Magnoelectric resonance engine

A resonant thermal machine including an alpha-type Stirling cycle engine, said thermal machine being operatively connected to an external load or source, said thermal machine comprising:

• a sealed housing;
• a compression piston having a first side and a second side opposite said first side movably mounted within said housing,
• said compression piston being in sealed engagement with said housing and restricting the passage of gas between said second side of said compression piston and said first side of said compression piston,
• said compression piston including an armature assembly;
• an expansion piston opposite said compression piston having a first side and a second side opposite said first side movably mounted within said housing,
• said expansion piston being in sealed engagement with said housing and restricting the passage of gas between said second side of said expansion piston and said first side of said expansion piston,
• said expansion piston including an armature assembly;
• said compression piston and said expansion piston being capable of independent oscillatory movement and the relative movement of said pistons defining a phase angle;
• a compression stator assembly external to said sealed housing and magnetically connected to said armature assembly of said compression piston;
• an expansion stator assembly external to said sealed housing and magnetically connected to said armature assembly of said expansion piston;
• a compression gas spring in force transmitting engagement with said first side of said compression piston and defining with said compression piston a first mechanical vibratory system having a first natural frequency of mechanical vibration;
• an expansion gas spring in force transmitting engagement with said first side of said expansion piston and defining with said expansion piston a second mechanical vibratory system having a second natural frequency of mechanical vibration;
• a compression space within said housing having one side defined by said second side of said compression piston, said compression space containing a working fluid;
• an expansion space within said housing having one side defined by said second side of said expansion piston, said expansion space containing a working fluid;
• said expansion space and said compression space being in communicating relationship so as to allow said working fluid to flow between said expansion space and said compression space in response to said oscillatory movements of said compression piston and said expansion piston;
• a cooler in a heat transferring relationship with said working fluid in said compression space;
• a heater in a heat transferring relationship with said working fluid in said expansion space;
• electronic means electrically connected to said compression stator assembly and said expansion stator assembly for controlling said phase angle and for shunting power between said external load or source and said machine;
• said electronic means having a nominal electrical operating frequency;
• said first natural frequency of mechanical vibration and said second natural frequency of mechanical vibration being substantially harmonic with said nominal electrical operating frequency.