Design of the 4-215 D.A. Automotive Stirling Engine

The Stirling engine holds out prospects of achieving a low pollution, quiet automotive power plant with excellent fuel economy and multi-fuel capability. N.V. Philips, of Holland, has been working with Ford Motor Company since 1972 on a joint program to build, test, and develop a conceptual version of the engine to determine its real potential.

This paper describes the approach taken in the design of a four-cylinder double-acting 170-hp Stirling engine with a swash-plate drive, suitable for passenger car installation. Performance and steady-state fuel economy measured on a dynamometer are also presented.