Abstract: A hydrogen production system for use in connection with Stirling engines. The production system generates hydrogen working gas and periodically supplies it to the Stirling engine as its working fluid in instances where loss of such working fluid occurs through usage through operation of the associated Stirling engine. The hydrogen gas may be generated by various techniques including electrolysis and stored by various means including the use of a metal hydride absorbing material. By controlling the temperature of the absorbing material, the stored hydrogen gas may be provided to the Stirling engine as needed.

Abstract: A heater head assembly for a multi-cylinder heat engine the stirling engine, such as a multi-cylinder Stirling engine, having a plurality of regenerators and cylinders. Each regenerator has a regenerator manifold and each cylinder has a cylinder manifold. First identical cast heater tubes connect the regenerator manifold to first heater tube openings in a heater head manifold. Second identical cast heater tubes connect second heater tube openings in the heater head manifold to the cylinder manifold. The first and second heater tubes are parallel with respect to each other and form a pair of partial concentric staggered arrays. The heater tubes are rotationally asymmetric, having fin sections with less surface area upstream than downstream and thicknesses which decrease radially away from the central passageways of said heater tubes.

Abstract: A heater assembly for a heat engine designed to utilize solar energy and heat produced by combustion of a fuel such as natural gas. A receiver housing allows concentrated solar energy to be directed through a receiver aperture into a receiver chamber. Inner and outer arrays of heater tubes within the receiver chamber absorb the solar energy and transfer heat to working fluid in the heater tubes. A burner within the housing produces combustion gases which circulate past the heater tubes and transfer heat to the working fluid. The heater tubes form an opaque surface to solar energy and have uniform gaps which allow heated fluid to be passed between adjacent heater tubes. A precise three-dimensional mathematical description for the centerlines of the heater tubes which maintains uniform gaps between adjacent heater tubes is disclosed.

Abstract: A Stirling engine having a modular construction including a drive case and a cylinder block with generally flat mounting surfaces that face each other. The cylinder block includes cylinder bores and cooler bores that are perpendicular to the cylinder block mounting surface. Piston rods extend through the plane defined by the cylinder block mounting surface and couple piston assemblies positioned within the cylinder bores to a drive shaft. Piston rod seals contain a working gas present within the cylinder block from leaking into the drive case. The same basic engine components may be used with either sliding contact rod seals or bellows or other types of hermetic sealing elements.

Abstract: A heating system for improving the efficiency of a hot gas engine comprises a "heat pipe" type evaporator and condenser configuration forming a closed system for a condensing medium, such as sodium. The sodium is heated in the evaporator and vaporized. It flows through a conduit to the condenser where it condenses onto tubes which carry the hot working as for the engine, thereby heating the working gas. The condensed liquid sodium flows back through the conduit into the evaporator where it is again vaporized. This is a continuous cycle whereby a thermal power flow from the evaporator to the condenser is continuously induced by the heating of the sodium in the evaporator. The condenser comprises an outer cylindrical walled tube surrounding tubes which carry the hot working gas. These latter tubes are S-shaped and arranged in a bundle.