Experimental valuation of fluidized bed-fired Stirling engine for sustainable power generation and environmental management

Abstract

Solid waste management and rural energy poverty in developing nations are global issues that demand creative waste-to-energy (WTE) solutions. An experimental and computational evaluation of a micro-scale fluidized bed-fired Stirling engine (~100 W electrical output) designed to convert waste-derived heat into sustainable energy is conducted in this work. Combining a beta-type Stirling engine with fluidized bed combustion (FBC), the system closes significant research gaps in sub-1 kW systems. This study's three novelties are the development and testing of an inexpensive prototype using locally sourced materials, high-fidelity experimental-computational convergence with deviations less than 0.4% and RMSE less than 0.33 W, and the assessment of energy recovery and environmental benefits in rural areas with abundant biomass. Maximum mechanical power output was 113.75 W, real thermal efficiency was 35.2%, 96.69 W of electrical power was generated from 258.2 W of heat input, and the generator efficiency was 85%. The Sankey diagram energy flow study revealed that most of the total losses, 55.8%, were caused by mechanical losses (17.06 W) and heat rejection (144.45 W). Root Mean Square Error was used to validate the model's resistance to temperature changes (ΔT = 258–383°C). The technology has a lot of potential to reduce open burning, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy poverty in rural Nigeria and similar regions. Some potential research objectives include life-cycle assessment, hybrid renewable integration, multi-fuel emission profiling, techno-economic analysis for community-scale deployment, and scaling to 1–5 kW. The project promotes circular economy and sustainable development goals by converting waste into valuable energy source.