Low Temp workhorse

[ebox1]

I have available to me a hot springs and a cold water source. I am
looking for information on where to buy or how to build a sterling
engine which would run from a low temperature differential. And am
wondering how low a differential is realistic.

I need to produce 25 to 50 kW of electricity, but can use multiple
units to accomplish this, thus I would be interested in designs of 3
to 25 kW electrical output capacity. As this would be a stationary
operation, large size and unit weight would not be an issue.

Thank you very much for any information sources you can offer me.

Jim

[orvilleclisby]

I am also interested in a low temp workhorse. My idea is to lay black swimming pool pipe on my roof and feed oil through it using natural circulation and then store the heated oil in a water tank; acting as thermal battery. A second tank filled with a corrosive free coolant will be used for the low end. As long as there are reasonably warm days, the system should be able to run throughout the night generating power. I don't understand why such systems are not commonly available; it seems so simple and a bloody sight cheaper than PVs & stacks of batteries.

Orville Clisby, Australia

[fvanicek]

Hello,
I'm looking for exactly the same.
I live in Brazil, near a hot springs area.
Also, we ahve plenty o sunshine here, o course so any solar system should work nicely here.
:) Frank

[astrong]

We lieve in the Mohave desert and would like to utilize the heat we have available

[stephen-thomas]

I have the same type of question. I have a steady differential water source. One source is at 45oC, the other at 5oC.

The available energy differential is over 40kW

It would be usefule to even have a 5 kW output from a sterling engine from this supply.

What is the maximum kW electrical output that the demonstration engine produces.

Stephen Thomas

[drsquanto2]

5 kW are you serious?
read the FAQ's guys

[paidonline]

A better way to run a stirling is to covert water into hydrogen using a Stan Meyer pulse circuit (low current device) and then burning the hydrogen to heat the stirling. The amount of current required to convert hydrogen from water to gas is very low and the hydrogen flame burns aroud 3000 degrees.

[mesiahmike]

I am a member of a solar thermo company that produces hot water, 200 F or more. I am interested in finding a very large scale Stirling engine. We are looking at using a geothermal generator, but the 225 K model will cost 2.5 Million US. That includes the working medium, which is a type of freon (this freon is safe if it gets into the atmosphere). Our collector is very inexpensive to produce, especially in large sizes. We should be able to produce the collector for $0.50 per square foot US. this compares favorably with $50.00 per square foot with comparable manufacturers.

[serge.klutchenko]

This engine is under construction in France..

It is not a Stirling engine but a real Carnot engine.

[parkerpokorski]

In New Zealand, look up the company WhisperGen. They are producing a stirling engine that generates electricity. The problem is that it is heated with natural gas. Their product isn't compatable with 110 electric service, but their site says they plan to market such a device to America in late 2010. My belief is, whether one is fortunate or not to live close to hot springs as you do, that home geothermal, with the compressor that magnifies such heat, would do the trick for everybody everywhere. Imagine - heating and cooling your home and generating electricity from that same source, would make home energy production pollution-free and, when your electricity is sold back to the electrical grid, profitable! Free energy! Not a dream, a reality in our future. Let's just keep our government from putting their sticky fingers in our liberty!