Abstract
Thermal compressor is a member of the Stirling family of thermodynamic devices, but differs from such devices inasmuch as it uses thermal energy to compress gas rather than to produce shaft work. Compression is achieved by fitting inlet and exhaust valves to the working spaces, and permitting gas with the same type as working fluid to be induced at a low pressure and exhausted at a higher pressure in a quasi-continuous manner. The scope of this research uses Nodal Analysis Method to establish the mathematical model of thermal compressor. This model decouples three processes that contribute to the temperature change in the energy equation and solves for the temperature change in each process respectively in order to avoid numerical instability problems. This model differs from the two extreme assumptions, isothermal and adiabatic processes that were used to assuming in the working spaces, in calculating the temperature change in the working spaces and considering the heat transfer between gas and metal of the system. Using this model to analyze the thermal compressor system can get the result of cycle phenomenon directly. The result of analyzing this simulation shows that each component size designed of the system influence its performance significantly. In addition, this result also tells us that choosing working fluid compressed and using rotational speed of crank must cooperate with each other well. A good cooperation will accomplish the perfect performance of the system. On the other hand, rising excessively rotational speed of crank will make the system failed.