A Simulation Model for Vuilleumier Cycly Machines and Analysis of Characteristics

In order to predict and evaluate the performance of the Vuilleumier (VM) cycle machines in research and development, numerical analysis using the computer is significant. It must include a technique for the 3rd-order method, particularly in the case of the detailed analysis of performance and the design optimization. This paper describes our simulation model for the VM cycle machines, which is based on such a method. The working space is divided into thirty-eight control volumes for our prototype VM heat pump, and the fundamental equations are derived rigorously by applying the equations for the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy to each control volume using a staggered mesh. These equations are solved simultaneously by the Adams-Moulton method. Then, our prototype VM heat pump is investigated as to the fluctuations of the working gas pressure and temperature, the energy flow, and the performance. The calculated results are inspected in comparison with the experimental ones.