Pioneering Advanced Energy Solutions
At PEACE Lab, we are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of sustainable energy technology. Our research focuses on developing cutting-edge Stirling-based systems and hybrid power solutions for a cleaner and more efficient future.
Our key areas of innovation include:
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Free Piston Stirling Engine
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Stirling Heat Pump
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Stirling Micro-Cooler
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Hybrid Power Systems
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Stirling Engine Development:
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500 W-Class
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1 kW-Class
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3 kW-Class
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Join us in shaping the future of sustainable energy.
The free-piston Stirling engine is an external combustion engine and has the advantages of diverse heat sources, low noise and simple mechanism. It can start automatically and has high pressure retention. Combined with a domestic water heater, gas is used as the heating fuel for the Stirling engine. It can provide domestic hot water and household electricity at the same time.
Stirling heat pumps use natural gas as the working medium instead of environmentally friendly refrigerants, and their COP values are higher than traditional heat pumps. Nowadays, when energy shortages and environmental issues are becoming increasingly serious, the need for the development of Stirling heat pump technology is even more evident. and urgency. The heat supplied by heat pumps is mainly absorbed from the surrounding environment. Due to its excellent energy-saving characteristics, it can be widely used in industrial and civil fields, including drying, heating, waste heat recovery, and domestic hot water.
The Stirling micro-cooler is a single-stage Stirling cooler designed using a rhombic drive mechanism. Under operating conditions of 5 bar and 790 rpm, this cooler can achieve a refrigeration temperature of 78 K.
One of the most essential applications of Stirling cryocooler is optical imager whose infrared detector should be maintained at cryogenic temperature for eliminating environmental thermal noise.
A hybrid power system is presented which can continuously generate power by switching between two possible thermal sources, solar radiation and combustion energy of synthesis gases. The system consists of a hybrid energy receiver, a solar dish, a Stirling generator, a fluidized-bed gasifier, and a boiler with water tank. The solar dish is a dual reflection solar collector which uses two mirrors, namely, main concentrator and subordinate concentrator, to concentrate a broad expanse of solar radiation into a hybrid energy receiver. The fluidized-bed gasifier is employed to produce synthesis gases. The synthesis gases are combusted to provide auxiliary heat source for the Stirling generator when solar radiation is insufficient. The solar radiation or the combustion energy is alternatively introduced into the hybrid energy receiver and is converted to power by a 1-kW-scale beta-type Stirling engine. In this manner, the Stirling generator may be possible to serve as a base load power plant regardless of the solar condition.
A series of Stirling engines have been successfully developed in Power Engine and Clean Energy Lab. of NCKU. To name a few, a 500-W-class Stirling engine, filled with helium gas at 8 atm, heated to 800°C, and running at 1800 rpm, produces an output of 560 W with an energy density of 2.7 W/cc surpassing the results of other international teams. Meanwhile, a 1-kW-class β-type coaxial piston Stirling engine, operating under varying porosity levels, with helium gas at 8 atm and a heating temperature of 800°C, reached a maximum output of 1391 W at 75.78% porosity, marking a significant milestone in energy density. In addition, a 3-kW-class Stirling engine has been fully assembled, and has been integrated with a solar tracking system for power generation.