For Stirling engines to enjoy widespread application and acceptance, not only must the fundamental operation of such engines be widely understood, but the requisite analytic tools for the stimulation, design, evaluation and optimization of Stirling engine hardware must be readily available. The purpose of this design manual is to provide an introduction to Stirling cycle heat engines, to organize and identify the available Stirling engine literature, and to identify, organize, evaluate and, in so far as possible, compare non-proprietary Stirling engine design methodologies. This report was originally prepared for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U. S. Department of Energy.

The Regenerator and the Stirling Engine examines the basic scientific and engineering principles of the Regenerator and the Stirling engine. Drawing upon his own research and collaboration with engine developers, Allan J Organ offers solutions to many of the problems which have prevented these engines operating at the levels of efficiency of which they are theoretically capable. The Regenerator and the Stirling Engine offers practising engineers and designers specific guidelines for building in optimum thermodynamic performance at the design stage. COMPLETE CONTENTS: Bridging the gap The Stirling cycle Heat transfer – and the price Similarity and scaling; Energetic similarity In support of similarity Hausen revised Connectivity and thermal shorting Real particle trajectories – natural co-ordinates The Stirling regenerator The Ritz rotary regenerator Compressibility effects Regenerator flow impedance Complex admittance – experimental corroboration Steady-flow Cf–Nre correlations inferred from linear-wave analysis Optimization Part I: without the computer Optimization Part II: cyclic steady state Elements of combustion Design study Hobbyhorse Origins Appendices