Preliminary Investigation of an Alpha V-Type Stirling Cooler Development

M. F. Hamid; M. Y. Idroas; Z. A. Zainal

Authors

M. F. Hamid School of Mechanical Engineering Universiti Sains Malaysia, Seri Ampangan, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
M. Y. Idroas School of Mechanical Engineering Universiti Sains Malaysia, Seri Ampangan, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Z. A. Zainal School of Mechanical Engineering Universiti Sains Malaysia, Seri Ampangan, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Abstract

This paper present the development of an alpha V-type Stirling cooler by modifying the retrofitted alpha V-type Stirling engine from diesel engine. The design used air as the working gas and the performance of alpha V-type Stirling cooler is investigated. Alpha V-type Stirling engine is a preferred choice for modification due to its relative high power to weight ratio compared with gammatype Stirling engine, In this paper, the alpha-type Stirling cooler is driven by 0.75kW motors. The Stirling cooler is modified into a few different set up. The parameter of refrigerator tube material, cold temperature, and hot temperature, diameter of refrigerator tube material, cold temperature, and hot temperature, diameter of regenerator tube, Coefficient of Performance (COP) and cooling capacityare
discussed. The hot and cold end temperatures under various engine rotational speeds are recorded and the result is compared. The result shows that the auxiliary cooler did not give significant impact to the Stirling cooler to further cool and to improve the COP and cooling capacity. The Stirling cooler with the regenerator has produced the highest COP when make comparisons to the Stirling cooler without a regenerator which is a total difference of 66%. The Stirling cooler for solely made by cooper tube without regenerator has shown the best performance in term of spreading and conduction in thermal resistance.