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High Specific Power Multiple-Cylinder Alpha Free-Piston Stirling Engine
Title: Principal Investigator
Phone: (740) 592-0420
Email: kim@sunpower.com
Title: Business Official
Phone: (740) 594-2221
Email: knutsen@sunpower.com
The proposed effort will result in a design of a 30 kWe dual opposed alpha free-piston Stirling engine power conversion system for space applications, and provide proof of concept by the operation of a practical alpha engine. The stepped piston three-cylinder alpha FPSE has shown the highest efficiency and excellent specific power among various engines studied in Phase I. In addition, the three phase electric output of a three-cylinder machine is naturally better in the system context. Thus a high efficiency 15 kWe stepped three-cylinder alpha FPSE will be designed for a 30 kWe dual opposed operation by having two engines connected for perfect balancing in all harmonics. The program minimizes the development risks by combining proven technologies of Sunpower and Global Cooling Manufacturing Inc. (GCM). GCM has achieved the successful operation of a four-cylinder alpha free-piston Stirling cooler.
* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *