Stirling Stuff

TL;DR

This paper explores the history, principles, and modern resurgence of Stirling engines, highlighting their environmentally friendly potential and thermodynamic applications in engine performance analysis.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive historical overview and discusses modern Stirling engine designs, emphasizing their thermodynamic advantages and potential for sustainable energy solutions.

Findings

Modern Stirling engines use advanced materials for improved efficiency

They demonstrate favorable thermodynamic properties for sustainable energy

Historical analysis informs current engine design improvements

Abstract

Robert Stirling's patent for what was essentially a new type of engine to create work from heat was submitted in 1816. Its reception was underwhelming and although the idea was sporadically developed, it was eclipsed by the steam engine and, later, the internal combustion engine. Today, though, the environmentally favourable credentials of the Stirling engine principles are driving a resurgence of interest, with modern designs using modern materials. These themes are woven through a historically based narrative that introduces Robert Stirling and his background, a description of his patent and the principles behind his engine, and discusses the now popular model Stirling engines readily available. These topical models, or alternatives made 'in house', form a good platform for investigating some of the thermodynamics governing the performance of engines in general.