3KW Stirling Engine - Pics provided

[yellow88fiero]

Here are some pictures of a stirling engine I was able to pickup locally about two years ago. I am pretty sure it was an university/test sample. It has about 20 temperature sensors built in it.

One odd thing for me is the back part, seems like some type of harmonic balancer but seems out of place for this engine. I actually thought it was some type of flywheel at first, but it doesn't move, it is just attached with a screw type assembly.

main1.JPG (89.6 KiB) Viewed 24812 times

It has an interesting Wheel (Harmonic balancer?? I don't really know) - It comes off.

flywheel-side1.JPG (103.78 KiB) Viewed 24812 times

wheel.JPG (115.38 KiB) Viewed 24812 times

wheel2.JPG (45.44 KiB) Viewed 24812 times

wheel3.JPG (126.18 KiB) Viewed 24812 times

[yellow88fiero]

The solar concentrator is around 10 1/4", the tabs you see actually add 1" or each tab is 1/2" and there are two of them.

solar-side1.JPG (76.61 KiB) Viewed 24810 times

solar-side2.JPG (87 KiB) Viewed 24810 times

solar-measure.JPG (73.6 KiB) Viewed 24810 times

[yellow88fiero]

Underneath the solar concentrator is a hose.

under-solar.JPG (48.73 KiB) Viewed 24809 times

And on the other side of the engine is what looks like a air port, but with something in the middle of the port.

coupler1.JPG (73.87 KiB) Viewed 24809 times

coupler1a.JPG (158.85 KiB) Viewed 24809 times

[yellow88fiero]

It has a lot of thermocouplers for measuring temperature.

thermo1.JPG (124.1 KiB) Viewed 24808 times

coupler2.JPG (131.41 KiB) Viewed 24808 times

coupler3.JPG (71.61 KiB) Viewed 24808 times

coupler4.JPG (233.63 KiB) Viewed 24808 times

And what I think is the generator cable for power.

power-plug.JPG (159.45 KiB) Viewed 24808 times

[yellow88fiero]

Finally, some actual Covers for I think the Solar mirrors.

covermount.JPG (148.68 KiB) Viewed 24807 times

cover2.JPG (51.84 KiB) Viewed 24807 times

[yellow88fiero]

Let me know if you have any questions about this. I do have a few additional pictures I can share, but this is most of it.

The label does say 3KW engine. and Engine ID Y44.

If someone is interested in it, please direct message me. I haven't done anything with it in the past 2+ years and know the people on this board would likely be better then just putting it on Ebay.

Thanks.

[yellow88fiero]

Interesting PDF's from Internet Archive showing DOD Report on the Infinia CHP (Combined Heat and Power).

The picture on page 19 (document page 6) shows the details which looks a lot like the engine I have. I don't know if I have all the extra components for additional combined heat, but looking through the report a lot of this is just taking the excess heat from the Stirling engine/cooling cycle and driving a heat exchanger (radiator). So I imagine that could be done.

Here is a quick diagram of page 6. Look at the details of the whole link if you want more. There are two reports, one the

dod-stirling-gen.JPG (69.33 KiB) Viewed 24798 times

Cost and Performance Report: https://archive.org/details/DTIC_ADA602231

Final Report - Infinia CHP: https://archive.org/details/DTIC_ADA607481

[Tom Booth]

It certainly appears to be an Infinia.

https://youtu.be/EBidoWN-9Us

[yellow88fiero]

Tom, Thanks for the video, I haven't seen this one before.

[Tom Booth]

Your "cover" in the picture above, looks nearly identical to the side cover of this Infinia from the vidio:

Resize_20220712_102930_0350.jpg (52.36 KiB) Viewed 24737 times

And the engine itself as well.

[yellow88fiero]

On the cover, I only have one side of it unfortunately, so I don't think I have the whole thing, but it definitely allows with this type of picture or the half available to be able to figure out how to cover as needed. It is all fiber/plastic anyway so not really doing much except protecting the engine from the elements.

[Tom Booth]

On the cover, I only have one side of it unfortunately, so I don't think I have the whole thing, but it definitely allows with this type of picture or the half available to be able to figure out how to cover as needed. It is all fiber/plastic anyway so not really doing much except protecting the engine from the elements.

Yes, the cover is unimportant other than for identification. Unlikely some other manufacturer would have the same basic engine and cover design.

Qnergy acquired Infinia apparently, but they don't seem to be producing any 3kw solar dish type engine.

I'm guessing what you have is an early "prototype" sent out for evaluation and testing to universities before going into production, a production which for the most part never happened.

[Tom Booth]

I think you are correct regarding the wheel like thing attached to the engine being a kind of harmonic balancer, but linear rather than rotary.

A type of "Tuned Mass Damper" or TMD to reduce vibration.

It can go by various other similar names. It, or some similar vibration absorber is pretty common on linear free piston Stirling engines and coolers and used in engineering generally, for pipes, machinery, bridges, buildings, wind generators and NASA puts them on rockets etc. etc.

I did not know all this, but I've been researching what that thing might be for the past few hours, just out of curiosity. Quite fascinating actually.

There are quite a number of YouTube videos and such on the principle involved. Not much specific to Stirling engines in particular though.

https://youtu.be/HDa1VO1VDpc

https://youtu.be/VCxm3vTWgvU

[Tom Booth]

It seems the vibration damping system as well as the basic Stirling solar dish design were inherited from Stirling Engine Systems.

This design from a Stirling Energy Systems patent drawing looks quite similar to Infinia's unit (Including the shroud or cover).

Resize_20220712_231658_8978.jpg (55.91 KiB) Viewed 24715 times

Perhaps the engine you have could be a Stirling Engine Systems engine?

I think they may have been kind of working together on the same thing at about the same time, SES I think was a little earlier, but Infinia was assigned at least some of their patents.

Edit: I think I may be confusing Stirling Energy Systems, the company and Stirling engine Systems generally.

The above image may actually be from an Infinia patent?

I need to double check that.

[Tom Booth]

No, Stirling Energy Systems and Infinia are actually quite different.

BTW I think maybe your PM is full or something. Messages seem stuck in my outbox.

It looks like, probably, your engine may, infact use a permanent magnet linear alternator, which would mean there would likely be no need to apply any current to any field windings.

If you want to test it, I would start by just putting some heat to the thing and test whatever wires are sticking out for voltage.

This is the same type of engine, using planar spring bearings and linear generator, to give you an idea what to expect, just a low hum like the sound of an electrical transformer probably.

https://youtu.be/QcppEhp2RfA

Your engine also has hoses for cooling that could be used, but probably not necessary for a brief test at relatively low temperature.

Take whatever I say with a grain of salt though.

https://youtu.be/0m0jGLRkXnM

I believe the humming sound in the background is the sound of the engines at this test facility.