The Stirling cycle is a thermodynamic cycle that describes the general class of Stirling devices. This includes the original Stirling engine that was invented, developed and patented in 1816 by Reverend Dr. Robert Stirling with help from his brother, an engineer.
The cycle is reversible, meaning that if supplied with mechanical power, it can function as a heat pump for heating or cooling, and even for cryogenic cooling. The cycle is defined as a closed regenerative cycle with a gaseous working fluid. "Closed cycle" means the working fluid is permanently contained within the thermodynamic system. This also categorizes the engine device as an external heat engine. "Regenerative" refers to the use of an internal heat exchanger called a regenerator which increases the device's thermal efficiency.
The cycle is the same as most other heat cycles in that there are four main processes: compression, heat addition, expansion, and heat removal. However, these processes are not discrete, but rather the transitions overlap.
Read more about Stirling Cycle: Idealized Stirling Cycle Thermodynamics, Technical Complexity of Topic, Piston Motion Variations, Volume Variations, Pressure-versus-volume Graph, Particle/mass Motion, Heat-exchanger Pressure Drop, Pressure Versus Crank Angle, Temperature Versus Crank Angle, Cumulative Heat and Work Energy
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