| 摘要 |
In an engine based on the Stirling cycle the individual hot side and cold side cylinders typically used in conventional Stirling engines are subdivided into a cluster of parallel cylinders of smaller diameter than the single cylinder but with the area of the cylinder walls greater than that for the single cylinder for the same displacement and with spaces between the cylinders in the cluster to allow a heating or cooling medium to flow through the spaces and contact the enlarged surface area for tranferring heat into or out of the cylinders more efficiently. The described engine has the hot side cylinder cluster disposed horizontally to facilitate allowing hot gases of combustion to flow through the spaces between the subdivided cylinders by natural convection. Moreover, having the hot side cylinders disposed horizontally facilitates confining the hot combustion gases to one end region of the cylinders in isolation from the rest of the engine structure. When the engine is operating, the hot side piston cluster leads the cold side piston cluster by 45 angular degrees. The engine can also be driven with an electric motor to serve as a heat pump for either cooling or heating a space or substance.
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