Sterling plus Rocket stove
Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 11:28 pm
I have been tossing an idea about in my head now for a week or two. I have done a fair amount of research into the concept but still have no idea whether its feasible or not. I think it is but I am going to put it to you guys to see if it is workable.
I have been looking into building a rocket stove. I actually built one but I am looking to make it more usable. A rocket stove uses high air flow to make a wood based fire burn much hotter and more efficiently. Temperatures can reach 1400 degrees I am told. Because its so efficient it has very little pollution which is a plus. Rocket stoves can be built that have an automatic feed for fuel so you wouldn't have to constantly feed the thing.
After reading about the sterling cycle I wondered if the two could be mated to run a generator head. A typical 5k generator head requires 10hp. It takes about 2 hp for each 1k of power generated. I have a small house and 5k will run what I need. I also have a creek that I can use for cooling.
However looking at Ebay and Google searches all I see are toys except for the big sterling made by that outfit in Pakistan which does not have the power needed. Plus there are some companies making them but they give out no information which isn't a help. I was hoping for off the shelf components to keep the cost down. In my research I have found references to sterling’s that run airplanes and even cars so I know it is feasible to build higher power sterling’s. BUT can one that size be build economically. I am beginning to wonder if I am wasting my time.
If someone could make one they could sell a ton of them to Peppers.
I have been looking into building a rocket stove. I actually built one but I am looking to make it more usable. A rocket stove uses high air flow to make a wood based fire burn much hotter and more efficiently. Temperatures can reach 1400 degrees I am told. Because its so efficient it has very little pollution which is a plus. Rocket stoves can be built that have an automatic feed for fuel so you wouldn't have to constantly feed the thing.
After reading about the sterling cycle I wondered if the two could be mated to run a generator head. A typical 5k generator head requires 10hp. It takes about 2 hp for each 1k of power generated. I have a small house and 5k will run what I need. I also have a creek that I can use for cooling.
However looking at Ebay and Google searches all I see are toys except for the big sterling made by that outfit in Pakistan which does not have the power needed. Plus there are some companies making them but they give out no information which isn't a help. I was hoping for off the shelf components to keep the cost down. In my research I have found references to sterling’s that run airplanes and even cars so I know it is feasible to build higher power sterling’s. BUT can one that size be build economically. I am beginning to wonder if I am wasting my time.
If someone could make one they could sell a ton of them to Peppers.
