The Stirling Motor is used to demonstrate the operation of a thermodynamic machine for the conversion of energy. It converts thermal energy into mechanical energy and operates as a motor (heat engine). Additionally it can operate an electrical generator and load.

The Stirling Motor unit designed by EDIBON is an alfa type engine. It consists of two power pistons located in separate cylinders (one for the cold source and another for the hot one). They are connected to a tube where the regenerator is located, which stores and transfers the heat, that enables to reach a higher efficiency. There is a piston in each cylinder, they move with a phase difference of 90º between them.

Cylinders are connected by a crankshaft, which makes the power/volume ratio be quite high, since the power transfer mechanism is very simple.

Gas moves between the both cylinders in a close circuit. The external heat source provides energy to the hot cylinder and the expansion of the gas moves its piston, which is fixed to the other piston of the cold cylinder by means of a crankshaft.

The hot gas passes to the cold cylinder. During this time the cold cylinder piston compresses the cooled gas and forces it to move to the hot cylinder, where it receives the heat from the hot source and the cycle starts again.

An ideal stirling cycle has four phases:
Phase 1- Constant volume heating of the gas in the hot cylinder.
Phase 2- Isothermal expansion at constant temperature in the hot cylinder.
Phase 3- Constant volume working in the cold cylinder.
Phase 4- Isothermal compression of the gas in the cold cylinder.

The TMSB unit is mainly formed by: an alfa type stirling engine with a heating element, a braking system, an electrical generator with pulley to convert the mechanical energy to electrical energy, equipped with an electrical load and current and voltage measurement system.

This unit is supplied with the suitable sensors and instrumentation for the control and measurement of the most representative parameters, as: flame control, temperatures measurement in the cylinders, pressures measurement in the cylinders, speed measurement (rpm), torque measurement (force) and power measurement, mechanical and electrical.