Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

A Microfabricated Segmented-Involute-Foil Regenerator For Enhancing Reliability And Performance Of Stirling Engines: Phase Iii Final Report For The Radioisotope Power Conversion Technology Nra Contract Nas3-03124, Mounir B. Ibrahim, David Gedeon, Gary Wood, Jeffrey Mclean

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Under Phase III of NASA Research Announcement contract NAS3-03124, a prototype nickel segmented-involute-foil regenerator was microfabricated and tested in a Sunpower Frequency-Test-Bed (FTB) Stirling convertor. The team for this effort consisted of Cleveland State University, Gedeon Associates, Sunpower Inc. and International Mezzo Technologies. Testing in the FTB convertor produced about the same efficiency as testing with the original random-fiber regenerator. But the high thermal conductivity of the prototype nickel regenerator was responsible for a significant performance degradation. An efficiency improvement (by a 1.04 factor, according to computer predictions) could have been achieved if the regenerator was made from a low-conductivity …