Introduction
Unsteady Flow and Heat Transfer Theory
Governing Equations
Nonequilibrium Porous-Media Conservation Equations
Summary
Correlations for Steady/Unsteady Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer
Introduction
Internal Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer
External Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer
Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer in Regenerators
Summary
Fundamentals of Operation and Types of Stirling Devices, with Descriptions of Some Sample Devices (Including Power and Cooling Levels)
Introduction
Fundamentals of Operation of Stirling Engines, Coolers, and Heat Pumps
General Structural Configurations of Stirling Engines
Methods of Getting Power Out of Stirling Engines
Power Outputs of Some Stirling Engines That Have Been Fabricated and Tested
Stirling Coolers
Types of Stirling Engine Regenerators
Introduction
Regenerator Envelope (Canister or Volume) Configurations
Regenerator Porous Material Structures
Random-Fiber Regenerators—Actual Scale
Introduction
NASA/Sunpower Oscillating-Flow Test Rig and Test-Rig Modifications
Random-Fiber Test Results
Theoretical Investigations
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulation for Cylinders in Cross-Flow
Concluding Remarks and Summary of Experimental Correlations
Random-Fiber Regenerator—Large Scale
Introduction
Major Aspects and Accomplishments of the Large-Scale Regenerator Test Program
Segmented-Involute-Foil Regenerator—Actual Scale
Introduction
Selecting a Microfabricated Regenerator Design
Manufacturing Processes Considered and Manufacturing Vendor Selection
Analysis, Assembly, and Oscillating-Flow Rig Testing of the Segmented-Involute-Foil Regenerator
CFD Results for the Segmented-Involute-Foil Regenerator
Structural Analysis of Involute Foil Regenerator
Stirling Engine Involute-Foil Regenerator Results
Overall Involute-Foil Conclusions and Recommendations for Future Work
Segmented-Involute-Foil Regenerator—Large-Scale (Experiments, Analysis, and Computational Fluid Dynamics)
Introduction
Dynamic Similitude
Large-Scale Mock-Up Design
The LSMU Experiments under Unidirectional Flow
The Jet Penetration Study
Unsteady Heat-Transfer Measurements
Mesh Sheets and Other Regenerator Matrices
Introduction
Mesh-Sheet Regenerators
Matt Mitchell’s Etched-Foil Regenerators
Sandia National Laboratory Flat-Plate Regenerator
Applications Other Than Stirling Engines
Introduction
Use of Porous Material in Combustion Processes
Use of Porous Materials to Enhance Electronic Cooling
Use of Porous Materials in Heat Pipes
Summary and Conclusions
Future Work
Developing New Stirling Engine/Coolers
Developing a New Regenerator Design
Further Investigations in the Regenerator
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Modeling of the Regenerator
Microfabrication of New Regenerators
Appendices
Nomenclature
Biography
Mounir Ibrahim is professor of mechanical engineering at Cleveland State University (CSU), Ohio. Ibrahim has been involved in research on fluid flow and heat transfer in different areas and applications, including heat transfer in gas turbines, gas turbine combustors, Stirling engines, and Stirling regenerator design using microfacbrication techniques, to name a few. He has more than 35 years of administrative, academic, research, and industrial experience. Ibrahim is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He has been the chair of the ASME K-14 (Heat Transfer in Gas Turbines) Committee (July 2006 to June 2008). He also chaired the Mechanical Engineering Department at CSU from March 1998 to June 2002. He was a visiting scholar at Oxford University in 2008, and at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, in 2002. He has been awarded more than $5 million externally funded research and has supervised more than 60 masters and doctoral students. He has published more than 100 publications in prestigious journals and conference proceedings. Ibrahim has two patents: "High-Temperature, Non-Catalytic, Infrared Heater," U.S. Patent #6368102 and U.S. Patent #6612835.
Roy Tew was an analytical research engineer for more than 46 years at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center. He worked on space-power projects, with particular emphasis on Stirling power-convertor analysis, until his retirement in January 2009. In these areas, he also acted as grant and contract monitor for efforts including research into Stirling thermodynamic loss understanding, Stirling regenerator research and development, and development of Stirling multidimensional modeling codes. While employed at NASA, Tew was an author or coauthor on 29 NASA reports and other published papers. He earned degrees in physics (B.S. from the University of Alabama), engineering science (M.S. from Toledo University, Ohio), and mechanical engineering (Dr.Eng. from Cleveland State University). He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He was an Ohio Registered Professional Engineer until he let his license expire after retirement. Since retirement, Dr. Tew has been working with Mounir Ibrahim of Cleveland State University to prepare this book. During the fall semester of 2010, he taught a graduate course in energy conversion at Cleveland State University (his first experience in teaching a course). Although retired from NASA Glenn, he currently works there as a Distinguished Research Associate, a part-time, volunteer position.
