Big Stirling Engine

[NerdyEE]

Huston, we have a problem…

Last week I remained hopeful despite that fact that the status has not changed. It is still at an ISC (International Sorting Center) in New York, New York. So I contacted the USPS and was told I needed to contact the seller. Below is the email thread (backwards)…

On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 4:27 PM NerdyEE wrote:
Hello Mr. Sultan,
I have been checking the status of the package everyday and it appears as though it was last tracked to an international sorting center in New York on October 7. I have talked with our USPS Service Center, they confirmed that it was last tracked as per the above and that the seller needs to initiate a lost package tracking with your local postal center in Pakistan. The gal I talked with at the USPS Service Center indicated that it was more than likely missing some paperwork and that if you were to contact the Pakistan Post as a lost or missing package, you should be able to resolve the issue in no time...
Please let me know what you discover!


On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 4:36 PM HYPOREX wrote:
Pakistan post says item has been shipped out to destination country and been in the hands of USPS since Oct. 7, 2012. This is not the first time that we shipped to USA, we always a complete set of export documents with the shipment, item is still showing in NY sorting facility when tracking is used. Please try to find out from your end and we 'll do the same from our side Postal.


On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 4:57 PM NerdyEE wrote:
Hello Mr. Sultan
Thank you for your prompt response! Actually it is not in the hands of the USPS, it was last tracked at an International Sorting Center in New York and has been registered as such since Oct 7. The USPS reference was that it was to go there next, but hasn't made it to the USPS centers or it would have continued the tracking process. Therefore I phoned the USPS Service Center at 1-800-275-8777 and talked with Alice. She could only tell me the same things you and I see on the web page, she doesn't know anything more. And since it was not in the hands of the USPS, she can't do anything further. Therefore she recommended that I contact you to start a missing package with the Pakistan Post. I tried to do the same but was told that it has to come from the country of origin and in particular the seller must initiate the process. I'm sorry to trouble you and believe you have had great success as I read every one of your eBay feedback's before I committed to this purchase.
Cheers,
-J


On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 5:05 PM HYPOREX wrote:
We 'll launch an investigation into this matter immidiately and inform you of the outcome, sorry for the delay, there are 3 more parcels having exactly the same issue.


On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 5:33 PM NerdyEE wrote:
Thank you!!!


Well today is Oct 27, status hasn’t changed and no further response from Hyporex. Time to cattle prod…
SIGH!
-J

[Ian S C]

NeardyEE, I suppose they'll blame SANDY for any lost parcels now, and hundreds will disapear, never to be seen again. Hope your OK, your the important one. Ian S C

[ruizfa]

Hi!. i want to buy one of thoses.. do u recommend me that engine? is alpha, beta or gamma?

[ruizfa]

Hey NerdyEE, i sent an email to hiporex, asking if the motor is aplha, beta, or gamma?.. a guy named Mohammad Sultan, asnwer. he told me that the engine is alpha :s.. but i doubt it. And in your private message u told me what is gamma.. so i dont know really if is aplha or gamma..

Also, in the description page: http://www.hyporex.ca/big-stirling.php

appear an image: this one.



and that is an alpha type...

so i sent this email:

The air of one piston moves to the other piston? Or the air or every piston are separately? and have a displacer???

----------------------

so, NerdyEE, are u sure if is gamma?

[ruizfa]

they asnwer:

Yes it does have a displacer on the hot cylinder, that's all we have, we have not determined if our engine is a gamma or alpha yet...

[hr]

soo.. is a gama type doesnt it?.. sorry for my english..

[NerdyEE]

Hello Fabio and welcome to the forum!
Please, I am writing a proper post to address this and many other questions/issues with Mr. Sultan and Hyporex. Pretty scary that they have not determined what type of engine it is that they sell. Doesn't that just build your confidence that this is a good product! Trust me, it is a GAMMA design by every definition posted on this forum, books and the World Wide Web...
Sorry so short still crafting the next major post/update to this project (long time coming)
-J

[vamoose]

Hey NerdyEE,

Long time between drinks. Good to hear from you again, am interested in finding out how this story has progressed (I might get some popcorn for the next exciting instalment)...

Howdy ruizfa

If your looking for other potential options there could be more fans to consider, and other companies to contact.
I have no experience with them, but I will put up a few of the links that I had a quick look at.

By typing in 'stirling fan' on ebay, with worlwide sellers selected, gave me a couple of options to look at:
http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from ... _PrefLoc=2


Looking through the images below, they might link you to a few different sellers:

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&b ... g2Mk5jzZME

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&b ... yMPgCeJXPM
some of the fans that come up are thermocouple driven (Peltier-Seebeck effect), so probably wont be of use to you..


couple of interesting videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sd16qVkBfg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxO5d0B9Gwg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtgLmugYQUE

good luck!

PS. As NerdyEE says, the 'Hyporex' fan is definitely a Gamma engine (absolutely), even if they don't know it.

Its an old KyKo design. These guys are second rate, you should proceed with caution with their engines..

[ruizfa]

Hi, thanks for answer. Im making an solar gamma engine and want to buy one too.. for my university.. i was thinking buying that "big stirling engine" and make some changes for it to works with a solar parabolic dish.. i mean,, i want a gamma stirling engine but in ebay all are too small, something like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hot-Air-Stirlin ... 4160387ca6

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stirling-Hot-Ai ... 483d015047

Those are definitely a gamma type, but are soooo small. Almost a toy..

You think that big stirling engine with some changes can work with a parabolic dish.?.. also, im just considering variables to see if the university buy it or not. Im also considering all ur comments about the shitty comunication and shiping issues.

Fabio Ruiz.

[stirlingman]

Hi NerdyEE,

Have you tested lifting weights with the Big Stirling engine to find out how many watts it is putting out at the highest flame allowed. If yes, how many watts is it putting out? I would appreciate a quick answer. I am seriously considering getting the Big Stirling, even if it only puts out 5 watts, but if it is only 1/2 a watt probably not.

A friend of mine who is very familiar with Stirling engines said that the unit probably doesn't put out more than 5 watts if that. He said that to put out 500 watts it would need to be 2-3 feet in diameter and pressurized.

Thanks,
Stirling

[Ian S C]

Stirling, 500 watts would be about one of the power of one of the old unpressurised engines, with a bore of around 8", a 10" motor would be about a horse power/750 watts, sure the motor would weigh about a ton.
Ian S C

[stirlingman]

Hi Ian,

OK. I probably misunderstood my friend as to whether the 2-3 foot in diameter was pressurized or not. So what is your estimation of the watt output of a 2-3 foot unpressurized SE?

Since first placing this post, I noticed NerdyEE hasn't made a post since April 2013. Does anyone here have direct contact with him? Sending a PM to him didn't get a reply.

Thanks,
Stirling

[Ian S C]

Apart from Ericson's ship, I think about 12" would have been the limit on the bore, at that size and bigger it gets difficult to heat the motor, no fancy heat exchangers on these old machines, but if we follow on from the other motors, probably 10 to 15hp, but the best way to increase power would be to increase the number of displacers, and power cylinders. Ian S C

[vamoose]

stirlingman

Check out this 'BIG' Stirling Engine...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMMELH7CSNE[/youtube]

Its a Beta configuration that uses a rolling sock for the power piston seal. It's claimed to be capable of producing up to 2kW continuous output,
Which is extremely impressive for a non pressurized LTD Engine.
vamoose

[Hawke]

Perhaps I missed a posting, But has the engine arrived yet? They have more listed on ebay still. just curious.

[mikeptag]

Im curious too if you got the engine yet. Interestingly I did a search, I think I typed ky-ko fan Pakistan, and I found out a reproduction of the fan is being produced in Pakistan again (the head of the company claiming to have "invented" it!) and also the same ebay seller Hyporex had been also selling the fans in the UK ebay. The images of the fan and the stirling are identical, except the fans are painted blue, and of course a fan instead of a flywheel.

Despite this discovery Im still interested in getting one for experimenting with an axial flux generator. I had this idea a few years ago and almost bought a fan for that purpose from someone in Australia...

With all the Hyporex stirlings being sold on ebay, I havent found a forum yet where someone posted that they got one.