Fw: - an expert (Boak) on Stirlings

["Ron Larson" <ronallarson@qwest.net>]

Ken (cc stovers):
    Thanks for sending this on - which by its salutation I assume was
intended for general distribution.   Your position as President of the
Stirling Engine Society, with such a quick response to "stoves" is indeed
gratifying.

    Several questions:
    1.  Can we assume that the relatively high costs given below are due to
small sales volume?  That with volumes like those for small portable IC
engines, the costs would be comparable?  That there is nothing inherently
costly about the Stirling?
    2.  To be active in your society, you must personally be sold on the
long-term viability of the Stirling.  Is it because of something more than
the external combustion aspects?  Efficiency?  Life time?  Serviceability?
Applicability to solar? (my reason)
    3.  I send this to the full list because I can see an eventual market
for very small Stirlings (smaller than your products below) as part of  a
hybrid system - solar during the (sunny) day and biomass in the evenings.
Even at your relatively high costs below, a biomass-fueled approach might be
(or soon could be) competitive to PV, which is now seen to be the least-cost
option in most remote markets - but whose costs are dominated by storage
requirements.  If such were to come about, I presume that the energy source
would look a lot like the stoves we talk about (except smaller, as we
generally deal with many kW).  Do you listen in to "stoves" dialog for this
reason?  Any guidance to give those on this list who might want to develop a
simple rural-suitable heat source for Stirlings?   Are there manufacturers
interested in such a market?
    4.  Thanks also for the Holiday greetings.

Ron

----- Original Message -----
From: <kenboak@stirlingservice.freeserve.co.uk>
To: Ron Larson <ronallarson@qwest.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 1:20 AM
Subject: Re: Fw - Re: Aeration via biomass heat


> Listers,
>
> Firstly I would like wish you all a Happy New Year, and say that I have
appreciated hearing about the various stove developments that have created
much interest over the Christmas period.
>
> Secondly I would like to say that the Stirling engine does not currently
stand in a good commercial position - I have been following its progress
since 1990 and I have seen little evidence of anything other than
over-priced laboratory prototypes, and a series of failed commercial
ventures.
>
> There are however 3 exceptions:
>
> 1.   Build your own from a Viebach Kit of castings.  This will produce
about 350W of electricity or 500W of mechanical power from biomass - cost
about $4000.
>
> http://www.uwemoch.de/english.htm
>
> http://www.geocities.com/Viebachstirling/   - german language only
>
> 2.   Buy a Whispergen 750W combined heat and power system from Whispergen
New Zealand or Victron Energies (Netherlands & Europe) The cost is $11000.
>
> http://www.victronenergie.com/Products/whispergen/whispergen.htm
>
> 3.   Commission an amateur Stirling engine builder, such as Jim Symanski
of Pescadero CA, to make a custom engine to suit your requirements.
>
> http://www.symanski.net/stirlings/jimd6.html
>
>
> None of the other organisations named in the previous emails have anything
to offer at a remotely viable price.
>
>
>
> Ken Boak,
>
>
> Chairman, Stirling Engine Society
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
> Never pay another Internet phone bill!
> Freeserve AnyTime, for all the Internet access you want, day and night,
only £12.99 per month.
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>
>
>


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