Dynamics of an oscillating Stirling heat pump

In this paper, a promising heat pump based on Stirling technology is examined. Based on the volume variation produced by the oscillating displacement of two pistons, the advantages of this particular system lie in the elimination of a transmission mechanism, as the driving machines are directly coupled to the working pistons, and in the use of environmentally friendly working gases. The system is analysed by coupling the dynamics to an isothermal model of the Stirling cycle. A methodology is proposed to preliminarily size this type of heat pump based on simulations performed on a mathematical model built in MATLAB. The stability of operation is analysed by considering possible changes in working conditions. Actions are proposed to minimize the effect of these changes on the performance of the system.