………………………………27
Table # 4.1.2: Multimeter Specifications……………………………………………….28
Table # 4.1.3: Infrared Thermometer Specifications……………………………………29
Table # 4.1 (a): Testing Equipment Objectives…………………………………………30
Table # 4.2 (a): System Electrical Outputs……………………………………………...30
Table # 4.2 (b): System Temperatures Outputs…………………………………………30
Table # 4.2) c) Solar Collector Temperatures…………………………………………..31
Table # 5.1 (a): Tasks and their Duration……………………………………………….32
Table # 5.1(b): Assigned Members for Tasks…………………………………………..33
Table # 5.2: Contribution of Tasks……………………………………………………...34
Table # 5.3: Dates of Activities and Events……………………………………………..35
Table # 5.5: Project Bill of Materials……………………………………………………38

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List of Acronyms

Symbol Parameter

T Temperature

Rair Ideal Gas Constant for Air

P Pressure

rc Compression Ratio

V Volume

Patm Atmospheric Pressure

H Efficiency

W Work

Wc Work in Compression

We Work in Expansion

Th Hot Temperature

Tc Cold Temperature

L Length

d Diameter

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Table of Contents:
Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………6
Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………………..7
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Project Definition …………………………………………………………………….8
1.2 Project Objectives…………………………………………………………………….8
1.3 The Cycle of Stirling Engine ………………………………………………………... 9
1.4 Stirling Engine and Renewable Energy ………………………………………………9-10
1.5 Project Applications ………………………………………………………………….10
Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1 Project Background ………………………………………………………………….11


2.2 Previous Work ……………………………………………………………………….11-12
2.3 Comparative work and Studies ………………………………………………………12-13
Chapter 3: System Design
3.1 Design Constraints and Design Methodology……………………………………14-16
3.2 Design Specification …………………………………………………………….16
3.3 Material Selection & Engineering Standards……………………………………..16-18
3.4 Theory and Theoretical Calculations.……………………………………………19-24
3.5 Manufacturing Processes & Assembling………………………………………….25-26
Chapter # 4: System Testing and Analysis

4.1 Experimental Setup, Sensors and Data Acquisition System…………………………27-29


4.2 Results, Analysis and Discussion…………………………………………………… 30-31

Chapter # 5: Project Management

5.1 Project Plan………………………………………………………………………………32-33


5.2 Contribution of Team Members…………………………………………………………34-35
5.3 Project Execution Monitoring………………………………………………………… ..35-36
5.4 Challenges and Decision Making……………………………………………………….36-37
5.5 Project Bill of Materials…………………………………………………………………37-38
Chapter # 6: Project Analysis
6.1 Life Long Learning……………………………………………………………………39-40
6.2 Impact of Engineering Solutions………………………………………………………40-41
6.3 Contemporary Issues Addressed………………………………………………………41
Chapter # 7: Conclusion & Future Recommendations
7.1 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………42
7.2 Future Recommendations……………………………………………………………….43
References ………………………………………………………………………………..44-45
APPENDIX
APPENDIX-I: Monthly Progress Reports………………………………………………46-51
APPENDIX-II Gannt Chart………………………………………………………………52-53
APPENDIX-III: CAD Model of Parts with Dimensions…………………………………54-69
APPENDIX-IIII: Prototype Picture………………………………………………………70

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Abstract:

Yearly, Saudi Arabia utilizes huge mass of its fossil fuel within the country. 30 percent of its oil
production is consumed within the kingdom. Therefore, Saudi government is nowadays looking for
alternative renewable power generation plants to reduce the dependence on fossil fuel to improve and
increase the country’s economy and consider the environmental negative impaction on the kingdom
more seriously.

Stirling engines are one of the environmentally friendly devices that can be used to convert
mechanical energy into electrical energy. The functionality of these engines is to have heat energy
flowing in and out within and out of the Stirling engine’ walls to create a small temperature difference,
where it is the important aspect of operating any Stirling engine and achieve continuous motion.
Although, Stirling engines are clean to be used for not having any exhaust gases out to the atmosphere,
the common way used to provide that external energy for the Stirling engine to operate is burning fuel
or coals which still is harmful to the environment. Alternatively, a very useful external renewable
source of heat especially in the kingdom is solar energy, where temperatures is more doable to utilize
throughout the year. Therefore, our aim is to develop a Stirling engine that will work by solar collector
to have completely clean power generation system and minimize the negative impact on our
environment.

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Acknowledgements:

The success and outcome of this senior project required a lot of guidance, assistance and support
from many people within the boundaries of the university campus and outside of it in numerous
workshops. We are extremely privileged and grateful to have completed our project with such
professional supervision and assistance provided by the faculty of Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd
University, we would not have been able to finish this project without the immense encouragement
and support that we received.

We would like to start by thanking our advisor Dr. Esam Jassim for providing us the opportunity to
work with him and for helping us along the way of this project’s completion, his knowledge and
expertise had helped and encouraged us to complete the project duly. Similarly, we would also like
to thank our instructor Dr. PANAGIOTIS SPHICAS for helping us start our senior project by
explaining all the requirements, providing us with all the deadlines and for assisting us in finding our
groups and advisors. Finally, we want to express our gratitude to Dr.Faramarz Djavanroodi the
Chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering for providing us the perfect environment for
Mechanical Engineering students to study in, it had equally helped and challenged us to our academic
limits.

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Chapter # 1: Introduction

1.1 Project Definition:

This project aims to design and fabricate Stirling engine using solar energy as a heating source. The
Stirling engine works on the principle of a closed volume system in which air produces work through
cyclic expansion and compression due to large temperature difference between the cold and the hot
chambers. The heat energy is transformed into mechanical work when the hot air expands to moves
the piston while the cold air compresses to release the piston to its original location. The crank shaft
mechanism allows for translating the linear motion of the piston into rotary motion taking place in the
flywheel. The objective is to implement the utilization of renewable energy to provide the heating
source for the engine by designing a concentrated solar collector to produce a very high temperature
similar to that of a small gas burner. Furthermore, this project will demonstrate the Stirling engine
capacity to produce power that is echo friendly and very practical for many applications.

1.2 Project Objectives:

The specific objectives of this project are:

1. To produce power with a high efficiency relative to similar alpha engines.

2. To further decrease our dependence on fossil fuels.

3. To showcase the practicality of using Stirling engine to power various applications.

4. To use a concentrated solar collector as a heating sources.

5. To showcase the environmental and financial benefits of using renewable energy instead of fossil
fuels.

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1.3 The Cycle of Stirling Engine:

Stirling engines are thermodynamic devices working theoretically on the Stirling cycle and using a
compressible fluid, such as air, hydrogen, helium, nitrogen or even vapors, as working fluid. The
Stirling engine offers possibility for obtaining highly efficient engine with less exhaust emissions in
comparison with the internal combustion engine. The earlier Stirling engines were huge and
inefficient due to its complexity and large weight. In recent years, however, several new Stirling
engine models have been developed to overcome such deficiencies.

Stirling cycle engines are classified based on the arrangement of pistons and drive system. They can
be categorized into alpha, beta and gamma types from the aspect of the arrangement of the pistons.
Also, several types of drive systems are normally used to ensure the appropriate movements of the
working gas to complete the Stirling cycle. From this perspective, Stirling engines can be classified
into kinetic, thermoacoustic, free-piston, and liquid piston types.

In this project, Stirling engines with a liquid piston drive system will be deigned. Stirling engines
have two power pistons in separate cylinders installed at either side of the cooler, regenerator and
heater. Both pistons need to transfer the work and must be sealed to contain the high pressure working
gas. The Stirling engine can be arranged in a double-acting configuration by interconnecting several
alpha units in a series to form a loop. The power pistons of the adjacent units are merged into one, so
that the power piston acts as not only the expansion piston for one unit but also the compression piston
for the next unit.

1.4 Stirling Engine and Renewable Energy:

Worldwide attempts are being made to increase the use of our renewable energy sources as well as to
use our current fossil fuel energy sources wisely. Stirling technology finds application in both the
renewable energy sector and in waste heat recovery. Solar energy is one of the more attractive
renewable energy sources that can be used as an input energy source for heat engines. In fact, any
heat energy source can be used with the Stirling engine. The solar radiation can be focused onto the
displacer hot-end of the Stirling engine, thereby creating a solar-powered prime mover. The direct
conversion of solar power into mechanical power reduces both the cost and complexity of the prime
mover. In theory, the principal advantages of Stirling engines emerge in their operation from external
heat source and their possession of high efficiency. Stirling engines are able to use solar energy that
is cheap source of energy. Since during two-thirds of the day, solar energy is not available, solar/fuel
hybrids are of certain essential.
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The continuous exhaustion of fossil fuels and the associated environmental impact have driven a
growing interest in increasing energy efficiency and exploiting renewable energy sources. A large
amount of low and moderate temperature heat is released from various industrial processes. It was
reported that more than one third energy consumption in the world is used by industries, of which
about 20–50% is finally exhausted as the waste heat into atmosphere. Low temperature renewable
heat resources, such as geothermal and solar energy, are huge in quantity all over the world. Exploiting
these low-grade waste and renewable energies provides significant opportunities for addressing the
energy related problems, such as energy safety and shortage, greenhouse gas emission, water
dissipation, etc.

1.5 Project Applications:

The kinetic Stirling engines and thermoacoustic engines have the greatest application prospect in
low and moderate temperature heat recoveries in terms of output power scale, conversion efficiency,
and costs. In particular, kinetic Stirling engines should be oriented toward two directions for practical
applications, including providing low-cost solutions for low temperatures, and moderate efficient
solutions with moderate costs for medium temperatures. Thermoacoustic engines for low temperature
applications are especially attractive due to their low costs, high efficiencies, superior reliabilities,
and simplicities over the other mechanical Stirling engines. This work indicates that a cost effective
Stirling cycle engine is practical for recovering small-scale distributed low-grade thermal energy from
various sources.

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Chapter # 2: Literature Review

2.1 Project Background:

Nowadays, 80% of global power generation is dependent on oil, coal, and natural gas. Although
fossil fuel as a heat input can produce a large amount of power, the damaging outcome to the
environment particularly climate change through the constant rise in temperature is the main concern
that is affecting the whole world. The limited and unsustainable nature of fossil fuel energy is another
obstacle in maintaining the needed global power production when dealing with high rate of population
growth. Therefore, the shift toward a less harmful and more sustainable source of energy is necessary
and implementing ways to harness renewable energy for mass power generation is in the top of many
countries’ economical plans especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Moreover, a significant aspect
of the 2030 vision is to invest on harnessing solar and wind energy for mass power production with
an initial target of generating 9.5 gigawatts of renewable energy (Renewable Energy, n.d.). This
incredible amount of power will provide the country with enough energy and diversify its economy.
Furthermore, this project was considered for design and manufacturing in line with our country’s
vision and future power generation.

2.2 Previous Work:


The Stirling engine is a simple type of engine in which fluid is subjected to cyclic expansion and
compression. One of the most important aspects in designing the Stirling engine is maximizing the heat
transfer to the working fluid. Also, good heat transfer needs high mass flow and low viscosity fluid to
reduce pumping losses. Moreover, using higher pressure or lower viscosity could reduce the high mass
flow required. The Stirling engine theoretically has a high efficiency in upgrading from heat to
mechanical work with the Carnot efficiency. The thermal limit of the operation of the Stirling engine
depends on the material used for construction. Engine efficiency ranges from about 30 to 40% resulting
from a typical temperature range of 923–1073 K, and a normal operating speed range from 2000 to
4000 rpm. In regenerative cycle, the heat transferred to the matrix of the regenerator by the working
fluid can be recovered back and used to increase the thermal efficiency of the engine. The simulation
of the design showed that the thermal efficiency of the engine increased to 61% when the effectiveness
of the regenerator is maximum. However, the effectiveness of the regenerator has no effect on
maximum cycle pressure, net cycle work, and power output (Bhagat, 2016).

Finite-time thermodynamics is used in this study to determine the thermal efficiency of the Stirling
engine and output power. The output power of the engine was maximized in two optimization
scenarios in which the hot temperature and temperature ratio of the engine were considered as design
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parameters. It appeared that in the second optimization scenario where two design parameters were
considered, the magnitude of the thermal efficiency and maximized power were more than the
corresponding values of the first scenario where only the hot temperature of the engine was taken as
a design variable. Moreover, it was shown that heat exchanger and regenerator parameters including
effectiveness, thermal capacitance rate and fluid inlet temperatures as well as engine characterizing
parameters including volumetric ratio, temperature ratio and thermal bridge coefficient have a
significant effect on the maximized power and its analogous thermal efficiency, in one hand, and on
work and heat transfer of the engine, on the other hand (Ahmadi, 2016).

These articles provided clear insights on the most important parameters to consider for designing an
alpha type Stirling engine with high efficiency. As mentioned, the compression ratio is a significant
factor in increasing the power output of the engine. In addition, designing a highly effective heat
regenerator can increase the thermal efficiency of the engine.

2.4 Comparative Work and Studies:

Aside from gathering information from previous work, we had to explore recent Stirling engine
projects in order to improve the design of our engine. Furthermore, these projects provide a great source
of information specifically in the fabrication stage. They illustrate the challenging aspects in fabricating
the engine along with the expected output power and efficiency. A senior project was taken as a
reference from Worcester Polytechnic Institute where a group of undergraduate students conducted
data analysis by calculating the performance and parameters of both Alpha and Gamma types engines
and in the end Gamma type was given the priority to be used for project prototype since
manufacturability was less required that Alpha type engine. The following table shows the Alpha and
Gamma types work comparison:

Gamma- Type Design Work Alpha- Type Design Work

Table 2.3: Alpha and Gamma Types Work Comparison

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Furthermore, we found that the Alpha type will give higher power that Gamma type, but the
manufacturing cost of Alpha type it will be higher that Gamma type engine. Also, the original design
of Gamma type engine was intended to produce more than 500 watts as predicted by the result of the
analysis.

Unfortunately, they were not able to make the manufactured prototype run. The main obstacle was that
the piston got stuck in the cylinder when the piston rings were attached. The group investigation
concluded that the problem was not caused by inaccurate dimensions but instead with the fabrication
of the cylinder. Furthermore, the group concluded that using drawn cylinder could loosen the tolerance
which will prevent the crankshaft from turning. The group also recommended that machine constraints
must be taken into consideration in order to avoid further major complications.

Another project done by a group of undergraduate students from Kathmandu University was examined.
The group decided to design and fabricate a Gamma- type Stirling engine powered by a parabolic dish
collector. the output power of their design was 5.54 watts and the total reflection of radiation by the
parabolic dish was around 7kw per day. The group encountered many obstacles in locating the required
materials with the right dimensions and fabricating the pistons. Furthermore, they chose PVC material
for the power piston and light wood for the displacer. They emphasized the importance of fitting the
displacer cylinder and cylinder which should be prioritize when fabricating the parts. In addition, they
mentioned that precise connections of connected rod and crankshaft with power piston and displacer is
very significant in reducing friction.

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Chapter # 3: System Design

3.1 Design Constraints and Design Methodology

3.1.1: Geometrical Constraints:

Since the moment decided to plan and design our Stirling engine for the project, there were some of
geometrical constraints we considered. Firstly, has to do with the shape and dimensions of the Stirling
engine since we decided to implement a solar parabolic dish collector as the heating source, we
decided to design a smaller size so that it can be mounted on the solar collector very easily. In addition,
opting for a smaller design will minimize the impact of vibrations that could destabilize the whole
system and most importantly the vocal point. Secondly, we decide to go with the horizontal layout to
have more stability in operation due to the large surface area. Moreover, it is easier to focus the vocal
point directly on the heating chamber in a horizontal layout than a vertical one. Thirdly, the weight of
the engine was taken into consideration by optimize the weight of the engine because it will be
mounted on the solar collector. Lastly, the selection of materials and component dimension were
decided to optimize the overall weight while maintaining a good thermal efficiency.

3.1.2: Manufacturing Constraints:

According to our extensive research, manufacturing and assembly of the parts of the engine is
probably the most challenging step to complete the prototype. We had to select a workshop that can
manufacture the parts within the dimensional tolerance limit especially for the cylinders, pistons and
sealing’s. Moreover, we decided to select Pyrex Glass as the material for the cylinders, but the lack
of specialized workshop in glass manufacturing made us opt for other materials such as stainless steel.
However, we decided to only manufacture the necessary parts and buy the rest as we decided to join
most of the parts through bolts and joints instead of welding.

3.1.3 Sustainability:

Since the Stirling engine components are exposed to high temperature, high pressure and constant
movements, many considerations in material selection had to be made. The metallic components can
corrode after a while due to high temperature, so choices of anti-corrosion materials such as stainless
steel were considered. Components under high temperature such as the pistons must be made with
low thermal conductivity materials like glass wool and stainless steel. Moreover, the joints and the
bearings need to be examined after considerable time of operation.

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3.1.4: Social Impact:

One of the main objectives of our system is to design to the common population in order to provide
a renewable energy and get a lifestyle shift within people’s lives, so they can prefer renewable energy
instead of grid energy with save money and prevent the atmosphere from pollutants like in camping
where one can stay off without the grid energy for several days. Moreover, Stirling engine can be used
without a need for fuel but just a considerable amount of heat to get the Stirling engine cycle fired up.

3.1.5: Safety:

There are many safety notes we need to consider in our Stirling engine. First of them, the vocal point
is very dangerous, and we need to create a technique that prevents the heat that coming to the chamber
so the engine will cool down. Another safety point, we need to make a stand plate for the engine in
order to prevent the engine from filling to the ground.

3.1.6: Economics:

One of the most important factors in design a good project is to design a project with high benefits
and low cost. Our system consists of Stirling engine which is not be an economic system as compared
by other systems, but in the long-run it does offer a great financial profit. In addition, you can save
some cost by powering up a Stirling engine instead paying for fuel for grid energy. Moreover, Stirling
engine requires less maintenance in order to keep the system operate well. Also, manufacturing and
assembling the parts correctly will reduce the chances of breaking down and save some cost.

3.1.7: Ethics:

According to the University policy, each team should design and fabricate a unique idea in order to
make a specific project stand out from the previous teams. In our system, we take some ideas and
concepts from previous teams and modify these ideas in order to make a project that is different from
previous teams and apply the University policy.

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3.2 Design Specifications

The specification of our project Gamma-Type Stirling engine is based on the following parameters
given in table # 3.2:

Engine Type Gamma-Type Stirling engine


Engine power (P) 0.2 Watt
Engine Speed (N) 400-600 rpm
Mean average pressure (Pm) 101.3 kPa
Hot space temperature (Th) 423 K
Cold space temperature (Tc) 293 K
Working gas Air
Gas constant (R) 287 J/kg. k
Displacer bore (Bpd) 0.016m
Displacer Stroke (Sdp) 0.0373m
Swept volume displacer (Vsd) 1.748E-5 m3
Power piston bore (Bpp) 0.014m
Power piston stroke (Spp) 0.0143m
Swept volume power piston (Vsp) 2.201E-6 m3
Table # 3.2.: Design Specifications

3.3 Material Selection &Engineering Standards

3.3.1 Material Selection:

For this project, the team has extensively considered the broad variety of materials to pick from in
order to assign them for the project’s design and has also took into consideration the restrictions and
limitations of each material in terms of its special properties and its cost. However, the following
selected materials are considered to be the first draft of selections due to the fact that the team is still
not fully informed on the fabricability and availability of the materials in the Saudi market, the
following selections might differ from the final product due to unknown future restrictions.

As of now there are 7 main parts for the design of our Stirling Engine:

- Power Piston
- Displacer

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- Crankshaft
- Flywheel
- Displacer connecting rod
- Cooling fins
- Cylinder

And there are 3 main materials that will be used for the design:

- Aluminum
- Stainless Steel
- Brass

The team will explain which material will be used for which part in this design and explain our
reasoning behind picking these specific materials:

Power Piston:

For the power piston the team will be using 6061-(Al) for its notorious self-lubricating properties
under sliding conditions in order to ensure that the power piston will be moving smoothly along the
cylinder without causing any disruptions.

Cylinder:

For the cylinder that will be used for heating the team has picked 6061-(Al) for several reasons, the
most important reason is for its low thermal expansion property to make sure the cylinder does not
elongate or change its shape when put under extensive heating. Another reason is because Stainless
Steel has a high melting point that will not be reached in our demonstration for this project.

Displacer:

The material used for the Displacer will be B36-(Brass) depending on its availability and cost in the
Saudi market. The reason Brass has been picked for the displacer is because it will be inside and
sliding along the heated cylinder, the important properties that Brass has to ensure no inconveniences
occur during the demonstration is its high melting point and its self-lubricating property, the
combination of these two properties makes it the ideal choice to use for such an important part within
the design.

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Crankshaft and Displacer Connecting Rod:

6061 Aluminum will be used for the crankshaft and B36 Brass will be used the displacer connecting
rod, the reason behind choose aluminum for crankshaft is that aluminum has high corrosion and
fatigue resistance. The Brass has been selected for displacer connecting rod because it has high
resilience and high fatigue resistance to ensure that the parts do not fail, break or wear after only
several demonstrations.

Cooling Fins:

6061 Aluminum has been picked for the cooling fins because they are light, it does not apply heavy
loading on the engine itself. As well as its known dissipation of heat, it is considered an ideal material
for good heat transfer due to its ability to absorb heat from the engine and dissipate it to the air at a
higher rate from most materials.

Flywheel:

For the flywheel, B36 Brass has been picked because the brass is easy to shape and very light weight
material.

3.3.2 Engineering Design Standards:

Component Engineering Standards


Cooling Fins ASTM: 6061-(Al)
Flywheel ASTM: B36-(Brass)
Displacer Connecting Rod ASTM: B36-(Brass)
Crankshaft ASTM: 6061-(Al)
Displacer ASTM: B36-(Brass)
Cylinder ASTM: 6061-(Al)
Power piston ASTM: 6061-(Al)
Table3.3.2: Engineering Standards

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3.4 Theory and Theoretical Calculations

Length of Working Piston Cylinder = 0.043 m

Length of Displacement Cylinder = 0.086 m

Length of Heating Zone of Displacement Cylinder = 0.06 m

Length of Cooling Zone of Displacement Cylinder= 0.026 m

Bore of Displacement Piston = 0.016 m

Bore of Working Piston = 0.014 m

Stroke of Displacement Piston = 0.0373 m

Stroke of Working Piston = 0.0143 m

Total dead Volume = 5.56062E-6 m³

Parameter Symbol
Pressure 𝑃
Maximum Volume 𝑉1
Minimum Volume 𝑉2
Maximum Temperature 𝑇ℎ
Minimum Temperature 𝑇𝑐
Work 𝑊
Compression ratio 𝑟𝑐
Heat Energy 𝑄
Efficiency 𝜂
Net Power 𝑃𝑛𝑒𝑡
Table # 3.4: Calculations Parameters

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Assumptions:

P1 = Patm = 101.325 kPa T1 = Tmin = 293 K

Gas Constant for Air = Rair = 287 J/kg-K. T2 = Tmax = 423 K

Compression ratio = rc = 1.2

Calculations of Volumes:

𝜋
1 ) 𝑉𝑆𝐸 = ( ) ∗ 𝐵𝑑𝑝 2 ∗ 𝑆𝑑𝑝
4

= 7.4996E-6 (m^3)

𝜋
2) 𝑉𝑆𝐶 = ( ) ∗ 𝐵𝑝𝑝 2 ∗ 𝑆𝑝𝑝
4
= 2.2013E-6 (m^3)

𝑉𝑆𝐸
3 ) 𝑉𝐸 ( 𝛼 ) = ∗ ( 1 − cos 𝛼 )
2

𝑉𝑆𝐸 𝑉𝑆𝐶
4 ) 𝑉𝐶 ( 𝛼 ) = 2
∗ ( 1 + cos 𝛼 ) + 2
∗ ( 1 − cos(𝛼 − 𝜑))

5) 𝑉 (𝛼 ) = 𝑉𝐸 + 𝑉𝐷 + 𝑉𝐶

𝛼 = 0 𝑡𝑜 360 𝜑 = 90

𝛢 𝑉𝐸 𝑉𝐶 𝑉
0 0 8.60025E-6 1.416087E-5
90 3.7498E-6 3.7498E-6 1.306022E-5
180 7.4996E-6 1.10065E-6 1.416087E-5
270 3.7498E-6 5.9511E-6 1.526152E-5
360 0 8.60025E-6 1.416087E-5

V max = V1 = 1.526152E-5 (m^3)


V min = V2 = 1.306022E-5 (m^3)

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Calculations:

Figure # 3.4 (a): Stirling Cycle PV Diagram

𝑃1𝑉1
At State 2; 𝑃2 = 𝑉2
= 𝑃1 ∗ 𝑟𝑐

𝑃2 = (101.325) ∗ (1.2)

𝑃2 = 121.59 𝑘𝑃𝑎

𝑃2 𝑇ℎ
At State 3; 𝑃3 = 𝑇𝑐

(121.59)(423)
𝑃3 = (293)

𝑃3 = 175.53 𝑘𝑃𝑎

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𝑃3
At State 4; 𝑃4 = 𝑟𝑐

(292.563)
𝑃4 =
(1.2)

𝑃4 = 146.28 𝑘𝑃𝑎

1
For work done in Process 1-2; 𝑄1−2 = 𝑊𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 𝑃1 𝑉1 ln(𝑟 )
𝑐

1
𝑄1−2 = 𝑊𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 = (101325)(1.526152 × 10−5 )ln(1.2)

𝑄1−2 = 𝑊𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 = −0.2819 𝐽

For work done in Process 3-4; 𝑄3−4 = 𝑊𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 𝑃3 𝑉3 ln(𝑟𝑐 )

𝑄3−4 = 𝑊𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 = (175530)(1.306022 × 10−5 )ln(1.2)

𝑄3−4 = 𝑊𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 0.4179 𝐽

For Total Work Done in Cycle; 𝑊 = 𝑊𝑒 + 𝑊𝑐

𝑊 = (0.4179) + (−0.2819)

𝑊 = 0.136 𝐽

𝑇
For Cycle Efficiency; 𝜂𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 1 − 𝑇 𝑐
𝐻

293
𝜂𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 1 −
423

𝜂𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 30.7 %

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Power calculation:

Let, us assume the rpm of flywheel (N) = 300 rpm

Since, rpm is not the SI unit so, we convert it into either the rad/sec or unit of frequency (Hz or per
sec).

1 300
1𝑟𝑝𝑚 =60𝐻𝑧, the corresponding frequency = = 5 HZ
60

300
𝑃𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 ∗ 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 = 0.136 ∗ = 0.68 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑡
60

Figure # 3.4 (b): Stirling Cycle Efficiency Graph

Figure # 3.4 (C) PV (left) and TS (right) Diagrams of an Ideal Stirling Cycle

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Calculation of Solar collector:

Figure # 3.4 (d): Solar Collector focal point

 The diameter of the curvature is 76 cm and the width is 60 cm


 The focal point is 36.1 cm from the vertex
 The following equation was used to decide on the focal point;
Y= x2 /4a
x2 = 1444 cm2
4a = 4*10 = 40 cm
1444 cm2 / 40 cm = 36.1 cm (focal point)

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3.5 Manufacturing Processes & Assembling

Most of parts are made by using three manufacturing processes which are turning, milling and drilling
process. Also, most of parts selected from aluminum alloy due to its ability to stand heat and it has
light weight. The Stirling engine’s flywheel of a 100 mm diameter as the largest part in this design first
was made by brass with turning and milling processes using CNC 3D universal machine. However,
brass was found to be heavy on the system, so aluminum was the better choice and the same processes
were used to make aluminum flywheel. Heating chamber/cylinder of a size of 20 mm and 60 mm in
length is made from aluminum with using turning manufacturing process to stand high heat and for its
light weight. Similarly, the displacer of the heating chamber/cylinder was made out aluminum to stand
heat and be self-lubricate with the same process which is turning process. The connecting rods made
of brass that is connected to the displacer of the heating chamber/cylinder are made by milling process
with the drilling process to achieve the final dimensions of 94 mm and 13 mm diameter / 2 mm diameter
with the rods ends. The other connecting rod for the working piston with 58 mm length and 10 mm
diameter / 2.5 mm diameter at ends was made out of brass as well to balance the system.
Moving to bearing support and base of a size of 128 mm length and 20 mm in width was made of steel
with milling process to have strong support to all components being assembled.

Figure # 3.5 (a): CNC Universal Machine

Assembling:

Assembly the parts was done using proper sizes of 2.5 mm pins and 11* 5/4 ball bearing placed at the
bearing support. Simply flywheel is mounted by a shaft of a size of 4 mm diameter with cranks placed
with the bearing support. Then displacer and working piston are mounted by pins with their proper
connecting rods to be placed inside the chamber/cylinder of the heating and cooling. Furthermore, glide
bearing, and cylinder plate are mounted with the cooling fins to have the hole system mantled together
and ready to be tested.

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Figure # 3.5 (b): Stirling Engine Assembly & Exploded View

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Chapter # 4: System Testing and Analysis

4.1 Experimental Setup, Sensors and data acquisition system

Since our design was still under construction, we used an alpha type Stirling engine designed and
fabricated by a previous group in order to test the concept of providing heat energy by a parabolic
solar collector.

4.1.1 Tachometer

We started this data acquisition by measuring all the significant parameters needed to evaluate the
engine performance. Moreover, we measured the output flywheel’s angular speed in revolutions per
minute (rpm) using a tachometer. The setup was conducted by attaching a small strip on the side of the
flywheel and then the laser was directed towards it to read the revolutions. However, the reading was
around 738 rpm while the temperature of heating chamber was around 160 degrees Celsius. Moreover,
the tachometer has following specifications;

Non-Contact Measurement 50 to 9999RPM + (0.03% + 2)


Measuring Distance 50 mm to 250 mm
MAX/MIN/AVG Function Yes
Data Hold Yes
Display Back Light Yes
Low Battery Indication Yes
Size 19 x 11 x 16 cm/ 7.6 x 4.4 x
2.4
Weight 288g / 9.6 oz
Figure # 4.1.1: Tachometer
Table # 4.1.1: Tachometer Specifications

4.1.2 Multimeter

The data acquisition was conducted determine the amount of voltage being produced by the flywheel
towards the attached DC motor via a narrow strip of rubber belt. At the other end, a DC motor with
LED strip was attached to the engine and the voltages were measured by attached the LED to the output
(with load).

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Additionally, the current reading was needed to determine the power output of the system and the
reading of the tachometer was 16.1 mA. This value of current was then used to calculate the power our
system was making under optimum conditions from the formula P =I x V.

Furthermore, the multimeter used to measure the data in the table above has following specifications;

Manufacturer B & K Precision


Category Digital Multimeter
Accuracy 3%
Number of Digits 3 ¾ Digit LCD
Voltage Range 66 mVDC to 1000 VDC, 660 mVAC to 750
VAC
Resistance Range 660 ohms to 66 MOhms
Capacitance Range 6.6 nF to 66 mF
Display Count 6600
Frequency 660 Hz to 66 MHz
Ranging Auto, Manual
True RMS Yes
Data Hold Yes
Weight 285 g
Size 165 mm x 42.5 mm x 78 mm
Table # 4.1.2: Multimeter Specifications

Figure # 4.1.2: Multimeter

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4.1.3 Infrared Thermometer

For this testing parameter, the heat provided by the solar collector to the heating chamber was
measured. Infrared thermometer was used to measure the temperature in a non-contact manner. Given
the fact that the vocal point can reach up to 275 degrees Celsius this type of testing equipment was
necessary. After exposing the heating chamber to the vocal point, the reading of the temperature in the
heating chamber were calculated. Additionally, the infrared thermometer used had the following
specifications;

Temperature range -50 - 380℃ (-58~716℉)


Accuracy ±1.5% or ±1.5℃
Repeatability ±1% or ±1℃
Distance Spot Ratio 12:1
Emissivity 0.95 preset
Response Time 500 ms
Wavelength 8-14μm
Data Hold Yes
Auto Power Shut Off Yes
Power supply 2 x 1.5V AAA battery
Weight 115.1g
Size 144.5 x 38 x 93 mm

Table # 4.1.3: Infrared Thermometer Specifications

Figure # 4.1.3: Infrared Thermometer

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Testing Equipment Objective

Tachometer To obtain the output angular speed (rpm)

Multimeter To obtain the electrical outputs

Infrared Thermometer To obtain the operating temperatures

Table # 4.1 (a): Testing Equipment Objectives

4.2 Results, Analysis and Discussion

Data obtained from performing the setups in order to get our system performance figures, following
tables have been compiled which illustrates the electrical and temperature outputs separately.

Parameter Reading
V: Voltage (V) 2.6
I: Current (A) 0.0161
Power (W)
0.04186
P=IxV
Table # 4.2 (a): System Electrical Outputs

Hot Cylinder Temp. (oC) Cold Cylinder Temp. (oC)


275 34
Table # 4.2 (b): System Temperature Outputs

Discussion

As visible from table 4.2 (a), the power output was calculated at the output flywheel since it was
attached to the 12 Volt D.C. motor which would eventually produce enough current and voltage to
light up an LED strip. In addition, the table 4.2 (b) shows us the temperature input given to the hot
cylinder which heats up to a certain limit as there is a cooling reservoir concentric to the hot cylinder
to keep it at a controlled level of heat, the cooling cylinder reached to a maximum temperature of 34
O
C from standard room temperature of 20 OC. As out LPG stove could reach a temperature of 900 OC,
the flame was regulated effectively and controlled to avoid the temperature levels reaching at a risky
point where it can affect some of the components in our system.
30 | P a g e
Parabolic Dish Solar Collector

Since we decided to implement a solar parabolic dish collector as the heating source, we decided to
measure the temperature of solar collector at different times using Infrared Thermometer. The
following table shows the temperature of solar collector at different times.

Figure # 4.2.1: Parabolic Dish Solar Collector

Time Temperature (oC)

2:10 PM 120
2:20 PM 144.3

2:30 PM 170.7
2:40 PM 196.3

Table # 4.2 (c): Solar Collector Temperatures

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Chapter # 5: Project Management

5.1 Project Plan


In our project, there are many different tasks included. Each task is assigned almost
equally to every member of our team. Each member of the team has enough time in
order to accomplish his part successfully. The following tables 5.1 (a) & 5.1 (b)
presents all information about tasks, team members and the duration of each task to
be completed.
# Tasks Start End Duration
1 Chapter 1: Introduction 1/22/2019 1/29/2019 7

Project Background
2 Chapter 2: Literature Review 1/22/2019 2/3/2019 12
Previous Work
Comparative work
Design Methodology
Design Constraints
Material Selection
Engineering Standards
Design Specification
3 Chapter 3: System Design 2/4/2019 3/5/2019 30
Theoretical Calculations

Designing all parts in


solidworks, assembly and
exploded view
Manufacturing of parts
and Assembling

Testing the Prototype


Chapter 4: System Testing &
Data Acquisition
4 3/13/2019 3/23/2019 10
Analysis Calculation of actual
efficiency, work and
power output
Results & analysis
Project Plan
Contribution of Team
Chapter 5: Project
members
5 Management & 3/24/2019 4/7/2019 12
Project Execution
Project Analysis
Monitoring
Challenges & Decision
Making

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Project Bill of Materials &
Budget
Life Long Learning
Impact of Engineering

6 Chapter 6: Project Analysis Solution 4/9/2018 4/15/2018 7


Contemporary Issues
Addressed
Conclusion
7 Chapter 7: Conclusion & 4/16/2018 4/19/2018 4
Future Recommendation
Recommendation
Table# 5.1 (a): Tasks and their duration

S. No. Task Assigned Members

1. Chapter # 1: Introduction All Members

Abdulaziz AL-Olayan
2. Chapter # 2: Literature Review Abdullah AL-Shammari
Mohammed AL-Otaibi
Abdulaziz AL-Janoubi
3. Chapter # 3: System Design
Abdulaziz AL-Olayan
Abdullah AL-Shammari
4. Chapter # 4: System Testing & Analysis All Members

Abdulaziz AL-Olayan
5. Chapter # 5: Project Management Abdullah AL-Shammari
Mohammed AL-Otaibi

6. Chapter # 6: Project Analysis Abdulaziz AL-Janoubi


Abdullah AL-Shammari
Mohammed AL-Otaibi
Abdulaziz AL-Olayan
7. Chapter # 7: Conclusion &
Abdulaziz AL-Janoubi
Recommendation

8. Design of Prototype All Members

9. Parts Purchased Abdullah AL-Shammari


Abdulaziz AL-Janoubi

10. Manufacturing All Members

11. Testing All Members


Table #5.1(b): Assigned members for Tasks
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5.2 Contribution of Team Members
The performance of each team member play a significant role in fulfilling the requirements
of the project. Each task was assigned to each team member depending on his ability of
doing the task and the time required to complete the task. The table (5.2) below illustrates
how much contribution was made by each team member.
# Tasks Assigned Cont. %
1 Chapter 1: Introduction All 100%

Al-Olayan 33%
Project Background Al-Shammari 33%
Al-Otaibi 34%
Al-Olayan 25%
Chapter 2: Literature Previous Work
2 Al-Shammari 25%
Review
Al-Otaibi 50%
Al-Olayan 30%
Comparative Study Al-Shammari 30%
Al-Otaibi 40%
Al-Janoubi 50%
Design Constraints and Al-Olayan 25%
Design Methodology Al-Shammari 15%
Al-Otaibi 10%
Material Selection Al-Janoubi 50%
Engineering Standards Al-Shammari 50%
Design Specification
3 Chapter 3: System Design
Al-Shammari 50%
Theoretical Calculations
Al-Olayan 30%
Al-Otaibi 20%
Al-Janoubi 50%
Designing all parts in
Al-Shammari 40%
solidworks, assembly and
Al-Otaibi 10%
exploded view
Manufacturing and Al-Janoubi 50%
Assembly Al-Shammari 50%

Chapter 4: System Testing & Testing the Prototype


4 All Members 100%
Analysis
Data Acquisition

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Calculation of actual
efficiency, work and output All Members 100%
power
Results & Analysis

Project Plan
Contribution of Team
Al-Shammari
members
Project Execution Al-Olayan
Chapter 5: Project
5 Monitoring 100%
Al-Otaibi
Management Challenges & Decision
Making
Project Bill of Materials &
Budget
Life Long Learning
Impact of Engineering Al-Janoubi

Solution Al-Olayan
6 Chapter 6: Project Analysis 100%
Contemporary Issues Al-Otaibi
Addressed
Conclusion Al-Shammari
7 Chapter 7: Conclusion & 100%
Recommendation Future Recommendation Al-Janoubi

Table # 5.2: Contribution of Tasks

5.3 Project Execution Monitoring


In order to make our project reach a high level of developing, we had many activities
which relates to improve our project. These activities include meetings with our
adviser and among our team members. Moreover, these activities present important
feedback on the project. The following table (5.3) shows the list of meeting and other
activities for our project:
Time/Date Activities/Events
Once in week Assessment Class
Weekly Meeting with the group members
Bi-Weekly Meeting with the Advisor
19 March, 2019 First Finished Prototype
21 March, 2019 Midterm Presentation
35 | P a g e
27 March, 2019 First Test of System
10 April, 2019 Finishing Final Prototype
14 April, 2019 Test of the System
18 April, 2019 Final Submission of Report
18 April, 2019 Final Presentation

Table # 5.3: Dates of Activities and Events

5.4 Challenges and Decision Making

In order to develop our project and reach a final stage of development, we faced some problems which

effect the progress of our project and acted as obstacle to overcome. However, after successions of
different suggestions and review, they were eventually rectified. The problems that we faced are the
following:

5.4.1 Equipment and Device Problems

Cylinder
In order to make system very light weight and transferring heat very effectively, we had difficulty
in select the type of material that will be used for heating and cooling cylinders. Since, Pyrex Glass was

not available in the market, aluminum came out the best alternative material that it can be used for
heating and cooling cylinders.

Pistons
Since our system requires a proper seal while operation, piston selection became a struggle in identifying

the alternative material that can achieve the goals of our project. Eventually, after doing some research
and visited a lot of material markets, aluminum was subjected to be the best alternative as it very light
weight and its structure allow for compression.

36 | P a g e
5.4.2 Testing & Safety Issue
Since our project depends on providing heat through the vocal point, measures of cautions were
considered. Moreover, the heat from the vocal point can reach up to 200 degree Celsius which might cause
severe injuries when exposed to the human body. Therefore, we used non-contact measuring equipment
such as the infrared thermometer and the tachometer. Also, we had to make sure that the vocal point is
covered to provide an easier way to shut down the engine properly.

5.4.3 Design Problems


In our system, there were two main problems which are workshop and vibrations. For the workshop, we
faced many difficulties to find a workshop that can manufacturing our system with correct dimensions. For
vibrations we did not realize about the vibrations that the system will produce when we will mount the engine
on the parabolic solar collector dish and there was no chance to reduce the weight of engine. We ran in a
trouble to reduce the vibrations of the engine since we have no chance to make modifications on the design
of engine. So, we decided to design a stand plate for the engine in order to prevent the engine from filling to
the ground and reduce the occurrence of vibrations.

5.5 Project Bill of Materials & Budget


The following table illustrates the materials that we purchased and their costs in Saudi Riyals (SAR). This
table includes also the manufacturing costs of the parts.

Materials Cost (SAR)

Crankshaft 300

Displacer Connecting Rod 200

Flywheel 500

Power Piston 150

Cooling Fins 450

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Displacer piston 150

Flanges 200

Base 150

Bearings 90

Rubber O-rings 35

Bearing Supports 100

Fasteners 50

Piston Cap 80

Crank Webs 180

Screws 50

Washers 45

Piston Fork 45

Manufacturing all parts 1000

Workshop Cost 1000

Total 4775

Table # 5.5: Project Bill of Materials

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Chapter # 6: Project Analysis

6.1 Life-long learning:

Throughout the semester our group has taken the opportunity of using our senior project as a
way of applying the competencies that we have learned through our core curriculum, most
importantly the critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork competencies. By effectively
communicating and working with each other as a team we were able to keep a timely-schedule
in order to efficiently finish our project in time. For this chapter we will be discussing the
important skillsets and experiences that we have gained by working on this project.

6.1.1 Software skills:

For this project the most helpful and effective software that we have utilized is SolidWorks, in
order for us to manufacture our project, the team had to design each part of the prototype using
the skills we learned from our Computer Aided Design course so that the team can acquire the
specific details and dimensions to provide workshops to manufacture the parts for us to
assemble. We were also able to finish all of the milestone and monthly progress requirements
with the help of Microsoft Word and Excel by using them to write our reports and contract our
own Gantt chart.

6.1.2 Hardware Skills:

During this project we have utilized certain devices in order to collect the required data and
test our engine to acquire the results, the group has used three main devices: The tachometer,
voltmeter and infrared thermometer. The tachometer is a device that instantaneously measures
and displays the amount of rotations the flywheel undergoes every minute. The thermometer is
a device that infers temperature from the thermal radiation emitted by the engine, we have used
this device to obtain the temperature that the solar collector is able to emit onto the insulated
cylinder of the engine. Lastly, the group has used the voltmeter which is an instrument that is
used to measure electric potential between two points of the electric circuit, this has helped the
group acquire the voltage that the engine is able to generate.

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6.1.3 Time Management Skills:

The most important factor in the completion of our senior project is our time management. By
creating, dividing and assigning tasks to each member of the group to finish in a specific time
frame, we were able to submit all our reports, milestones, and monthly progresses before their
respective deadlines. The task of creating our own Gantt chart in the beginning of the semester
was helpful for us to initiate and maintain our time management skills.

6.1.4: Project Management:

As a group of four we were able to evenly divide the work between each member, for some
tasks the work was done in pairs and for other tasks each member had his own individual task.
The team would meet three times a week to update each other on our work, share and collect
other work from other members and to make sure that no one is facing any issues with his
particular task. The work was divided due to each person’s specialization, for example the
members that were very good at SolidWorks were assigned to design the parts while the
members that were articulate and fast at typing were assigned to handle the research and reports
in order to finish both tasks on time.

6.2 Impact of Engineering Solutions:

6.2.1 Society:

Our project aims to replace other sources of energy in areas where Stirling engines are able to
work in order to produce a cheaper alternative for people in need, it is portable enough to leave
it on a rooftop or next to a window in order to charge a battery or a cell phone.

6.2.2 Economy:

The Stirling engine can be viewed as an affordable alternative for people who are not fortunate
enough to be able to pay for other means of energy or electricity. It also has the capability to
replace other engines in areas where there are huge differences in temperature in order to
minimize economical cost.

40 | P a g e
6.2.3 Environmentally:

The Stirling engine is unique because unlike other engines it does not have an exhaust and the
working gas can be pure air, it is complete solar and clean energy that does not contaminate
nor cause any sort of pollution to its surrounding environment.

6.3 Contemporary Issues Addressed

Saudi Arabia has been well known as the country producing most of the world’s fossil fuels
after the United States of America. However, as of recently the country has announced that
limiting our dependence from fossil fuels to be one of the backbone goals of Vision 2030. We
believe that focusing and learning about renewable, solar and overall clean energy is the most
effective way to further our dependence of oil. By studying and learning more about clean
engines such as the Stirling engine we will be able to put it in effective use in fields and that
can minimize the use of other internal combustion engines. This direction can also be a very
important path to tackle an issue even more important than just Saudi Arabia’s dependence of
oil, which is the issue of climate change, the faster we rely on clean energy the better it will be
to minimize and stop the effects of climate change not just in Saudi Arabia but all over the
world.

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Chapter # 7: Conclusion & Future Recommendations

7.1 Conclusion

To sum up, this senior year project was a necessity, not just as a degree requirement for the
Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering but also for the judgement of our understanding,
knowledge and the skill sets we have gained over the timespan of 4 years while in the pursue
of completing our bachelor’s program. We faced numerous setbacks during the overall
completion of our prototype and had to face some really tense situations where we had a face
a big troublesome hurdle as we have had numerous design flaws, manufacturing defects and
poor material selections over the time. On the other hand, we were finally able to produce a
working setup of our prototype.

The overall prototype was constructed on the framework of a parabolic solar concentrator
which was effectively powering the Stirling engine by heating up the lower part of the hot-
cylinder to create compression and give us those much-desired power cycles. Even though the
produced amount of power from our scrap-built Stirling engine was not enough to be used in
the domestic applications, it overall is productive and gives us the result we were opting for
which eventually was the main objective of this whole project.

Additionally, we would like to thank and pay gratitude for all the personnel who assisted us in
making this project possible and productive. Moreover, we are confident enough that to further
decrease the consumption of a burning source for Stirling engines, we can harness and use the
solar heat from the sun to power up the Stirling engine.

7.3 Future Recommendations

As the overall project for our design project progressed very well, due to time limitations and
a very tight plan to work in, we often experienced setbacks and failures which were bound to
show up as a surprising factor. But, nevertheless, after proper commitment and teamwork, those
were very well handled, managed and rectified. However, as a team, we still think that our
recent project could be revamped in the following manner:

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 Use a secondary source of heat at night times when there is no sunlight for powering
the Stirling engine.
 Add vibrational dampers to absorb operational vibrations at high speeds.
 A sturdy and reliable elastic sheath in the cold cylinder to avoid puncturing and
compression losses as experienced with the balloon.

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References:
1. Gautam, K. (2018). study and development of parabolic concentrated solar powered
Stirling engine.

2. Church, A. (2016). Stirling Engine Fabrication and Design.

3. Vision 2030 (n.d.). A Renewable Energy Market. Retrieved September 27, 2018, from
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5. Bhagat, A., Modi, A., Hinganikar, P., Tambekar, P., Kakade, N.U. and Kale, B.N., 2016.
“Design of Gamma-type Stirling engine in conjunction with solar concentrator”.
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156.

7. DiMaggio, P., Eastaugh, J., Fahie, J. & Silk, A. (April 25th, 2016). Design and Fabrication
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%20STRILING%20ENGINE.pdf

8. Kanyonga, N. A. & King’ori, W. S. (May, 2012). Hybrid Stirling Engine. University of


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9. Mohiuddin, M. R. & Hasan, N M. I. (2006). Design and Fabrication of an Alpha-Type


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11. Thombre, D. & Verma, S.K. (January 2008). Technological Development in
Stirling Cycle Engines. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 12(1), 1-
38. Retrieved September 27, 2018, from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222075299_Technological_develop
ment_in Stirling engine cycle

12. Tlili, I. (2012). Thermodynamic Study on Optimal Solar Stirling Engine Cycle
considering the Irreversibility Effects. Retrieved September 27, 2018, from
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/81177707.pdf
13. Vision 2030 (n.d.). A Renewable Energy Market. Retrieved September 27,
2018, from http://vision2030.gov.sa/en/node/87

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Appendix I: Monthly Progress Reports

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Appendix II: Gannt Chart

Task Start Date Days to Complete Assigned Member


Project definition 1/22/2019 5 Al-Olayan
Project objectives 1/22/2019 2 Al-Olayan
Project specifications 1/22/2109 3 Al-Otaibi
Project applications 1/22/2019 3 Al-Otaibi
Background 1/25/2019 7 Al-Janoubi
Previous work 1/25/2019 6 Al-Shammari
Comparative work 1/25/2109 5 Al-Shammari
Design methodology 2/3/2019 5 Al-Janoubi
Design Constraints 2/3/2019 3 Al-Janoubi
Design specification 2/3/2019 3 Al-Olayan
Material selection 2/4/2019 3 Al-Otaibi
Engineering standards 2/4/2019 3 Al-Shammari
Theoretical 2/5/2019 7 Al-Shammari
calculations
Design parts in 2/8/2019 7 Al-Janoubi + Al-
Solidworks Shammari
Manufacturing of parts 2/9/2019 21 Al-Janoubi + Al-
Shammari
Design Stirling engine 2/11/2109 10 Al-Olayan + Al-Otaibi
base
Assembling 3/7/2019 5 All team members
Testing the prototype 3/13/2019 3 All team members
Data acquisition 3/13/2019 3 All team members
Calculation of work 3/16/2019 2 Al-Olayan
Calculation of 3/16/2019 3 Al-Otaibi
efficiency
Calculation of power 3/16/2019 3 Al-Shammari
Results and Analysis 3/19/2019 3 Al-Janoubi
Project plan 3/23/2019 3 Al-Olayan
Contribution of team 3/23/2019 3 Al-Otaibi
members
Project execution 3/24/2019 3 Al-Shammari
monitoring
Challenges and 3/25/2019 3 Al-Janoubi
Decision making

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Project bill of materials 3/26/2019 2 Al-Otaibi
and budget
Life long learning 4/2/2019 2 Al-Shammari
Impact of engineering 4/3/2019 3 Al-Janoubi
solutions
Contemporary issues 4/4/2019 3 Al-Olayan
addressed
Conclusion 4/6/2019 2 Al-Shammari
Future 4/8/2019 3 Al-Otaibi
recommendations
Complete the final 4/12/2019 3 All team members
report
Brochure & Banner 4/13/2019 3 All team members
Booklet 4/13/2019 3 All team members

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Appendix III: CAD Model

Figure 1: Cylinder Plate drawing

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Figure 2: Displacer Flange (Aluminum ) drawing

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Figure 3: Fly Wheel drawing

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Figure 4: Displacer Cylinder (Aluminum) drawing

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Figure 5: Work Cylinder

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Figure 6: Base

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Figure 7: Displacer Driving Rod drawing

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Figure 8: Fins (Steal)

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Figure 9: Fly Wheel Axis drawing

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Figure 10: Fork for Displacer Rod

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Figure 11: Piston Fork

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Figure 12: Piston

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Figure 13: Clamping Flange Work Cylinder drawing

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Figure 14: Crank Web drawing

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Figure 15: Displacer (Aluminum) drawing

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Figure 16: Voor Front drawing

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Appendix IIII: Prototype Picture

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