Performance analysis of different arrangements of a new layout dish-Stirling system

Cascade solar thermal systems provide a new direction for solar power generation. This paper focuses on the configuration optimization of a cascade solar system in which a Stirling engine array is applied. The array has multiple configurations. To find out the influence of the configuration on the performance of the engine array, five basic connection types were proposed. A Stirling engine model considering various losses and irreversibilities was developed. The model was evaluated by considering the prototype GPU-3 Stirling engine as a case study. Stirling engine array models were developed based on the Stirling engine model. Global efficiency and power of different connection types of Stirling engine arrays with the same hot and cold flows were evaluated. The effects of different factors on the performance of the Stirling engine arrays were considered. The result shows that flow order, the co-current flow or the counter-current flow, has little influence on the engine array performance. The maximum differences of thermal efficiency and output power of different flow orders are 0.39% and 0.70%, respectively. Serial flow connection type is the best for a Stirling engine array to obtain the best performance and adaptability for given heating and cooling fluids. (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the configuration optimization of a cascade solar system with a Stirling engine array, proposing five basic connection types and developing corresponding engine models. The study finds that flow order has little influence on engine array performance, and serial flow connection type is the optimal choice for achieving the best performance and adaptability.