Stirlocharger Powered By Exhaust Heat for High Efficiency Combustion And Electric Generation

Stirling engines have been in existence since the early 1900s, and have been of little study in the recent years. Stirling engines are low power, heat engines which work on the principle of a temperature differential between the hot and cold sides. This thesis will look into the integration of a Stirling engine onto a turbocompressor for automotive applications calling the device a Stirlocharger.;Some study has been done on the performance characteristics of Stirling engines and turbochargers and is included in this thesis. In a study a Stirling engine was seen to provide a torque of 3 Nm at a hot temperature of 500°C and a cold temperature of 27°C. Torque produced by a conventional turbocharger is in the area of 1.8 Nm. It was also shown that there is significant heat transfer between the hot turbine and the cold compressor. This causes the inlet air to warm up, and reduces volumetric efficiency.;A Stirlocharger would be a promising option to power a turbocompressor, due to its low cost nature, and low noise characteristic. It is also a low maintenance device having lesser complexity parts than a conventional turbocharger.;The alpha and beta Stirlochargers shown in this thesis are potential candidates for automotive use and waste heat recovery applications. The mathematical stirlocharger model presented takes into account the engine speed the device is connected to, and the engine out exhaust gas temperature at varying RPM rates. The engine used for this analysis is a 2L turbocharged Yanmar Diesel engine with a peak power output rating of 50HP. The design and performance comparison between the alpha and beta Stirlochargers is shown and its potential viability for automotive application is assessed. The better candidate is shown to be the alpha-Stirlocharger. The alpha and beta type Stirlochargers produce boost pressures of 1.75psi and 12.1 psi at 6000rpm respectively, and power outputs of 12.5W and 120.1W respectively.;Upon completing the analysis work mentioned in this thesis, it can be concluded that the Stirlocharger is a potentially strong candidate as an automotive charging system utilizing a waste heat recovery method which can easily be converted into usable torque to propel a compressor.