A four-process cycle is disclosed for a Vuilleumier heat pump that has mechatronically-controlled displacers. Vuilleumier heat pumps that use a crank to drive the displacers have been previously developed. However, mechatronic controls provides a greater degree of freedom to control the displacers. The four-process cycle provides a higher coefficient of performance than prior cycles in the crank-driven Vuilleumier heat pump and those previously disclosed for a mechatronically-driven Vuilleumier heat pump.

The multi-temperature double-acting piston includes a peripheral sealing ring, a lower hot crown and/or an upper hot crown, and moves in translation in a cold cylinder of a heat engine which includes a lower cylinder head and an upper cylinder head, the piston including a central piston pin the lower piston rod of which passes through the lower cylinder head so as to be connected to a power transmission housed in a transmission casing, and the upper piston rod of which passes through the upper cylinder head so as to open out into a piston cooling and lubricating chamber, a lubricating-cooling gallery provided in the pin putting the chamber in communication with the casing via an internal piston volume.

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.