Stirlings

[kenboak@stirlingservice.freeserve.co.uk]

Ron and Stovers,

Thanks for your series of questions.

1. High costs are solely down to very low volume production - eg. Whistpertech are only making 10 units a week.  There is nothing complex about the Stirling, amateurs can build models from tin cans with power output between 1 and 10W. These would be ideal for stove applications. 

Omachron of Ontario are expected to start producing cheap engines this year in China. After all, China can produce a complete 125cc motorbike and sell it for under $450, the sooner they start building Stirlings in mass production, the better.

Check Out: http://www.omachron.com/papers.html

1b.  The Stirling can be over-engineered. This was the case with the Philips 10-2C engine of 1951, but of the estimated 150 manufactured, about 75 are still known to be in working order.  Modern manufacturing methods and extensive use of cheap stainless steel stampings/pressings will help to keep the costs down.

2. The Stirling is one of the simplest, most elegant ways of turning heat into mechanical power.  A friend has a self-built solar engine with a 18" parabolic dish. Yesterday (New Year's day) at 2pm in London, behind a double glazed window he still got 10W of shaft power, from an engine with a 1" bore and a 7/8" stroke.

3. I have written an article on medium temperture difference engines suitable for domestic scale combined heat and power running on  biomass. They use stainless steel cooking pots for the heat exchangers and salvaged automotive pistons and liners for the power piston. Estimated power output in the 50 to 100W range.  I will forward this article to those who are interested.

4. I listen in to the stoves discussions, as I see a very viable source of heat from wood and other biomass. (I also like playing with fires ;-)  I aim to show how cheap Stirlings can be made using existing metal working methods and readily available scrap materials in developing countries.



Ken


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