A Stirling cycle machine. The machine includes at least one rocking drive mechanism which includes: a rocking beam having a rocker pivot, at least one cylinder and at least one piston. The piston is housed within a respective cylinder and is capable of substantially linearly reciprocating within the respective cylinder. Also, the drive mechanism includes at least one coupling assembly having a proximal end and a distal end. The linear motion of the piston is converted to rotary motion of the rocking beam. Also, a crankcase housing the rocking beam and housing a first portion of the coupling assembly is included. The machine also includes a working space housing the at least one cylinder, the at least one piston and a second portion of the coupling assembly. An airlock is included between the workspace and the crankcase and a seal is included for sealing the workspace from the airlock and crankcase. A burner and burner control system is also included for heating the machine and controlling ignition and combustion in the burner.

An ice storage unit including a housing defining an interior portion and a heat exchange engine disposed within the interior portion, the heat exchange engine defining a thermal exchange element extending therefrom. A thermally conductive coupling element defining an aperture is sized to receive the thermal exchange element therein. A thermally conductive reservoir is disposed proximate the thermally conductive coupling element.

A heat machine having an external heat source and an external heat sink may be configured as a Stirling engine having a hot pair of cylinder-and-displacer combinations 15 and a cold pair of cylinder-and-displacer combinations 16 though advantageously two pairs of hot combinations 15 and two pairs of cold combinations 16 are provided, arranged mutually at right angles. Mechanisms 20 associated with the hot and cold displacers controls the movement thereof to be truly sinusoidal and are contained within casings 21. The pressure in the working fluid spaces remote from the mechanisms 20 and also the pressure in the casings 21 is monitored and compared, and then is controlled such that the casing pressure is slightly less than the minimum working fluid pressure in the working fluid spaces. The relative phase of the two mechanisms 20 associated respectively with the hot displacers and the cold displacers is adjustable (28,29,30,31; and FIG. 4).

A heat machine having an external heat source and an external heat sink may be configured as a Stirling engine having a hot pair of cylinder-and-displacer combinations 15 and a cold pair of cylinder-and-displacer combinations 16 though advantageously two pairs of hot combinations 15 and two pairs of cold combinations 16 are provided, arranged mutually at right angles. Mechanisms 20 associated with the hot and cold displacers controls the movement thereof to be truly sinusoidal and are contained within casings 21. The pressure in the working fluid spaces remote from the mechanisms 20 and also the pressure in the casings 21 is monitored and compared, and then is controlled such that the casing pressure is slightly less than the minimum working fluid pressure in the working fluid spaces. The relative phase of the two mechanisms 20 associated respectively with the hot displacers and the cold displacers is adjustable (28,29,30,31; and FIG. 4).

External combustion engine which comprises a first cylinder and a second cylinder, in which a first piston and a second piston are able to slide respectively. The first and second cylinder are fluidically connected with respect to each other for the passage of a heat-carrying fluid suitable to determine the cyclical movement of the first piston and the second piston. The external combustion engine also comprises a drive shaft rotating around an axis of rotation, and with which crank means are solidly associated, provided with at least a first pin and a second pin having pivoting axes parallel to each other, and also disposed distanced radially from the axis of rotation. The external combustion engine also comprises first and second kinematic connection means suitable to connect respectively the first pin and the second pin to the first piston and respectively to the second piston. The first pin and the second pin are disposed with the respective pivoting axes angularly offset so as to be angled by a desired angular amplitude equal to a first acute angle with respect to the axis of rotation.

External combustion engine which comprises a first cylinder and a second cylinder, in which a first piston and a second piston are able to slide respectively. The first and second cylinder are fluidically connected with respect to each other for the passage of a heat-carrying fluid suitable to determine the cyclical movement of the first piston and the second piston. The external combustion engine also comprises a drive shaft rotating around an axis of rotation, and with which crank means are solidly associated, provided with at least a first pin and a second pin having pivoting axes parallel to each other, and also disposed distanced radially from the axis of rotation. The external combustion engine also comprises first and second kinematic connection means suitable to connect respectively the first pin and the second pin to the first piston and respectively to the second piston. The first pin and the second pin are disposed with the respective pivoting axes angularly offset so as to be angled by a desired angular amplitude equal to a first acute angle with respect to the axis of rotation.

A Stirling engine power generation system comprises a first gas fired Stirling engine driving a scroll compressor to provide heat to a second Stirling engine powered generator. The second Stirling engine is partially submersed in a heat transfer medium that is heated by heat transfer fluid compressed by the Stirling scroll compressor and excess heat from gas firing. The invention further comprises a cam drive system with spherical cam followers, and multiple electrical generators.

A Stirling engine power generation system comprises a first gas fired Stirling engine driving a scroll compressor to provide heat to a second Stirling engine powered generator. The second Stirling engine is partially submersed in a heat transfer medium that is heated by heat transfer fluid compressed by the Stirling scroll compressor and excess heat from gas firing. The invention further comprises a cam drive system with spherical cam followers, and multiple electrical generators.

A free piston Stirling refrigerator of the present invention has a cylinder provided inside a casing; a piston and a displacer that are provided in a way such that they are capable of reciprocating inside the cylinder; a linear motor for reciprocating the piston; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the linear motor. Particularly, the control unit has an inverter circuit for generating an alternating current with a given frequency and then supplying the alternating current to the linear motor; a current detection circuit for detecting the current outputted from the inverter circuit; and a control circuit for controlling the output from the inverter circuit based on a turbulence in the current detected by the current detection circuit. Thus, collisions between the piston and the displacer (i.e. hitting) can be restricted through an inexpensive configuration and a simple control.

A method for pressurisation of a working gas in a Stirling engine assembly for use in a thermal energy plant, the Stirling engine assembly including: a Stirling engine including an expansion cylinder and a compression cylinder, wherein the expansion and compression cylinders are configured in a V-arrangement; a regenerator; a cooler and a heater; an accumulator, the accumulator being in fluidic connection with the expansion and/or compression cylinders of the Stirling engine; and a low pressure receptacle including the working gas. The method includes: providing working gas to the accumulator from the low pressure receptacle; providing a pressurisation fluid to the accumulator to reduce the volume for the working gas in the accumulator, thereby increasing the pressure of the working gas in the accumulator; and displacing the pressurised working gas from the accumulator to the expansion and/or compression cylinder.