Electrical control circuits for an energy converting apparatus

An electrical circuit for use with a generator having an output port, the circuit to modify one of an electric current or voltage from the generator, the circuit comprising:

• a rectifier to convert an alternating current from the generator to direct current, the rectifier having a first port and a second port, the rectifier first port in communication with the output port of the generator;
• a direct current to alternating current inverter to convert the direct current from the rectifier to alternating current, the inverter having a first port and a second port, the first port of the inverter in communication with the second port of the rectifier, wherein the generator is a linear alternator positioned within an energy converting apparatus comprising a Stirling engine having a piston such that motion of the piston drives the linear alternator;
• a processor-based system for controlling the energy converting apparatus, the energy converting apparatus having a first subsystem having a cold side temperature and a second subsystem having a hot side temperature, an engine working fluid disposed within a chamber, wherein the piston moves relative to the working fluid, wherein the energy converting apparatus comprises a linear alternator and the piston amplitude is approximated by a control voltage associated with the linear alternator, the processor-based system comprising:
• an electronic memory device;
• and
• an electronic processor in communication with the memory device and the energy converting apparatus, wherein the memory device comprises instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
• store an empirically obtained dataset of energy converting apparatus operating parameters;
• and
• determine an operating temperature ratio, wherein the operating temperature ratio is the ratio of the cold side temperature to the hot side temperature.

An electrical circuit for use with a generator having an output port, the circuit to modify one of an electric current or voltage from the generator, the circuit comprising:

• a rectifier to convert an alternating current from the generator to direct current, the rectifier having a first port and a second port, the rectifier first port in communication with the output port of the generator;
• a direct current to alternating current inverter to convert the direct current from the rectifier to alternating current, the inverter having a first port and a second port, the first port of the inverter in communication with the second port of the rectifier, wherein the generator is a linear alternator positioned within an energy converting apparatus comprising a Stirling engine having a piston such that motion of the piston drives the linear alternator;
• a processor-based system for controlling the energy converting apparatus, the energy converting apparatus having a first subsystem having a cold side temperature and a second subsystem having a hot side temperature, an engine working fluid disposed within a chamber, and a piston which moves relative to the working fluid, the processor-based system comprising:
• an electronic memory device;
• and
• an electronic processor in communication with the memory device and the energy converting apparatus, wherein the memory device comprises instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
• store an empirically obtained dataset of energy converting apparatus operating parameters;
• and
• determine an operating temperature ratio, wherein the operating temperature ratio is the ratio of the cold side temperature to the hot side temperature,
• wherein the operating temperature ratio is determined inferentially such that a direct temperature measurement is not used.