Patent attributes
Impingement style heat exchanger through which significant heat transfer improvements can be obtained. The heat exchanger of the present invention operates such that the bulk of heat transfer between the heat source and the working fluid occurs during the portion of the Stirling cycle in which the working fluid impinges upon the pressure vessel surface. Either or both of two heat exchanger configurations may be used. In a first, the impingement heat transfer occurs while the fluid is traveling in the forward direction and towards the expansion space in the vessel. In contrast, and in connection with the second configuration of the heat exchanger of the present invention, the impingement heat transfer occurs while the working fluid is traveling in the backward direction and toward the compression space of the vessel.
