Technical concept

Invented as early as 1816, the Stirling engine has been developed and tested in multiple applications including radio transceivers, mining equipment, submarines, and most importantly for stationary power production. The basic principle of the Stirling engine is that by providing cyclic compression and expansion of a working gas at different temperatures a net conversion of heat power can be converted to mechanical and electrical work. In contrast to internal combustion engines, Stirling engines can run on any available heat source, not just one produced by combustion. The engine mechanisms of Stirling engines are also relatively simple and do not include valves to control variable shaft speeds. These basic features of the Stirling engine enable the design of engines with very long service intervals and technical life lengths.