Thanks but I refuse to use youtube - about 99% garbage and too hard to sort out what little is useful
solar sterling engine generators
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Hello there,
I have been looking into stirling engines for some time now. I can tell you there are not many firms who build this engine. It might seem a very good idea to use this engine with a solar dish etc but these have a low efficiency (about ~10-15%) and also very complex to build. These are bulky and expensive engines. You will be lucky to find a system and then it will cost you around $5k/1kW.
As other said there are other technologies which are better and cheaper to employ. Steam engine/turbine system would be good point to start. You can also look at ORC systems but they are only available for large power generation.
Let me know if you want more information on Stirling engine manufacturers.
Thanks,
Shah.Comment
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Hi ShAh,
Thanks for your reply, yes ir is hard to find sterling engine manufactures, I found one in Pakistan that is reproducing an old design powering a fan.
Have you found any companies that are developing a unit for domestic use? the only production model I have found is the baxi ecogen, I am still waiting for the cool energies system to be launched
Best Regards
TonyComment
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Hello Tony,
Well there is someone is Pakistan who sells solar stirling dish system. It will cost you a lot though. They will start producing stirling dish systems in China and Pakistan from next year although I could be wrong. There is also an Indian manufacturer but it will be expensive as you only need one engine.
You can check the following although I have yet to come across a domestic system other than baxi or whispergen.
Infinia stirling dish, Stirling DK
Once again I will stress that Stirling engine is very inefficient and complex. You can read more about it on this forum: http://stirlingengineforum.com/index.php
For now I have abandoned the Stirling engine idea as there are not many manufacturers and it is too expensive. You can consider other technologies. I am looking at Organis Rankine Cycle at the moment. I am looking at its feasability and will let you know.
Thanks,
Shah.Comment
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From Energy Boom - the bankruptcy filing of Stirling Energy.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Comment
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Well russ Tony was asking for more information and I have tried to help and advise on what I have learned so far. Let him read a bit more and he will understand the complexity of developing a stirling engine .
There are many ways to produce energy. But what would be the best way to produce electricity off-grid and on-grid?Comment
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Shah - That just backed up what you had pointed out - it seems to be a technology for which there is no practical, economic application.[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Comment
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That company just went under too ! Scottsdale, ArizonaStirling Energy Systems Inc
Their idea was to use a large concentrator + sterling engine to generate grid compatable electricity 25Kw per assembly.
Their units/assemblies were to be put into large energy farms with perhaps 2000 to 5000 of their assemblies per location.
Something killed their funding.Comment
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Economics killed it - the owner followed the Stirling engine path up until the last minute and the switched technologies - this happened a couple of times the past two years.[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Comment
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That would be plain ole simple economics. I like to use a very simple analogy everyone can understand of using gasoline as a model against algoil (fuel made with algae).
You need fuel and pull up to a corner and see two gas stations, Dino Dean, and Green Jeans. Dino Dean sells petrol gasoline for $5/gal, and Green Jeans sell Algoil for $50/gal. Which one do you buy? Who is going out of biz and bankrupt?MSEE, PEComment
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like the analogy there.
They cannot make these things cheap. One dish produces 25kW and costs like $4-$5k/1kW!!! and these only run during the Sun is out. So who is going to pay that if you can get a diesel generator for $5k which can serve the same purpose.Comment
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Cool Energy
I don't believe Cool Energy is a scam by any means. But I do agree with Russ that the physics and economics are against them.
I've spoken to guys at NREL who are also skeptical. Since PV keeps coming down in price, but Stirling engine parts don't, they'll probably be toast pretty soon.
When I spoke to the principal at Cool Energy, he was trying to get down to approx. $0.50/watt, and PV will be getting there soon.
Now, they also harvest the heat for DHW and space heating in the winter, but large solar thermal space heating systems are hard to pencil out.Comment
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The are other alternatives to the stirling engine depending on the application.Comment
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Stirling engine generators are definately the way to go if you want to spend $100,000 to generate $10 worth of electricity a month.Comment
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