STIRLING HEATPUMP

Thermodynamics of high frequency oscillating flow and heat transfer in a Stirling heat pump

Publieke samenvatting / Public summary

Aanleiding
There is a need to develop a novel heat pump that uses clean working fluids, compact, affordable, less noise and has better efficiency than state-of-the-art to provide warm tap water by upgrading heat from low quality heat sources.

Doelstelling
This project will explore an electrically driven free piston Stirling heat pump operating at a high frequency with reduced size to provide warm tap water to a household. This will be realized by new scientific insights into the operating and geometrical parameters of compact regenerator and heat exchangers.

Korte omschrijving
The main activities in the project are broadly classified into modeling and experimental sections. In the modeling section, we will investigate the physical phenomena of high frequency oscillating flow in contact with regenerator and heat exchangers. These models will be validated in the experimental section. The fundamental knowledge developed in the operation of regenerator and heat exchangers at high frequency will be used to design a free piston Stirling heat pump. Industrial partners will provide components to the test rigs and once developed and tested will be used by them to perform characterization experiments with their components. Industrial partners will also provide feedback and inputs to the modeling activities.

Resultaat
A fundamental understanding of oscillating flow and heat transfer at high frequency will lead to optimization and improvement of regenerator and heat exchanger and thereby increase the efficiency of the heat pump. By combing both modeling and experimental validation we will design a free piston Stirling heat pump.