Patent ID: 8752375
Filing Date: 2014-06-17
Classification: F02G

Abstract:
1. A method for operating a Stirling cooler/heat pump having a casing containing a power piston and a displacer separating a work space into a first space in thermal connection to a first heat exchanger and a second space in thermal connection to a second heat exchanger, the method being for selectively pumping heat from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger or alternatively from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger for selectively heating or cooling an object in thermal connection to one of the heat exchangers, the method comprising: (a) driving the power piston in cyclic reciprocation with a prime mover; (b) driving the displacer in cyclic reciprocation with an electromagnetic linear transducer that is operatively connected between the displacer and the casing and driven at a selected phase angle relative to the phase angle of the power piston; (c) at times changing the selected phase angle to a first phase angle such that the first space operates as an expansion space that accepts heat and the second space operates as a compression space that rejects heat, so that the Stirling cooler/heat pump pumps heat from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger; and (d) at times changing the selected phase to a second phase angle such that the first space operates as a compression space that rejects heat and the second space operates as an expansion space that accepts heat, so that the Stirling cooler/heat pump pumps heat from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger.