Numerical Analysis of Stirling Engine (1st Report, A Cycle Simulation Code)

We had developed a Stirling engine known as the NS30S, which is expected to he put to practical use in the near future. This paper describes the cycle simulation code which was useful in research on and development of the NS30S by virtue of its predictions and evaluations of the engine performance. This code is based on nodal analysis (3rd-order method) and has thirty-one control volumes. for the numerical analysis, the fundamental equations, which are derived rigorously by applying the equations for the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy to each control volume using staggered mesh, are solved simultaneously by the Adams-Moulton method. Meanwhile, to correspond with the NS30S. the working gas leakage from piston rings and the system for balancing pressure in four cylinders are integrated. Comparing the results of calculations with those of experiments, we see that the calculated values agree with the measured data, and that this code is an available tool for analyzing the performance of the Stirling engine in detail.