Initial test results with a single-cylinder rhombic-drive Stirling engine

Abstract

A 6 kW (8 hp), single-cylinder, rhombic-drive Stirling engine was restored to operating condition, and preliminary characterization tests run with hydrogen and helium as the working gases. Initial tests show the engine brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) with hydrogen working gas to be within the range of BSFC observed by the Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in 1966. The minimum system specific fuel consumption (SFC) observed during the initial tests with hydrogen was 669 g/kW hr (1.1 lb/hpx hr), compared with 620 g/kWx hr (1.02 lb/hpx hr) for the Army tests. However, the engine output power for a given mean compression-space pressure was lower than for the Army tests. The observed output power at a working-space pressure of 5 MPa (725 psig) was 3.27 kW (4.39 hp) for the initial tests and 3.80 kW (5.09 hp) for the Army tests. As expected, the engine power with helium was substantially lower than with hydrogen.