Experimental Study of a Coupled Stirling Generator-Pulse Tube Cryocooler System Driven by a Stirling Engine

Abstract To address the overtemperature failure of the linear alternator in Stirling generators for space applications, this study proposes a coupled Stirling Generator-Pulse Tube Cryocooler system driven by a Stirling engine. By coupling the systems, the cold end temperature of the Stirling generator can be increased to reduce the heat sink radiator area, while the pulse tube cryocooler simultaneously removes excess heat, ensuring reliable operation of the linear alternator. A prototype system demonstrated the feasibility of this approach, achieving 43.9 W of electricity output and a minimum temperature of 61 K without heating load with a 300 W heat input at a hot end temperature of 532°C.