World's largest solar installation to use Stirling engine technology

Free Energy News ^ | Aug 05 | Sterling D. Allan

[sitetest]

Dear Arkie2,

LOL!!!

Not ALL of Maryland!! There's a lot of pretty countryside and rural communities here. Even REPUBLICANS (19 of 24 jurisdictions voted for Mr. Bush in 2004 - the problem is that the three largest jurisdictions, comprising nearly half the state's population, went strongly for Mr. Kerry) live here!

How about we take all the property, building, land, structures of all the leftist think tanks, lobbies, and other special interest organizations that reside in Maryland, level everything, and erect solar panels and stirling engines??

Although, I gotta warn ya, we just don't get as much sun as the American Southwest, so we're not going to generate electricity at the same rate per given unit of area.

Still, at least we'll get SOME productive value from the land. ;-)


sitetest

[sitetest]

"Don't know about the sandstorm but the hail storm would be about 7 million years of bad luck by my calculations."

ROTFLMAO!!

[Arkie2]

I like your compromise and even if it generated 0 electricity it's still a good idea!

[G Larry]

500 MW Bull$hit!

VuGraph engineering & marketing.
This will not produce 50 MW in the next 12 years and costs will have tripled.

Use the time, money, and realestate for nuclear power plants!
In 1980 I outlined a 25 year plan to grow and mature nuclear energy as part of a Masters project.
That's what we needed then, and that's what we need now.

[Arkie2]

I think you'll find the new energy bill paves the way for new nuclear plants (finally) and according to Bush we should see some results in that area by 2010. My primary interest in this article wasn't even the solar aspect but the use of stirling engines as an enabling technology.

[sitetest]

Dear G Larry,

I'm on board with nukes, too.

I don't live too far from Calvert Cliffs in Southern Maryland.


sitetest

[G Larry]

Yup!
I just read and comment on the post regarding the Nuclear provisions of the bill.
Noted that the licensing process must make them "litigation proof".

[ThePythonicCow]

From http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/212.web.stuff/Lichtenberger%20and%20Jenson/Collin%20Lich%20&%20Eric%20Jense%20Folder/how.html

---

How Sterling Engines Work

---

    This page illustrates two basic designs of sterling engines, the first is the simplest form, it is a basic displacement engine the second works on the same principles but it is a little more intricate and is known as a two cylinder engine.

THE DISPLACEMENT ENGINE:
  Figure 1

 

    In the displacement engine there are two pistons.  The smaller piston shown in the illustration is the power piston.  All of the power for this model is provided by the power piston.  The second larger piston is the displacer piston.  It's function is to move the air between the hot and the cold sides of the air compartment.  It provides no power at all.  The power piston for this model should be 90 degrees out of phase from the displacer piston.  This model has four simple steps.  Begining at the top of the illustration, the first step is heating.  The heating is caused by the movement of the displacer piston so that most of the gas is on the hot side.  The temperature of the gas subsequently increases, causing an increase in pressure.  Because of this increase in pressure there is an expansion of the gas causing the power piston to rise.  Then, due to the 90 degree phase shift between the two pistons, the displacer piston is moved, resulting in the cooling of the gas.  But when the gas is cooled, the pressure decreases, causing a contraction in the gas, thereby pulling the power piston back down.  Then once again, due to the 90 degree phase shift, the displacer piston follows causing the gas to shift to the hot side of the chamber.  The temperature of the gas then increases, and we are back to our first step.  This is the most basic model of the stirling engine.

---

 

THE TWO CYLINDER ENGINE:

  Figure 2
 

    The two piston model is slightly more complex.  There are still two pistons, and they are still 90 degrees out of phase from one another.  However, in this model power is supplied by both pistons, and the displacement of the gas is caused by both as well.  Yet it does follow the same basic process.  Once agian, starting from the top of the illustration, the first step is the heating of the gas in the chamber.  The flywheel is turning, and thus the cold piston moves up, and the hot piston moves down.  This causes the gas to flow to the hot side.  This then causes an increase in the temperature of the gas.  The gas therefore expands, pushing both pistons downward.  At this point the inertia of the flywheel causes it to continue rotating which in turn raises the hot piston and pulls the cold piston downward.  The gas is then pulled to the cold side of the chamber, and the temperature of the gas is decreased.  But this decrease in temperature causes the gas to contract, and therefore pulls both pistons upwards.  Then, once again, the inertia of the flywheel pulls the hot piston down and pushes the cold piston up.  Thus the gas flows to the hot side of the chamber and is heated, leaving us where we began.
 
 

[Arkie2]

What kind of rpm and horsepower can they generate?

[rawhide]

"However, this isn't the first commercial application of Stirling engine technology. For instance, Swedish submarines use Stirling engines for propulsion.

How It Works

The Stirling dish technology converts thermal energy to electricity by using a mirror array to focus the sun’s rays on the receiver end of a Stirling engine. Each panel tracks azimuth and elevation to keep the sun’s rays focused at greatest intensity possible. "

Amazing to have a submarine using this. Imagine a submarine riding on top of the ocean all day just to catch the rays of the sun.

[Arkie2]

LOL! OK, I get the joke but if you are interested in stirlings in subs check out the link

http://www.kockums.se/Submarines/aipstirling.html

[RightWhale]

There would be no energy crisis now, no reliance on the Arab oil, no Alqaida, no problem with Iran, Iran, if this technology had been started 1/4 century ago. Instead some greenie luddite concern has killed all public discussion, and the same with nuclear power.

[Lx]

There's a company that has a cool Stirling demo engine. You put it on top of a cup of hot water and start it going and it just cruises along. Alas, I have no link.

[Oatka]

[Sterling Engine]
"Perhaps $60+/bbl oil will bring a new surge in American innovation."

Ding, ding, ding!!! We have a winner!!!

I'll bet the same thing would happen on farms if the illegals were eliminated. All kinds of wonder machines would appear, FAST.

[Arkie2]

Link is here.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20040601-9999-1b1stirling.html

[Walkingfeather]

because the materials for the seals and such took that long to perfect. You could build small ones but larger ones were the challenge. I know dean kamen was working on perfecting it.

[Arkie2]

I saw Kamen mentioned in an article on stirling engines saying he was considering adding it to his segway to give it extended range.

[Balding_Eagle]

There are still two pistons, and they are still 90 degrees out of phase from one another.

Wouldn't having them 180 degrees from each other produce a smoother power output?