Stirling engine design and assembly

A method for pressurisation of a working gas in a Stirling engine assembly, the Stirling engine assembly comprising:

• a Stirling engine comprising an expansion cylinder and a compression cylinder, wherein the expansion and compression cylinders are configured in a V-arrangement;
• a regenerator;
• a cooler;
• a heater;
• an accumulator, said accumulator being in fluidic connection with the expansion and/or compression cylinders of the Stirling engine;
• a check valve for preventing flow to the accumulator from the Stirling engine, a working gas discharge valve, and a low pressure receptacle comprising the working gas, wherein said low pressure receptacle is in fluidic connection with the Stirling engine through the working gas discharge valve, the method comprising:
• providing the working gas to the accumulator from the low pressure receptacle;
• providing a pressurisation fluid to the accumulator to reduce the volume for the working gas in the accumulator, thereby increasing the pressure of the working gas in the accumulator;
• displacing the pressurised working gas from the accumulator to the expansion and/or compression cylinder;
• and
• at discharge, opening the working gas discharge valve to discharge at least a portion of the working gas to the low pressure receptacle.