China conducts first-ever space test of a Stirling engine

The People's Republic of China was able to test the Sterling engine in space for the first time ever. The test took place at the Tiangong-3 station.

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The China National Space Agency (CNSA) has been able to make significant progress in the space sector. The Celestial Empire has advanced in building the Long March 5 rocket, completed construction of the Tiangong-3 space station, and has now announced the successful testing of the Stirling engine in orbit.

Also, don't forget that in June 2021, CNSA announced plans for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). It will try to impose competition to the American program Artemis. In addition, China intends to begin sending manned missions to Mars by 2033.

Space bases cannot rely solely on solar energy, as it is not available everywhere. In this regard, space sector leaders are working on nuclear plants that will be a key source of energy. China is no exception.

Stirling engines, a type of internal combustion engine, are inferior to nuclear reactors in terms of peak power, but have the advantage of operating on any source of heat. They are also lightweight, simple in design, quiet in operation and have a fast start-up cycle.

The device can convert heat into electrical energy by means of piston-driven magnets. The working body pushes the magnetized pistons through the drive coil during expansion, which generates current in the windings. This continues until the external heat source runs out.

This technology is attractive to engineers and mission planners. They see it as a sustainable means of powering both spacecraft and the bases where astronauts will live. A Stirling engine combined with nuclear reactors would reduce dependence on solar power. It is limited by the efficiency of solar cells and may not be available. For example, around the South Pole of the Moon, where the US and Chinese stations are due to appear by 2030, the night lasts two weeks.

Source: phys.org