Sage - Object-oriented software for Stirling machine design

Abstract

David Gedeon Gedeon Associates Athens, Ohio 45701 With the advent of object-oriented programming languages comes a new generation of software for stirlingcycle modeling and optimization. In this object-oriented approach the elemental components of stirling machines heat exchangers, pistons and the like exist as localized self-contained entities which know how to represent themselves for input and output and set themselves up for solution and optimization. The software user connects together these components, in a click-anddrag graphical interface, to assemble a complete stirling model. Many design modifications -changing heat exchanger types, adding moving parts, modeling subsystems are merely a matter of connecting into the model a new software object, from a toolbox of such objects.