Using supercritical heat recovery process in Stirling engines for high thermal efficiency

Stirling engine, using a composite working fluid, such as two-component flu id: gaseous carrier and phase-change component and single multi-phase fluid as the working fluid is studied to get high thermal efficiency. In Stirlin g engine with a composite fluid, a thermodynamic supercritical heat recover y and heating process is proposed and demonstrated to improve the heat tran sfer of the heat regenerator and cooler of common gaseous Stirling engine. The criteria for the choice of the working fluids are also formulated. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.