Stirling and similar engines examined in book from ASME Press

ASME Press has just published "Air Engines: The History, Science, and Reality of the Perfect Engine," by Theodor Finkelstein and Allan J. Organ.

The book is being co-published with Professional Engineering Publishing in the United Kingdom. The first four chapters of the book essentially reprint four famous articles that Finkelstein, who is considered a pioneer of Stirling cycle simulation, published back in 1959 on the history of air engines, which are also known as heat, hot air, or caloric engines, with an emphasis on the Stirling engine of 1816.

The rest of the chapters assess the development of the Stirling and other air engines and put this in a modern context. They also investigate future potential and applications.

This early engine design always had great potential for high-efficiency/low-emission power generation. However, the primary obstacle to its practical use in the past was the lack of sufficiently heat-resistant materials. That obstacle has now been eliminated, owing to the higher strength of modern materials and alloys. Several companies in the United States and abroad are successfully marketing new machines based on the air engine concept.

This book should interest mechanical engineers working in power-related industries, as well as to researchers, academics and advanced students concerned with recent developments in power generation.

This 268-page hardcover book (order No. 801713) lists for $70, but ASME members will receive a 20 percent discount. To order, call (800) 843-2763 or (973) 882-1167, or visit the Web site at www.asme.org/pubs/asmepress/index.html.

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