Abstract
Recently, a power converter from waste heat to electricity is expected from the viewpoint of environment protection. The free piston Stirling engine (FPSE) has a feature that the output power of the working gas is directly used as the linear alternator input and then converted into electrical power. Therefore, it can be expected to achieve a high effectiveness as heat-to-electricity power converter for space applications. Test models of FPSE converter have been developed for a demonstration of solar heat energy utilization at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), for future aerospace applications. On the other hand, FPSEs using an empty can have also been developed, and they are being used for educational events held by JAXA. Based on JAXA's FPSE technology mentioned above, two types of FPSEs have been designed and developed to realize efficient use of low temperature heat energy. In this paper the design specifications and test results of these engines are described.
