Stirling cycle machine

A burner for heating an external combustion engine using either liquid or gaseous comprising:

• an inlet for receiving air from a blower;
• a combustion chamber that is adjacent to the external combustion engine;
• and
• a burner head comprising;
• a nozzle that includes a liquid port and gaseous port, the nozzle spaying fuel into the air exiting the preheater, the burner burning liquid fuel when supplying liquid fuel to the liquid port and atomizing air to the gaseous port and the burner burning gaseous fuel when blocking the liquid port and supply gaseous fuel to the gaseous port;
• an ignitor;
• a means to detect a flame in a prechamber and in the combustion chamber;
• a prechamber located between the nozzle and the combustion chambers, the prechamber receiving the fuel and air from the preheater, the prechamber having a first diameter;
• and
• a prechamber nozzle located between the prechamber and the combustion chamber, the nozzle having an opening characterized by a second diameter, the second diameter being smaller than the first diameter, and the prechamber nozzle fluidicly connecting the prechamber to the combustion chamber.

A method for heating an external combustion engine comprising the steps of:

• providing a blower to supply air to a prechamber, a nozzle to direct fuel toward the prechamber, a combustion chamber adjacent to the external combustion engine and a converging prechamber nozzle providing a fluid path between the prechamber and the combustion chamber;
• supplying air;
• spaying fuel into the prechamber;
• igniting fuel and air in the prechamber to form a flame;
• detecting the flame in the prechamber;
• moving the flame past the converging prechamber nozzle and into the combustion chamber;
• and
• detecting the flame in the combustion chamber.