http://machinedesign.com/article/infinia-uses-stirling-cycle-for-
solar-power-and-air-conditioning-0811
Quote:
Recently, Infinia engineers decided to run the Stirling cycle
backwards, sort of, applying ac power and getting the device to move
heat out of rooms or spaces, thus making it a Stirling air
conditioner (StAC).
For the StAC, ac power fed into the Stirling motor moves a piston
back and forth. When it moves the piston forward, it moves high-
pressure helium warmed by the interior toward the exterior where heat
exchangers, aided by a fan, dump as much heat as possible from the
piston into the outside atmosphere. The piston is then moved back,
expanding and cooling the helium, letting it absorb more heat from
the interior space with the help of another fan. Flexure bearings and
clearance seals eliminate rubbing and wear on parts.
Compared to conventional air conditioners, StAC doesn’t have losses
due to throttling or superheating the working fluid, and the Stirling
motor is 93% efficient. And unlike traditional air conditioners,
which can only be turned on or off to regulate temperature, the StAC
can adjust the speed of its fan to modulate cooling and more closely
match the thermal load.
Using the same-size Stirling device as the PowerDish, Infinia has
built a 1-ton air conditioner with a coefficient of performance
greater than 4.
Best regards,
Horace Heffner
http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/
