Talk:Solar Steam Engine Selection Process
Stirling engine viability
Haha wow this page does need editing, put that on my to do list! Right-o! Anyhow, I've been searching around for a little stirling engine (haha "cult of hobbyists") to give me, oh say 50w or 100w output. Doesn't look like there's anything like it on the market. My predicament is that I will have to pay about $900 to connect to utility electricity where I am now, so I want to take that money and instead invest in capital to make electricity for my home on-site, from utility natural gas, wood, paper, coal (lots of it lying around where I am), or fresnel lens on sunny days, etc etc... you get the idea. I use less than 200wH/day, and I could probably bring that down to 50wH over the next year (lower-power laptop is the key there) plus just go without. Would be hooking up the engine to a battery as though it were an array of PV panels, and then I have to figure out how to power my laptop on DC straight from the battery -- how do we cut out the alternator? Anyhow, separate subject and I'm a total noob in all things mechanical and electrical.
Point is: I've seen a few around the old interwebs, and they seem to work, so I don't know what Mr. Hislop is referring to at bottom of article. And yes, even 10% or less fuel-to-electricity efficiency would be fine with me on this score, because I have a lot of fuel, powered second-hand by the sun via my trees -- and I wouldn't just blow all that heat out the window! CHP of course.
SO, here's the links. In particular, these hobbyists seem to have working models (Jim Dandy #1 wow!), and WhisperGen is making CHP for houses in the UK, and Mondragon is in on the European manufacturing rights. I hear "Mondragon", and I got to think it's technology that's (A) profitable and (B) scalable to OSE purposes. Also, see in particular the Green Science Power dude, he's a riot and seems to have armloads of little stirling and "steam" engines that work just fine.
Oh wow now that I'm writing this I see the following:
71.60.194.239 02:38, 22 October 2009 (UTC)
-ajmot