T[NASA] A Microfabricated Involute-Foil Regenerator for Stirling Engines M-2007-214973.pdf

NASA/TM—2007-214973

AIAA–2007–4739

A Microfabricated Involute-Foil Regenerator

for Stirling Engines

Roy Tew

Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Mounir Ibrahim and Daniel Danila

Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio

Terrence Simon, Susan Mantell, and Liyong Sun

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

David Gedeon

Gedeon Associates, Athens, Ohio

Kevin Kelly and Jeffrey McLean

International Mezzo Technologies, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Gary Wood

Sunpower Incorporated, Athens, Ohio

Songgang Qiu

Infinia Corporation, Kennewick, Washington

October 2007

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NASA/TM—2007-214973

AIAA–2007–4739

A Microfabricated Involute-Foil Regenerator

for Stirling Engines

Roy Tew

Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Mounir Ibrahim and Daniel Danila

Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio

Terrence Simon, Susan Mantell, and Liyong Sun

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

David Gedeon

Gedeon Associates, Athens, Ohio

Kevin Kelly and Jeffrey McLean

International Mezzo Technologies, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Gary Wood

Sunpower Incorporated, Athens, Ohio

Songgang Qiu

Infinia Corporation, Kennewick, Washington

Prepared for the

Fifth International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference and Exhibit (IECEC)

sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

St. Louis, Missouri, June 25–27, 2007

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Glenn Research Center

Cleveland, Ohio 44135

October 2007

Acknowledgments

The work described in this paper was performed for the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and the

Radioisotope Power System (RPS) Program.

Level of Review : This material has been technically reviewed by technical management.

Available from

NASA Center for Aerospace Information

7115 Standard Drive

Hanover, MD 21076–1320

National Technical Information Service

5285 Port Royal Road

Springfield, VA 22161

Available electronically at http://gltrs.grc.nasa.gov

A Microfabricated Involute-Foil Regenerator

for Stirling Engines

Roy Tew

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Glenn Research Center

Cleveland, Ohio 44135

Mounir Ibrahim and Daniel Danila

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio 44115

Terrence Simon, Susan Mantell, and Liyong Sun

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455

David Gedeon

Gedeon Associates

Athens, Ohio 45701

Kevin Kelly and Jeffrey McLean

International Mezzo Technologies

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806

Gary Wood

Sunpower Incorporated

Athens, Ohio 45701

Songgang Qiu

Infinia Corporation

Kennewick, Washington 99336

Abstract

A segmented involute-foil regenerator has been designed, microfabricated and tested in an oscillating-

flow rig with excellent results. During the Phase I effort, several approximations of parallel-plate

regenerator geometry were chosen as potential candidates for a new microfabrication concept. Potential

manufacturers and processes were surveyed. The selected concept consisted of stacked segmented-

involute-foil disks (or annular portions of disks), originally to be microfabricated from stainless-steel via

the LiGA (lithography, electroplating, and molding) process and EDM. During Phase II, re-planning of

the effort led to test plans based on nickel disks, microfabricated via the LiGA process, only. A stack of

nickel segmented-involute-foil disks was tested in an oscillating-flow test rig. These test results yielded a

performance figure of merit (roughly the ratio of heat transfer to pressure drop) of about twice that of the

90 percent random fiber currently used in small ~100 W Stirling space-power convertors—in the

Reynolds Number range of interest (50 to 100). A Phase III effort is now underway to fabricate and test a

segmented-involute-foil regenerator in a Stirling convertor. Though funding limitations prevent

optimization of the Stirling engine geometry for use with this regenerator, the Sage computer code will be

used to help evaluate the engine test results. Previous Sage Stirling model projections have indicated that

a segmented-involute-foil regenerator is capable of improving the performance of an optimized involute-

foil engine by 6 to 9 percent; it is also anticipated that such involute-foil geometries will be more reliable

NASA/TM—2007-214973

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