Design of a Low Temperature Differential (LTD) Stirling Engine for Water Transportation

Abstract

Low temperature differential (LTD) Stirling engines (SE) are useful devices when attempting to obtain useful work from low temperature heat sources. In an attempt to implement a renewable small scale LTD SE on a fishing boat, the required energy sources must operate on green energy. This research focuses on the feasibility of a LTD Stirling engine as one of the primary energy sources for a sustainable marine transport. The main focus is on the design and construction of a low temperature differential Stirling engine whose primary source of heating is directed from the sun and cooled through natural convection. This paper reports findings from the LTD SE design analysis.