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A Microfabricated Segmented-Involute-Foil Regenerator for Enhancing Reliability and Performance of Stirling Engines: Phase II Final Report for the Radioisotope Power Conversion Technology NRA Contract NAS3-03124
NASA/CR—2007-215006
  • Mounir B. Ibrahim, Cleveland State University
  • Daniel Danila, Cleveland State University
  • Terrence Simon, University of Minnesota
  • Susan Mantell, University of Minnesota
  • Liyong Sun, University of Minnesota
  • David Gedeon, Gedeon Associates
  • Songgang Qiu, Infinia Corporation
  • Gary Wood, Sunpower Incorporated
  • Kevin Kelly, International Mezzo Technologies
  • Jeffrey McLean, International Mezzo Technologies
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
1-12-2007
Abstract

An actual-size microfabricated regenerator comprised of a stack of 42 disks, 19 mm diameter and 0.25 mm thick, with layers of microscopic, segmented, involute-shaped flow channels was fabricated and tested. The geometry resembles layers of uniformly-spaced segmented-parallel-plates, except the plates are curved. Each disk was made from electro-plated nickel using the LiGA process. This regenerator had feature sizes close to those required for an actual Stirling engine but the overall regenerator dimensions were sized for the NASA/Sunpower oscillating-flow regenerator test rig. Testing in the oscillating-flow test rig showed the regenerator performed extremely well, significantly better than currently used random-fiber material, producing the highest figures of merit ever recorded for any regenerator tested in that rig over its ~20 years of use.

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Publisher's PDF
Citation Information
Mounir B. Ibrahim, Daniel Danila, Terrence Simon, Susan Mantell, et al.. "A Microfabricated Segmented-Involute-Foil Regenerator for Enhancing Reliability and Performance of Stirling Engines: Phase II Final Report for the Radioisotope Power Conversion Technology NRA Contract NAS3-03124" NASA/CR—2007-215006 (2007) p. 1 - 181
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/mounir_ibrahim/29/