Abstract
We designed and built a multistage thermoacoustic Stirling engine electric generator prototype. Use of three regenerators aligned in series, not in parallel, makes it different from ordinary Stirling engines. The prototype thermally amplifies the input acoustic power through the Stirling thermodynamic cycles and converts the amplified acoustic power into electricity. Although the gain of acoustic power was 1.76 with a single regenerator, it reached 5.1 when three regenerators were used. The Stirling engine that we developed can function at a low temperature differential.
