Technical and economic feasibility of Stirling cycle industrial heat pumps

This paper summarizes the results of a study to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of Stirling cycle heat pumps for waste heat recovery in the industrial sector. A survey was made to identify and select potential processes where the industrial Stirling cycle heat pump can be utilized. An array of heat pump concepts were evaluated and ranked to arrive at several preferred concepts for detailed design optimization and analysis. These selected process/ concept combinations were optimized and then assessed for their performance and economic competitiveness. The results indicate that a semi-open Ericsson cycle concept with V-cylinder arrangement and diesel engine drive offers the best market potential of all the concepts evaluated.