Stirling cycle generator control system and method for regulating displacement amplitude of moving members

A free-piston Stirling cycle generator control system, comprising:

• a generator having a linear alternator and a power piston operative to receive energy from a source and generate an AC output;
• an output voltage detector operatively associated with the power piston and configured to detect a threshold voltage value corresponding to displacement amplitude of the power piston;
• a converter coupled with an output of the linear alternator and operative to convert the AC output to a DC output;
• a regulator coupled with the converter and a useful load and operative to regulate DC voltage;
• a load member coupled to the converter and operative to adjust load on the linear alternator such that power output is regulated from the linear alternator which in turn controls movement of the moving member;
• and
• control circuitry coupled with the detector and the load member, and configured to receive a feedback signal indicative of stroke of the moving member, and operative to adjust load on the linear alternator so as to limit stroke of the moving member within a threshold value.

A method for controlling a power piston within a free-piston Stirling cycle generator, comprising:

• driving the generator by an external energy source so as to impart movement of a power piston of a linear alternator to generate an output voltage at an output;
• correlating the output voltage with movement of the power piston;
• detecting movement of the power piston by monitoring the the output voltage;
• and
• applying a load to the output voltage to adjust load on the linear alternator so as to limit movement of the power piston within a threshold value.

A free-piston machine control system, comprising:

• an energy converter having a moving member and an output;
• a detector operatively associated with the moving member and configured to detect stroke of the moving member;
• a controllably variable load member coupled to the output of the energy converter and operative to adjust load on the energy converter so as to regulate power output of the energy converter which in turn controls movement of the moving member;
• and
• control circuitry signal coupled with the detector and the load member, configured to receive a feedback signal correlated with the detected stroke of the moving member, and operative to adjust load imparted by the controllably movable load member on the energy converter to limit stroke of the moving member below a threshold level.