Index Circular Stirling Stirling program source code Links
circular Gamma dual circular Alpha Siemens Beta Gamma

Animation of the alpha type Stirling engine.
Cylinder 1 Cylinder 2
hot piston cold piston
hot cylinder hot piston drive rod hot cylinder cold cylinder cold piston drive rod cold cylinder
connecting rod 1 connecting rod 2
crosshead 1 crosshead 1 crosshead 2 crosshead 2
crosshead 1 crosshead 1 crosshead 2 crosshead 2
crank 1 crank 1 crank 1 crank 2 crank 2 crank 2
crank 1 crank 1 crank 2 crank 2
hot gas in heater tube or expansion space.
heater
hot cap
regenerator
cylinder wall
piston
connecting duct
cold gas in cooler tube or compression space
cooling water
piston drive rod
crosshead
connecting rod
crank
crankshaft

Degree of cycle (of cylinder 1).
degree of cycle
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360
Animation speed (cycles/minute.) Stops after 3 minutes.
animation speed
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
Click here for more about the GM4L23



Info to calculate movements.
 1. crank angle between the crank on cylinder 1 and cyl. 2.
 2. Angle between the two cylinders. Often 0 or 90 degrees.
 3. cm, crank radius of hot cylinder crank.
 4. cm, length of hot cylinder connecting rod.
 5. cm, crank radius of cold cylinder crank.
 6. cm, length of hot cylinder connecting rod.

Info to calculate active volumes and volume changes.
 7. cm, diameter of hot cylinder.
 8. cm, diameter of cold cylinder.

Info to calculate dead volumes.
 9. cm, hot piston end clearance.
10. cm, cold piston end clearance.
11. cm, gap in hot cap.
12. cm, length of hot cap.


CALCULATED OUTPUTS (for one engine unit).

%
100-
90-
80-
70-
60-
50-
40-
30-
20-
10-
0-
Volume, red= hot, green= total, blue= cold
( % of maximum total volume)
c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360
Angle degree

HOT CYLINDER VOLUMES
= hot cylinder end clearance dead volume, cm^3.
= hot active volume, cm^3.
+ -------------
= total maximum hot cylinder volume, cm^3.

COLD CYLINDER VOLUMES
= cold cylinder end clearance dead volume, cm^3.
= cold cylinder active volume, cm^3.
+ -----------
= total maximum cold cylinder volume, cm^3.

REGENERATOR VOLUMES
= gap in hot cap dead volume, cm^3.

extra
= displacer, hot piston area, cm^2.
= power piston, cold piston area, cm^2.
= total maximum cylinder volume, cm^3.