Balanced multiple groupings of beta stirling machines

A group of multiple free-piston Stirling (FPS) machines arranged and connected for preventing or minimizing vibration, each FPS machine including an outer housing and internal reciprocating composite masses, including the masses of a prime mover or load connected to the FPS machine, the group comprising:

• (a) a first opposed pair of identical beta FPS machines configured to reciprocate in anti-phase with each other, the first FPS machines having axes of reciprocation in a first plane, the axes intersecting a point which may be a point at infinity;
• (b) a second opposed pair of beta FPS machines configured to reciprocate in anti-phase with each other, the FPS machines of the second pair being identical to the FPS machines of the first pair and having axes of reciprocation in a second plane, the axes intersecting the same point;
• and
• (c) wherein the FPS machines are rigidly connected together and each FPS machine is configured and oriented on its axis for operating in phase with the diagonally opposite FPS machine.

A group of multiple free-piston Stirling (FPS) machines arranged and connected for preventing or minimizing vibration, each FPS machine including an outer housing and internal reciprocating composite masses, including the masses of a prime mover or load connected to the FPS machine, the group comprising:

• (a) a first triad of three identical beta FPS machines rigidly connected together and configured to reciprocate in phase with each other, the FPS machines of the first triad having axes of reciprocation that intersect a point, which may be a point at infinity, the axes being positioned at the apexes of a first equilateral triangle in a base plane that makes the same angle with each axis of reciprocation;
• (b) a second opposed triad of three FPS machines that are identical to the machines of the first triad, rigidly connected to the machines of the first triad and configured to reciprocate in anti-phase with the machines of the first triad, the FPS machines of the second triad having their axes of reciprocation intersecting said point, and having their axes of reciprocation being positioned at the apexes of a second equilateral triangle in the base plane, the first equilateral triangle and the second equilateral triangle being concentric, having sides of identical length and being angularly offset so peripheral lines joining the apexes of the first and second equilateral triangles form a regular hexagon.