A thermodynamic apparatus, such as a Stirling engine or a Vuilleumier heat pump, has a heat exchanger in which energy is exchanged between a working fluid and an exhaust gas stream. On top of the cylinder of the thermodynamic apparatus is a dome-shaped section. By incorporating the heat exchanger within the dome, the flow paths can be simplified, the number of separate components reduced, and overall weight reduced. Flow passages for the working fluid are embedded in the dome. Channels for the exhaust gases are formed in an outer surface. The passages and the channels are helically arranged, one clockwise and one counter clockwise. The dome can be cast with a core for the casting fabricated via three-dimensional printing. In some embodiments, the dome is made of fiber-reinforced material.

The invention relates to a heat cycle machine which operates according to the Stirling cycle and can be used as a multi-valent stand-alone power supply for households (electricity and heat), that is to say using various energy sources (sunlight, combustion of present materials). The heat cycle machine comprises at least one hot oil connection (4, 5) that can be connected to any desired heat source, at least one cold water connection (6, 7) and two chambers (2) that contain a working gas. The chambers (2) are connected to one another via at least one working gas line (18, 20) in which is integrated a working rotor (13) that can be driven by the working gas which is alternately heated in one of the chambers (2) and cooled in the other chamber (2).

An efficient stirling engine comprises an expansion chamber with a heater and a compression chamber with a cooler, wherein the two chambers are connected through a regenerator. A passage between the heater and the expansion chamber is provided with a first valve system, a passage between the cooler and the compression chamber is provided with a second valve system, the first valve system can close or open the passage between the heater and the expansion chamber, and the second valve system can close or open the passage between the cooler and the compression chamber. After adopting the structure above, when a heating end is heated to expand, a cooling end at the other end is closed, and on the contrary, when the cooling end is cooled to shrink, the heating end at the other end is closed, so that the heating energy is fully used, so as to increase the efficiency of the stirling engine.

An alpha type Stirling engine is provided and comprises an expansion cylinder and a compression cylinder, a regenerator, a cooler, and a heater. Each one of the expansion cylinder and the compression cylinder has a movable piston connected to a respective linear electric generator/motor, wherein the Stirling engine further comprises a control unit which is operatively connected to the linear electric generators/motors and which is configured to control the linear electric generators/motors individually so as to enable a different stroke length and/or motion profile of the piston in the expansion cylinder compared to the piston in the compression cylinder.

A thermodynamic apparatus, such as a Stirling engine or a Vuilleumier heat pump, has a heat exchanger in which energy is exchanged between a working fluid and an exhaust gas stream. On top of the cylinder of the thermodynamic apparatus is a dome-shaped section. By incorporating the heat exchanger within the dome, the flow paths can be simplified, the number of separate components reduced, and overall weight reduced. Flow passages for the working fluid are embedded in the dome. Channels for the exhaust gases are formed in an outer surface. The passages and the channels are helically arranged, one clockwise and one counter clockwise. The dome can be cast with a core for the casting fabricated via three-dimensional printing. In some embodiments, the dome is made of fiber-reinforced material.

Aircraft with an emission-free drive and method for emission-free driving of an aircraft. The aircraft includes an aircraft thruster structured and arranged to generate thrust force on the aircraft, an aircraft lift device structured and arranged to generate lift on the aircraft, and a heat engine, which is structured and arranged to convert thermal energy into kinetic energy to drive the aircraft thruster, that includes at least one flat-plate Stirling engine drivable by solar thermal radiation.

Aircraft with an emission-free drive and method for emission-free driving of an aircraft. The aircraft includes a drive device structured and arranged to generate thrust, a lift device structured and arranged to generate lift, and a heat engine structured and arranged to convert thermal energy into kinetic energy to drive the drive device. The heat engine includes at least one flat-plate Stirling engine drivable by solar thermal radiation.

An efficient stirling engine comprises an expansion chamber with a heater and a compression chamber with a cooler, wherein the two chambers are connected through a regenerator. A passage between the heater and the expansion chamber is provided with a first valve system, a passage between the cooler and the compression chamber is provided with a second valve system, the first valve system can close or open the passage between the heater and the expansion chamber, and the second valve system can close or open the passage between the cooler and the compression chamber. After adopting the structure above, when a heating end is heated to expand, a cooling end at the other end is closed, and on the contrary, when the cooling end is cooled to shrink, the heating end at the other end is closed, so that the heating energy is fully used, so as to increase the efficiency of the stirling engine.

A system for controlling the power output of a Stirling is provided that includes a hot heat source and a cold heat sink. A control unit receives a first temperature signal representative of a measured temperature of the hot heat source and a second temperature signal representative of a measured temperature of the cold heat sink. A look-up table provides a representation of the power output as a function of the mean engine pressure, pie, and the operating frequency, , of the Stirling engine. The values of the power output in the look-up table have been determined for predefined temperatures of the hot heat source and the cold heat sink. The control unit is configured to, based on the received temperature signals, recalculate the values of the power output and update the look-up table accordingly, and to control the power output by controlling the mean engine pressure, pie, and the operating frequency, , based on the updated look-up table. A method of controlling the power output of a Stirling engine is also provided.

A hot fluid expansion engine has a plurality of actuator modules arranged in a star configuration around a central shaft. Each module includes a drive piston defining a working chamber of variable volume in the first enclosure; a movable displacement piston subdividing a second enclosure into a low temperature chamber of variable volume and a high temperature chamber of variable volume with the high temperature chamber communicating with a unit of a fluid heater device and the low temperature chamber communicating with the working chamber; and a fluid circulation circuit extending between the fluid heater device and the working chamber. The drive piston and the displacement piston of each actuator module are connected to the central shaft via respective first and second eccentric transmission devices suitable for imparting reciprocating motion in translation to each of the pistons with a phase lag of 90.