# US 2025/0092845 A1 · Heat exchanger for stirling machine, method for manufacturing heat exchanger, and regenerator

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- Number: US 2025/0092845 A1
- Document ID: US20250092845A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/830,632
- Filed: 2024-09-11
- Published: 2025-03-20
- Earliest claimed: 2023-09-14
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yuta KUROSAWA; Tsuneo ENDO; Kazuo KIKAWA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250092845A1

## CPC

- F02G 1/057: Regenerators
- F02G 1/055: Heaters or coolers
- F02G: HOT GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT ENGINE PLANTS (steam engine plants, special vapour plants, plants operating on either hot gas or combustion-product gases together with other fluid F01K; gas-turbine plants F02C; jet-propulsion plants F02K); USE OF WASTE HEAT OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A heat exchanger for a Stirling machine, the Stirling machine including an expansion chamber and a compression chamber, the heat exchanger including: a heater; a regenerator; and a cooler, in which the heater, the regenerator, and the cooler are connected in series in a flow direction of a working fluid, and communicate the expansion chamber with the compression chamber, the regenerator includes a heat storage that is capable of storing heat of the working fluid, and a housing that surrounds the heat storage, and the heat storage and the housing are continuously connected to each other, provided in one piece.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A heat exchanger for a Stirling machine, the Stirling machine including an expansion chamber and a compression chamber, the heat exchanger comprising:
a heater;
a regenerator; and
a cooler, wherein
the heater, the regenerator, and the cooler are connected in series in a flow direction of a working fluid, and communicate the expansion chamber with the compression chamber,
the regenerator includes
a heat storage that is capable of storing heat of the working fluid, and
a housing that surrounds the heat storage, and
the heat storage and the housing are continuously connected to each other, provided in one piece.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The heat exchanger for a Stirling machine according to claim 1, wherein
the heat storage includes a plurality of side elements that are continuously connected to each other in a three-dimensional manner and provided in one piece, and
each of the plurality of side elements has a plate shape in which a projected area as viewed from a second direction intersecting with a first direction is larger than a projected area as viewed from the first direction, the first direction being the flow direction of the working fluid.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The heat exchanger for a Stirling machine according to claim 2, wherein
each of the side elements is provided such that, in a cross section cut along the first direction, an end on a heater side and an end on a cooler side are curved or inclined.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The heat exchanger for a Stirling machine according to claim 2, wherein
the projected area of each of the plurality of side elements as viewed from the second direction is larger at both side portions of the heat storage in the first direction than that at a central portion of the heat storage in the first direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The heat exchanger for a Stirling machine according to claim 1, wherein
as viewed in the flow direction of the working fluid, the heat storage has pass-through portions that penetrate from an end on a heater side to an end on a cooler side thereof and are regularly arranged.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The heat exchanger for a Stirling machine according to claim 1, wherein
the regenerator is an additive manufactured body formed by depositing a metal powder.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method for manufacturing the heat exchanger for a Stirling machine according to claim 1, comprising:
forming the heat storage and the housing of the regenerator in one piece by additive manufacturing using a metal powder.

### Claim 8

A regenerator for circulating a fluid in an internal space, the regenerator comprising:
a heat storage that is capable of storing heat of the fluid; and
a housing that surrounds the heat storage, wherein
the heat storage and the housing are continuously connected to each other and provided in one piece,
the heat storage includes a plurality of side elements that are continuously connected to each other in a three-dimensional manner and provided in one piece, and
each of the plurality of side elements has a plate shape in which a projected area as viewed from a second direction intersecting with a first direction is larger than a projected area as viewed from the first direction, the first direction being a flow direction of the working fluid.