Author Topic: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (Read 17602 times)

iFred · « **on:** October 11, 2004, 08:10:10 PM »

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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Also for those into Netiquette here are some Emoticons

CAPS - IT'S LIKE SHOUTING (!!!)

    Smile

:-)     Smile with a nose

    Wink

;-)     Wink with a nose

    Very Wide Grin

    Sticking out Tongue

:*     Kisses

    Frown

    Angry Frown

:[     Real Downer

:-<     Forlorn

:x     My lips are sealed

:-o     Oh, nooooooo!

(@@)     stunned

(o_o)     shocked

:-)))     Reeeaaally big happy smile

:>     Smile with a bite of sarcasm

:->     Smile with definite sarcasm

~:-(     Steaming Mad

||}     Cup of coffee

^5     High Five!

[:-|     Frankenstein

}:[     Angry, frustrated

:-!     Foot in mouth - oops!

<:-)     Innocently asking

GOOD LUCK! :-)))

Fred

Norm · « **Reply #1 on:** October 12, 2004, 07:24:12 AM »

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.

windstuffnow · « **Reply #2 on:** October 12, 2004, 07:39:20 AM »

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

bob golding · « **Reply #3 on:** October 12, 2004, 08:00:43 AM »

hi fred have you found this site?

http://members.aol.com/hstierhof/

bob

ghurd · « **Reply #4 on:** October 12, 2004, 08:03:41 AM »

You made those!?!

Thats amazing!

Good work.

G-

iFred · « **Reply #5 on:** October 12, 2004, 08:42:14 AM »

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!

hvirtane · « **Reply #6 on:** October 12, 2004, 09:29:02 AM »

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

monte350c · « **Reply #7 on:** October 12, 2004, 09:41:46 AM »

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.

troy · « **Reply #8 on:** October 12, 2004, 10:01:55 AM »

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

windstuffnow · « **Reply #9 on:** October 12, 2004, 10:07:33 AM »

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

windstuffnow · « **Reply #10 on:** October 12, 2004, 10:21:20 AM »

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

windstuffnow · « **Reply #11 on:** October 12, 2004, 10:24:09 AM »

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

hvirtane · « **Reply #12 on:** October 12, 2004, 11:24:46 AM »

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

troy · « **Reply #13 on:** October 12, 2004, 11:53:59 AM »

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

Tyler883 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 12, 2004, 03:43:09 PM »

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

Old F · « **Reply #15 on:** October 12, 2004, 04:12:59 PM »

Ed

Here one I built the fly weel an base are my own

casting. Lots of fun!

Old F

ghurd · « **Reply #16 on:** October 12, 2004, 05:19:00 PM »

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.

iFred · « **Reply #17 on:** October 12, 2004, 05:32:28 PM »

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

iFred · « **Reply #18 on:** October 12, 2004, 05:35:10 PM »

monte350c, THANKS! NICE LINKS!

windstuffnow · « **Reply #19 on:** October 12, 2004, 05:47:01 PM »

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

windstuffnow · « **Reply #20 on:** October 12, 2004, 05:50:40 PM »

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

windstuffnow · « **Reply #21 on:** October 12, 2004, 06:11:35 PM »

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

12volt dan · « **Reply #22 on:** October 12, 2004, 07:47:23 PM »

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?

iFred · « **Reply #23 on:** October 12, 2004, 09:08:02 PM »

THANK YOU ED!!!

iFred · « **Reply #24 on:** October 12, 2004, 09:12:24 PM »

Ebay has them too.

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

Kinda cool to look at!

bob golding · « **Reply #25 on:** October 13, 2004, 10:04:30 AM »

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

hvirtane · « **Reply #26 on:** October 13, 2004, 02:37:36 PM »

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

E man · « **Reply #27 on:** October 13, 2004, 05:42:38 PM »

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

windstuffnow · « **Reply #28 on:** October 13, 2004, 08:57:59 PM »

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

iFred · « **Reply #29 on:** October 13, 2004, 10:18:05 PM »

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.

nothing to lose · « **Reply #30 on:** October 19, 2004, 11:09:55 AM »

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.

mikeptag · « **Reply #31 on:** October 20, 2004, 11:13:59 AM »

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/

mikeptag · « **Reply #32 on:** October 20, 2004, 11:17:57 AM »

Practical not practice

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Author Topic: SOLAR STIRLING ENGINE (Read 17602 times)