Importance

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Abstract

An electrical power source including a free-piston Stirling engine driving an alternator to supply power through a bus to a user load and controlled by an engine/alternator controller. A bidirectional DC/DC converter is connected between a battery and the bus. The stroke of the engine piston is modulated between a maximum and a minimum stroke to maintain the bus voltage at a design nominal bus voltage (V.sub.1), and charge the battery if it is not charged, when and so long as the bus voltage does not fall below a design nominal bus voltage (V.sub.1). The Stirling engine is operated at its maximum piston stroke, and the battery is charged if it is not charged, when the bus voltage is in the range between the design nominal bus voltage (V.sub.1) and a design minimum battery charging bus voltage (V.sub.2). The Stirling engine is operated at its maximum piston stroke and the battery is disconnected from the bus so it can not charge when the bus voltage is in the range between the design minimum battery charging bus voltage (V.sub.2) and a design minimum bus voltage (V.sub.3). The Stirling engine is operated at its maximum piston stroke and power is applied from the battery to the bus for maintaining the bus voltage at the design minimum bus voltage (V.sub.3) when the power supplied from the alternator operating at its maximum stroke is less than the power demand of the load.

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First Claim