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SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE


By iFred, Section Solar
Posted on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 08:10:10 PM MST
SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE

This week I was cleaning out my hard drive and came apon this cool picture, thought I would share. If anyone has any other pics like these or web sites let me know, I have been hunting for information on these things.

SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE


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SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE | 33 comments (33 topical)

Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by Norm on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 07:24:12 AM MST

 iFred,
   Seen one something like that at the Science (Museum? or whatever) about 30? years ago...in Toronto....ever been there? Maybe the engine is still there and maybe working now...(which it wasn't when we saw it)
                 ( :>) Norm.
( :>) Norm


Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by windstuffnow on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 07:39:20 AM MST

  iFred,
    Those are built by PM research I believe.  They don't make much power, even large ones unless you get more involved with pressurization and exotic gasses.   Fun to build though!  I've built quite a few of them over the years.







Mostly models... until this winter

Have Fun
Windstuff Ed

Have Fun! Windstuff Ed



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by ghurd on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 08:03:41 AM MST

You made those!?!
Thats amazing!
Good work.

G-

[ Parent ]



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#15)
by Old F on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 04:12:59 PM MST

Ed
Here one I built the fly weel an base are my own
casting. Lots of fun!


Old F

[ Parent ]



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#19)
by windstuffnow on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 05:47:01 PM MST

  OlfF,
    Very nice!  Can't tell by the picture, does this share the displacer and power piston in one hole?   Gotta love those little engines!  Of course anything that can make power is of interest to me.

Have Fun
Windstuff Ed

Have Fun! Windstuff Ed
[ Parent ]



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by bob golding on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 08:00:43 AM MST

hi fred have you  found this site?
http://members.aol.com/hstierhof/

bob



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#17)
by iFred on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 05:32:28 PM MST

Yes, I remember this web site. Kinda cool little experiments he's been doing.. Thanks!

>> all energy used to produce this comment or post came from solar and wind energy! It works!
[ Parent ]


Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#5)
by iFred on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 08:42:14 AM MST


WOW Ed, Thats pretty COOL! You do some really nice work.. What kind of HP or power do you get from one of these, is it worth investing time into building one for say a microgenerator?

Have a great day!

>> all energy used to produce this comment or post came from solar and wind energy! It works!



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#9)
by windstuffnow on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 10:07:33 AM MST

  iFred,
     These were all small units and the generator stirling produced enough power to light a string of 60 LED's or charge Ni-cad batteries nicely maybe 3-4 watts.  My Tin Can engine will do about the same.  The liquid cooled stirling would do about 5 watts and only had a 3/4" bore.  The Low temp engine I built from pictures of Senft's engine.  It wouldn't run off the heat from your hand as his did but it ran on ice very well at about 120 rpm.

     I'm building a hybrid stirling this winter which should raise some eyebrows... this is a continuation of last years project of the solar engine.   I've calculated a shaft output of around 500 watts but running the "hybrid" portion of it will most likely end up being around 150 watts out of the alternator.  This will be attatched to my wood burner this winter to cover the cloudy, non windy days we get so often.  I've made alot of changes from the last version.   It's going to be interesting...

Have Fun
Windstuff Ed

Have Fun! Windstuff Ed
[ Parent ]



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#6)
by hvirtane on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 09:29:02 AM MST

Yes I know those machines  in
the picture of iFred.
One of my friends at the university
has got one for demonstrations.
They work, but almost
no power coming out.

Ed's machines are about
the best I have seen
on this field.

Ed, I wanted to know, if you ever
tried to run your stirling engines
with parabolic solar mirrors.

I've tried my small 'Wilesco' model steam
engine with a solar mirror made of
a satellite antenna dish of 80 cm diameter.
That dish is even too much for the engine,
so I think that your stirling engines
would work with a suitable dish.

***********
I'm thinking about
low technology solar
stirling engines
for battery charging
for developing countries.

I think that it
would be possible
if some people would join
their efforts to develop
these things.
*
***********

- Hannu



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#20)
by windstuffnow on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 05:50:40 PM MST

  Hannu,
    I haven't tested any of these with a parabolic but there is no doubt they would do well.   These models are fun to watch but have no real practical power output.  

Have Fun
Windstuff Ed

Have Fun! Windstuff Ed
[ Parent ]



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by monte350c on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 09:41:46 AM MST

Hi Fred,

That's a very interesting subject, I too have been doing a bit of research into it lately. Getting ready for the cold Ontario winter...

Anyhow, here are a few links:

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/tmsb/stirling/doc/55TDC_data.html

http://www.stirlingengine.com/site-map/

http://www.stirlingsteele.com/Index.html

http://www.geocities.com/hustierhof/index.html

http://www.tellurex.com/CZ1-1.4-127-1.65.html

http://www.ent.ohiou.edu/~urieli/stirling/simple/scaling.html

http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~khirata/academic/kiriki/programs/index.html

http://www.scopetronics.com/pmresearch.htm

http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~khirata/academic/kiriki/home.html

http://www.sesusa.org/SEDAF2.htm

Happy Reading!

Ted.



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by windstuffnow on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 10:21:20 AM MST

  Monte,
    Those are some excellent links.   I been to most of them.  I have a video of the Steele engine... quite a complicated little beast but it runs good.   Khirata has some excellent pages, I learned alot from this guy as well as using his output calculator alot while building these things.  I tried to duplicate an Andy Ross engine but couldn't get it to run... complete failure... ended up turning it into a Beta engine that could be pressurized but it still didn't run very well.   I spent a month machining parts for the stupid thing.

    Stirling engines, like gurd said are typically low power engines unless you want to get involved with the exotic gasses and materials.  I think I've found a way around the "exotics" and still have a good power engine... we'll find out soon!  

Hav eFun
Windstuff Ed

Have Fun! Windstuff Ed
[ Parent ]



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#11)
by windstuffnow on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 10:24:09 AM MST

  Ooops... it was troy who was talking about the exotics ( gass and materials ).. sorry troy

Very Nice engine troy!!!!  can you get it to run from the heat of your hand?   Stick it in a pan of snow.... it'll go like crazy!!

Lots of fun
Windstuff Ed

Have Fun! Windstuff Ed
[ Parent ]



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#13)
by troy on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 11:53:59 AM MST

Hi Ed,

No, mine would never run off the heat of my hand like Senf's engine, but it runs for hours on a quart of boiling water.

I eagerly await your latest concoction.  Undoubtedly interesting as your projects always are.

Best,

troy

[ Parent ]



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#18)
by iFred on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 05:35:10 PM MST

monte350c, THANKS! NICE LINKS!

>> all energy used to produce this comment or post came from solar and wind energy! It works!
[ Parent ]


Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by troy on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 10:01:55 AM MST

Howdy Fred, Hannu, Ed and others,

Here's a nice link with a good overview of what's out there:

http://www.stirlingengine.com/faq/one?scope=public&faq_id=1

I have also built a few stirling engines, primarily models.  Here's my low delta temp version:



I have a modest library of books concerning constructing hobby sized stirlings.  It was a little demoralizing to read about all the technological hoops you have to jump through to get a fairly efficient powerful engine built. Compressed helium or hydrogen as a working fluid, extremely low friction bearings and seals, very high precision machining, exotic materials, etc etc etc.  So I chickened out on building a real generator and stuck to models for fun.

I'm pretty sure it's possible to build a good solar powered stirling gennie, but I'm also pretty sure it will either be expensive or time consuming or both.

I'd dance a happy jig if someone came along and got it done though...

Good luck and have fun!

troy



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#12)
by hvirtane on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 11:24:46 AM MST

Hi,

some really nice links, monte.
Especially that Japanese page.

I've checked sometimes most of them, even
copied lots of the drawings. One of my
friends here once made a series of
7 model stirling engines based on a very old
design from Finland (originally 1914, I think).
So I translated some more modern designs for him
into Finnish, because he cannot read English.

Later  I found a link for an interesting
simple rotary engine:
http://www.emachineshop.com/engine/

Anyone built anything like that?
I'm wondering if it would work
as a scaled-up machine.
It is very simple to construct.

One of my favorites is
the Manson engine:
http://www.geocities.com/kenboak/Manson.html

Anybody built anything like that?
This seems to be a candidate
for developing bigger engines.
It is simpler than many
other hot air engines.

- Hannu



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#14)
by Tyler883 on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 03:43:09 PM MST

This is really cool stuff. Does anyone have a link to a complete kit for a model styrling engine?

[ Parent ]


Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#16)
by ghurd on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 05:19:00 PM MST

Lindsay (SP?) Publications has a book/booklet.
If you have a million dollar machine shop.
Good reading. Fun, loose sleep kind of thing.
Probably about $10-ish.

[ Parent ]


Tin Can stirling engine... (3.00 / 0) (#21)
by windstuffnow on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 06:11:35 PM MST

  In light of the upcomming holiday's a gift to all that visit fieldlines and are interested in these unique little stirling engines...

http://www.windstuffnow.com/TinCan.pdf

These are the plans to my "Tin Can" engine built using old soup cans, coffee cans, and beer cans ( gota couple layn' round?) and of course wood.  The most difficult part is making the power piston and cylinder to seal good.   You can however use a wood cylinder, piston made from washers and a rod, and an old inner tube to make up a diaphram type system which works fairly well.  Also, be careful and wear some good gloves, working with cut tin cans can cause some nasty cuts!!!

If your interested in building a precision, almost friction free unit, Airpot Corporation makes surgical tubes that make some very nice glass tubes with a graphite piston with virtually no leakage and no friction.   I'm not sure what their web site is but it's out there somewhere.  Really nice for low delta machines.

Have Fun
Windstuff Ed

Have Fun! Windstuff Ed



Re: Tin Can stirling engine... (3.00 / 0) (#23)
by iFred on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 09:08:02 PM MST


THANK YOU ED!!!
>> all energy used to produce this comment or post came from solar and wind energy! It works!
[ Parent ]


Re: Tin Can stirling engine... (3.00 / 0) (#25)
by bob golding on Wed Oct 13, 2004 at 10:04:30 AM MST

hi ed,
 i  just checked when i  got my airpot  dashpot. 1998. think it needs to mature a bit more. it was  a free sample so not  costing me anything. i will get around to  doing something with it sometime.

http://www.airpot.com/

bob

[ Parent ]



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#22)
by 12volt dan on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 07:47:23 PM MST

Hey thanks ed, I think I'll build one.

I've been interested in the stirling for  a couple years now, just havn't had the time to build one. this "free piston" stirling Nasa is playing with, do you think a low tec version could be built? and is it worthwhile?

 
11 years off the grid and counting



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#24)
by iFred on Tue Oct 12, 2004 at 09:12:24 PM MST


Ebay has them too.

http://search.ebay.com/Stirling-Engine_W0QQsokeywordredirectZ1QQfromZR8

Kinda cool to look at!

>> all energy used to produce this comment or post came from solar and wind energy! It works!



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#26)
by hvirtane on Wed Oct 13, 2004 at 02:37:36 PM MST

Thank you, Ed a lot for
the publication of your plans!

I think that this publication will
encourage many new people to build
simple hot air engines.

- Hannu



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#27)
by E man on Wed Oct 13, 2004 at 05:42:38 PM MST



Ed!

I'm curious as usual.  Are you still working on a Steam/Stirling hybrid?  If so, I can't wait to see it.  One day...my Friend, Stirlings will take their rightful place in RE power production.

Mean time, I've got a 1.25" (diameter) pyrex cylinder and graphite piston to give away.  The first person to email me at elliottbell505@aol.com in the Continental U.S. gets it.  Send me your mailing address (no PO Box!).  The pyrex has a big chip in it, but will still work on an LTD Stirling with about a 1/2" stroke.

Have a Good'un.

E-man  

   



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#28)
by windstuffnow on Wed Oct 13, 2004 at 08:57:59 PM MST

  Eman,
    Yes, as a matter of fact.  This is the next high priority project on my list.  I've been working on refining the design to a simpler form and trying for a very basic design as the next prototype.   I've collected a good majority of the parts and raw materials and I've already started building the machine.  I'm thinking about a month or so depending on my overall work load I should be ready to fire it...

I'm pretty excited and can't wait to see it completed (finally).  

Windstuff Ed

Have Fun! Windstuff Ed
[ Parent ]



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#29)
by iFred on Wed Oct 13, 2004 at 10:18:05 PM MST


I too agree that there is much that can still be done with these engines. I think they are the coming future of power technology. There are some bugs to be worked out yet, it has not yet hit home or peaked. But it seems to me that thermal engine technology is the up and coming thing. Along with anything to do with thermal technology. The way I view it, power systems of the future will work completely on thermal pretty much, as to what aspect that will be (be it semiconductor or materials research) thermal power producing devices will ultimately rule in one way or another. It has already begun and can only get better. ED- I look forward with great interest at what you are going to be developing! very cool by the sounds of it.

 
>> all energy used to produce this comment or post came from solar and wind energy! It works!



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#30)
by nothing to lose on Tue Oct 19, 2004 at 11:09:55 AM MST

Thank Ed from me too.
I just printed a copy and will start looking for parts tonight. With wood heat season comming on soon here if I get this built maybe I'll make an all metal one to sit one the wood burner later.

.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#31)
by mikeptag on Wed Oct 20, 2004 at 11:13:59 AM MST

Heres one I'm getting for the woodstove this winter. Built by an almish person in Canada, and sold for $200. On the website there's a small avi of it running.
A nice practice use for a stirling!

http://www.cyg.net/~freebreeze/



Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#32)
by mikeptag on Wed Oct 20, 2004 at 11:17:57 AM MST

Practical  not practice

[ Parent ]


Re: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (3.00 / 0) (#33)
by ghurd on Tue Nov 09, 2004 at 05:31:12 PM MST

There is a better one run with a peltier. Half the price. Made in Alaska? Maybe?
Bugger moves some air.
No maintaince.
Not as cool though. That Stirling is cool. Mostly wood if its the one I've seen.

Ghurd.info
[ Parent ]


SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE | 33 comments (33 topical)
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