200W Stirling

[mike57]

Need either a ready to run engine, or drawings/castings for a 200Watt/
quarter horse power Stirling- thanks to folks who answered my query
about the Stirling/generator for an electric bike.

[stan.hornbaker]

Mike:

Contact in/near Huntsville AL. According to scuttlebutt they will have a 2-HP engine in production by the end of the year. Not quite what would be needed for a bike but interesting nevertheless.

[mike57]

William thank you for your answer. 2 hp is wayyyy too big, all I want is something to charge the batteries of an electric bike- but I have a friend interested in domestic CHP schemes I'll pass the name onto him.

[bptdude___2569]

I already wrote tot he company and asked to be notified when the 2HP engine will be available. Thanks for the info.

OK, it is not large enough to be a big money maker, but it is large enough to play with interesting projects.

Thanks.

[mike57]

Joe the 2HP engine would power a small motorbike....what I need are drawings- I am a machinist and have use of a workshop so I can make the Stirling myself if I have drawings- for a Stirling just big enough to charge the batts on an electric bike- 200 watts, or quarter horse, would be enough to run a dynamo to put some power into the batteries as the bike travels, to extend the range of the bike. And of course when I get where I'm going and the bike is stood, the Stirling is thudding away to fully charge the battery.
There are alternative of course. One is to carry a second Lithium battery, which costs over £300 and has a finite life in terms of number of charge cycles. Another would be to use a little 'weed whacker' two stroke to drive a dynamo, but they are noisy and smelly.
In the UK/EU an electric bike of 200W power counts as a bicycle in law, I think it's a 1 horse/740W power limit in the States!, and carrying a generator setup is only limited by overall weight limit which I think is 40kg.
Apart from the fun of experimenting with Stirling engines and the design of the generator setup, there are questions of costs and practicality for ultimately a long range touring electric bike which does not need to spend a night hooked up to the mains for charging because it has it's own generator.

[glidingdoc]

Dear Mike,

I noted your comments that you have a machine shop and the skills to build your own Stirling Engine. Would you be intersted in some sort of commission? (ie I provide the drawings and some cash and you build the thing????)

Steve

[mike57]

Steve, in principle I'd say 'yes' to making an engine for you along the terms you suggest. In practice nothing will happen in the short term.....the friend whose workshop I use has disappeared in Greece on family business and has not been in touch for six weeks, and I do not have a key for the workshop!
I can turn, mill, grind etc., he knows about castings and specialises in stainless steel fabrication and welding. When he gets home I'm sure he would be as keen as I am to do business with you. I will keep in touch and let you know when he is back. I know he is just as interested as I am in Stirling engines.

[glidingdoc]

Hi Mike,

My email address is glidingdoc@yahoo.com. Please don't forget me as I want to build, or rather I would like you to build, two engines. The first would be to power two generators, one to produce 90 volts and a few milliamps of current and the other to produce 6 volts and around i amp of current to power an ancient radio set. (Philips produced something of the same idea in the late forties for radios to be sold to deepest darkest Africa where batteries weren't so ever ready!) The second would be of a size to power a domestic generator from a decent sized fire that would also heat hot water and an aga arrangement.
Keep in touch.
Steve