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Stirling Powered ship

Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2003 8:44 am
by skoullar
I hope you folks can help me on this, I'm trying trying to find info on a ship that was powered by a
Stirling engine. I think it was built around 1900 or so. So far net searches have turned up nothing.

Thanks,
Landen Schooler

Stirling Powered Ships

Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2003 10:17 am
by info74
The ship you are thinking about was the Erickson (sp?) built by John Erickson in the late 19'th century. Unfortunately a big portion of my Stirling engine library is out on loan right now so I can't give you the specifics. If memory serves, the engine was intended to put out 600 hp (447 kW) but only put out about 300 hp (223 kW). The pistons and cylinders were big enough and slow enough moving that a reporter got on them and rode up and down on the pistons.

More recently the French research sub Saga was powered by two 75 kW Stirling engines (200 hp total) and the Swedish military manufacturer Kockums installs two to four 75 kW Stirling engines (~100 hp each) in their submarines. These engines act as "top-off" auxillary engines allowing the submarines to stay stealthy on the bottom for weeks instead of days.

Philips also put a 75 hp (55 kW) Stirling engine in a small cabin cruiser. You can read about that project in "The Philips Stirling Engine" by Hargreaves. Unfortunately it's out of print.

When the Ericsson was built...

Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2003 10:51 am
by info74
I found the right book. The keel was laid in April 1852 and the ship was launched on September 15, 1853. There is a great account of this story and others in "Hot Air, Caloric and Stirling Engines" by Robert Sier. The ISBN # is 0 9526417 12. Published in Great Britain by: L.A. Mair, 20 Pines Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 2DL United Kingdom.