Making a stirling engine 5 kw generator

[thanh-cuibap]

I have a funded project on making a stirling engine 5 kw generator
Have you anyone had done or experienced stirling engine that can generate 5 kw can give me some information about the size of the power piston? the diameter of the displacer? engine type: (alpha, beta, or gamma) ??
As much information about it as possible or comment so how is the best !!
Thank you!

[Alfista]

A 12 inch cylinder and 13.5 inch stroke running at 100 rpm should get you pretty close to that figure.

Ivo Kolin in his book on heat engines discusses in some detail an engine of Ericsson : bore: 10.25"+14"; stroke : 18", hp: 5 (1833), an alpha as I recall. It had interesting valve work and a very substantial regenerator.

[steedspeed]

Is it better to go single cyl or twin?

[Ian S C]

I would go for a multi cylinder ALPHA motor, maybe 6 or 8 cylinders, that would keep the weight of the moving parts down, another thing that would help reduce size is pressurization. It's still going to be quite large when you consider that the Philips Bungalow generator produced about 200 Watts.
Ian S C

[thanh-cuibap]

Thanks all .

[cbstirling2]

I have a funded project on making a stirling engine 5 kw generator
Have you anyone had done or experienced stirling engine that can generate 5 kw can give me some information about the size of the power piston? the diameter of the displacer? engine type: (alpha, beta, or gamma) ??
As much information about it as possible or comment so how is the best !!
Thank you!

What fuel source?

thanks

[Ian S C]

The fuel you use depends on what you have, gas is easiest, then comes liquid fuel that could be a number of things, alcohol, petrol, oil (mineral, or vegetable), kerosene/paraffin, hand wash gel. Then comes solid fuel, coal, or wood, dried animal manure/dung. One design for a 5hp Stirling Engine for threshing rice grain used rice husks and straw, at one time there was a book about this motor.
Ian S C

[Alfista]

In researching this question, not all researchers come up with exactly the same figures. Please forgive any "errors" in the collected information. It is only meant as a general guide.

BTU per pound of some common fuels

Hydrogen 52,290 BTU per pound
Acetylene 21,850
Propane 21,660
Gasoline 19,500
Kerosene 19,000
Ethanol and Methanol 10,000 to 12,550
Charcoal 12,000
Hardwood, an average of 7,500
Ponderosa Pine 2,520 (in the average range of Softwoods)

How wonderful that the Hot Air Engine can be made to run on any of them !

[cbstirling2]

In researching this question, not all researchers come up with exactly the same figures. Please forgive any "errors" in the collected information. It is only meant as a general guide.

BTU per pound of some common fuels

Hydrogen 52,290 BTU per pound
Acetylene 21,850
Propane 21,660
Gasoline 19,500
Kerosene 19,000
Ethanol and Methanol 10,000 to 12,550
Charcoal 12,000
Hardwood, an average of 7,500
Ponderosa Pine 2,520 (in the average range of Softwoods)

How wonderful that the Hot Air Engine can be made to run on any of them !

Well for the customer who wants the 12 kilowatt power, the goal should be to take the fuel and convert it in the most practical manner. For liquid fuels, that's probably the internal combustion engine. Even some solid fuels, gasification might be more practical than the stirling engine. He shouldn't rule out even a steam engine, however there's a huge safety concerns with the steam engine. For the engine that was 5 horsepower that ran on burning rice husks, that was the most practical engine for the fuel, in my honest opinion.

thanks

[froodiebaby]

I find this whole concept fascinating... that anywhere in the world... you can use combustible material such as straw, wood, bamboo etc... and make electricity. The only downside of the stirling engine is the maintenance...

I found these resources very useful... I haven't built one yet... but I have plans to...

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/199 ... 012689.pdf

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/198 ... 018596.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbnGlcQ ... STIProgram

I was hoping to see a commercial company out there producing a 5kw generator by now... there have been some attempts, but nothing concrete so far... one was called genesis out of Norway/Sweden... and now there is one called microgen... https://www.microgen-engine.com/news-in ... -runhours/ but I don't see any prices???

[staska]

Then do you need it ? You want to design it and build or just buy ?

[Tom Booth]

I think there are a number of companies marketing mostly large scale cogeneration systems, taking out old diesel generators and replacing them for large institutions, like hospitals, military bases, etc. so they are marketing where there is the most money. The residential market is much less lucrative and more problematic in many ways.

I've seen several in that category, but no such thing as a price, "call for an evaluation". I tend to ignore those, far outside my budget, but they do exist.

[staska]

I think there are a number of companies marketing mostly large scale cogeneration systems, taking out old diesel generators and replacing them for large institutions, like hospitals, military bases, etc. so they are marketing where there is the most money. The residential market is much less lucrative and more problematic in many ways.

I've seen several in that category, but no such thing as a price, "call for an evaluation". I tend to ignore those, far outside my budget, but they do exist.

I think v160 in some next incarnation is up to task. It is still in production.

[Nobody]

For sizing and such try the following calculator sight:

http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~khirata/acad ... implee.htm

[froodiebaby]

Just saw this thread... I am unsure if I have replied before... but does anyone remember the studies done by NASA... they even have a video on youtube where they convert a delivery van to a sterling engine and it does a great job... all plans are in the public forum... I can't remember the horsepower or KW output, but it seemed fairly nippy.