Stirling and Vuilleumier Heat Pumps: Design and Applications

This is a guide to Stirling and Vuilleumier heat pumps - high efficiency gas heated/external combustion engines which allow virtually any liquid or gaseous fuel to be burned without a decline in performance, and offer reduced emissions and lower noise levels than internal combustion engines, with low maintenance costs and a long service life. They have moved from prototype to practicality in applications as diverse as industrial power plants to space power, from submarine propulsion to air liquefaction.