Thermodynamic analysis and optimization of a Stirling cycle for lunar surface nuclear power system

A model for the description of the thermal efficiency of a lunar surface nuclear reactor power system with eight free piston Stirling engines to generate nominal electrical power of 100 kWe was developed. The heat loss of the hot heat pipes, finite rate heat transfer, regenerative heat loss, finite regeneration process time and conductive thermal bridging losses were considered. The results showed that the thermal efficiency increased and then decreased with the hot side temperature increase. The highest thermal efficiency was about 0.29 under the condition of the effectiveness of the regenerator being 0.9 and compression ratio being 2. Higher cold side temperature had bad effect on the thermal efficiency but could reduce the size of the heat rejection system. When the cold side temperature was designed as 500 K, the lowest power system mass of 6.6 ton could be obtained. Enhanced heat transfer of the heat exchangers would increase the thermal efficiency but higher values of the nominal convection heat transfer coefficient of the heat exchangers would lead to a negligible thermal efficiency increase. The results obtained here may provide a new ideal to design lunar surface nuclear powered Stirling cycle.