Abstract
In order to develop a low cost and small Stirling engine, a gamma-type Stirling engine which has simple moving-tube-type heat exchangers and a Rhombic mechanism has been developed. Its target shaft power is 50 W at the engine speed, 4000 rpm and the mean pressure, 0.8 MPa using helium as the working gas. In the published reports [1], [2], we measured the engine performance with atmosphere air and the mechanical loss on the motoring test. We also developed a hermetic generator set using the prototype engine. As the results, it was confirmed that the friction loss of a piston drive mechanism is too strong, and the engine has big gas leakage from the power piston. In this paper, we discuss about the Rhombic mechanism. Still more we reform the engine with reorganized parts of the power piston, connecting rods and a heat exchanger, and try to measure the engine performance.
