Combined Cycle Diesel-Stirling Heat Engine

A new concept is described for a combined cycle Diesel-Stirling engine that promises to achieve an extraordinarily high thermal efficiency. The two basic cycles are coupled together in series, the high temperature exhaust gases from an adiabatic Diesel engine are fed into a high efficiency Stirling engine in such a way that both engines produce mechanical power. The whole combined cycle is highly turbocharged in order to get the desired power density, favorable heat transfer conditions and energy saving regeneration of exhaust gas heat.

The problems posed by such a combined cycle are examined and calculation results are presented and discussed using a mathematical model developed as a preliminary effort of optimization and evaluation.