Abstract : In the current energy context, we attend the development of technologies of production of "clean" energy. Thus, news prospects like thermodynamic solar energy conversion or waste energy conversion are offered to research on "renewable energies". Within this framework, we are interested in hot air engines: Stirling and Ericsson engines.
First of all, this thesis concerns the study of a small Stirling engine on which we measured the fluid instantaneous temperature and pressure in various points. The original results obtained are compared to results from two different analyses. We conclude that these models are not suitable to explain the experimental results.
Then, we study a micro-cogeneration system based on an Ericsson engine coupled with a system of natural gas combustion. An Ericsson engine is a reciprocating engine working on a JOULE cycle. The objective of this plant is to produce 11 kW of electric output as well as useful heat. In order to design this system, we carried out energetic, exergetic and exergo-economic studies.