DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A STIRLING CYCLE REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

Abstract

Concerns about the environmental impact of refrigerants used in vapour-compression heat pumps and refrigerators, have prompted the Stirling-Cycle Research Group at the Military Institute of Science and Technology to investigate the feasibility of low-cost Stirling-cycle machines that use air as the refrigerant. Such machines theoretically have the highest efficiency possible for any practical thermodynamic system, and thus provide a tempting alternative to traditional vapour compression technology. This paper outlines the working principles of Stirling-cycle heat-pumps and refrigerators, and describes some of the work performed at Military Institute of Science and Technology. Some of the heatpump development program results are also presented, and briefly discussed.