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Existing applications of the Stirling engine
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 12:17 pm
by Triangle.Stirling
Hello everybody,
For our assignment, we are searching companies that sell useful applications of the Stirling Engine.
We have discovered a great number of companies yet, but maybe there are more.
What we have till now:
-Phililps (in history)
-GM (concept car)
-Nasa (testcar and space-program)
-Solo Kleinmotoren Gmbh. --> Now sold by Cleanenergy Sweden
-United Sun Systems Sweden
-Kockums Sweden
-Whispergen
any complement on this list is welcome!
Krijn
Re: Existing applications of the Stirling engine
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 3:47 pm
by Hawke
NASA SBIR by Sunpower Inc. ??
Also a History ebook might be helpful:
http://www.energybook.co.uk/The-History ... gines.html
Re: Existing applications of the Stirling engine
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 7:50 pm
by fullofhotair
They use heat pipes and small stirling engines to cool computers.
Re: Existing applications of the Stirling engine
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 2:34 am
by Ian S C
Sony (I think) portable TV. Q Drive / Chart Industries New York Cryocoolers, and motors. General Motors. Honeywell. Sunpower, Free Piston motors and Crocoolers. Cooler on RHESSI Satellite to study solar flares since 2002. Coleman food cooler ($600)-see this Stirling Engine Forum site "Cryo cooling Stirling Engines" by pcdc 2324
Re: Existing applications of the Stirling engine
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 5:04 am
by vamoose
Here's a thread with a list of engines from forum member - spinningmagnets
It's not totally comprehensive but is a darn good compilation.
obviously many of them were never production engines and also production may have finished for whatever reasons on some of the others
Index of modern Stirling engines
http://stirlingengineforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1452
spinningmagnets wrote:Sometimes, when researching what others have made in the past (some of them well-done by engineers), it helps to have a name to start the search with. Google is handy, but here's a list I made to help me find stuff that I know I have looked at before. Feel free to post a significant model you've recently found, since this list is several years old. Not included in this list is the Rider vertical twin Alpha, of which there were thousands made just before electric motors became common and internal combustion greatly increased (1880's)
Companies involved in home-scale micro-Stirling Cogenerated Heat & Power (CHP)
are Infinia, Rinnai, ENATECH, MTS, Bosch-Thermotechnik, Microgen
Water-pump BSR (Bomin Solar research) 10-ft diameter LTD Gamma
100W Saitama University, vertical 2-cyl Alpha
100W SFI Solar dish, mini-SES copy (Solar Space Frame Industrial)
100W SCM-81 SGE-Ecoboy (Suction Gas Engine) Beta
200W Philips MP1002CA (kerosene powered/air fan-cooled generator)
300W ST-05G (0.5-HP Gamma machinist copy of ST-5)
300W Saitama University, LTD Gamma
800W Genoa Stirling, inverted twin Gamma
800W Whispergen CHP 4-square cascading Gammas
1-kW SGE vertical coaxial 1-cyl Alpha
1-kW Baxi CHP
1-kW SPM CHP, 4 radial cascading Gammas (Stirling Power Module)
1-kW Saitama University, vertical Alpha
1-kW EG-1000 Sunpower, Beta
1-kW Norris Bomford small boat engine, vertical 3-cyl Beta's
1.8-kW Jim Dandy #6, 2-1/2 HP twin Gamma
3.0-kW Toshiba NS03T
3.0-kW GM GPU-3 (US Army Generator)
3.0-kW Joanneum, V2 Alpha
3.0-kW Disenco CHP
3.7-kW RHEP USAID, similar to ST-5, made with low tech
3.7-kW Lockwood, machinist copy of ST-5
3.7-kW ST-5 (Ohio, Stirling Technology 5-HP) Horizontal Beta
10-kW Solo Kleinmotoren V-160
10-kW SSPi Solar dish (Stirling Sun Power, international)
10-kW SBP Solar dish (Schlaich, Bergermann, und Partner)
25-kW SPDE,(MTI/Space Power Demonstration Engine)
25-kW Kockums 4-95 (submarine auxiliary generator)
25-kW USAB 4-95 (United Stirling AB)
25-kW SES 4-95 (Stirling Energy Systems)
25-kW STM 4-120 (Stirling Thermal Motors)
30-kW Joanneum, V2 Alpha
35-kW SD3-E CHP (Stirling Denmark)
55-kW STM-Power CHP
75-kW Kockums V4-275R (submarine main engine)
100-kW NASA, SPDE, SPRE, SP-100, HTSSE
Automobiles:
1969 GM Stir-Lec Opel Kadett, Stirling series-hybrid
1972 Ford, Pinto V4X31
1974 Ford, Taunus V4X35
1975 Ford, Gran Torino V4X1
1979 AMC Spirit, P-40
1982 Lundström Porsche V2X36
1985 NASA MOD-II, Chevrolet Celebrity
1987 ASE (Automotive Stirling Engine, US Air Force-SPVP Stirling Powered Van Program, MTI-Mechanical Technology Incorporated)
2007 Sweden, Precer Stirling hybrid
2008 DEKA Revolt, Kamen Stirling heater/generator, series plug-in hybrid
also I put together a Photo Catalogue thread of Stirling related vehicles that might be worth a look.
Its incomplete regarding specifications, but I will get around to finishing it one day... hopefully
Under the Hood, Stirling Engine Vehicles (Photo Catalogue)
http://stirlingengineforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1618
vamoose
Re: Existing applications of the Stirling engine
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 12:57 pm
by Triangle.Stirling
wow, what a huge list of applications, totallly awesome!
and on the list of vehicles:
What an incredible list is that?
Where do you get al the information?
I've searched the whole internet, and it's very difficult to find good specific information.
For now i have to focus on our assignment, but wouldn't it be nice to have a neat overview of all applications, especially the list of vehicles?
I don't know what your plans are with that big list, but i think it can be put together, to make a nice (e)book.
Krijn
Re: Existing applications of the Stirling engine
Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 2:59 am
by Ian S C
On the list of automobiles DAF and Philips of Holland with a bus, and car. Paillard Maestrofoon gramophone made in Switzeland in the early years of the twentieth century, there is one in a vintage collection in Christchurch New Zealand, despite one web site saying they have the last remaining one. Ian S C
Re: Existing applications of the Stirling engine
Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 8:24 pm
by vamoose
Hey Triangle.Stirling,
It was a bit of a journey finding the supporting images, they came from all corners of the internet (and beyond). Its worth using different search engines and to use the advanced search options that they offer, when trying to track down specific information.
It helps sift through the crap.
I will add to the vehicle Photo Catalogue details as I find the time and track down more information.
I have no further plans other than that. Feel free to use the stuff in there any way you wish, and if you come across useful information post it in the thread and I'll edit it back into the first post.
As far as the big list by spinningmagnets, it would be interesting if someone turned it into something with pics and specs etc.
It sounds like your in danger of being bitten by the Stirling Engine bug.
Hot Air Engines are amazing mechanical devices, and the more I come to understand them and their possibilities, the more interesting they become. I'm sure that as time and technology and innovations progress we will be hearing more about them in the future.
There are a huge number of links of all kinds spread throughout many posts.
You should spend 'allot' of time sifting through the forum if you 'genuinely' wish to learn more. It is definitely the biggest compilation of Stirling engine knowledge, information, links and people, that exists all together in one spot.
There is a variety of different and sometimes conflicting information in it, but it's great that a genuine forum exists for all to be involved in to share their opinions and ideas, and you can take or leave things as your brain desires.
vamoose
Re: Existing applications of the Stirling engine
Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:42 pm
by Triangle.Stirling
Sorry for our late answer.
Due to schoolwork and my internet connection not working it is a bit late.
I don't know you can really call it 'danger' when you're bitten by the Stirling Engine bug?
How more we read about the stirling engine, it becomes more interesting.
It is hard to find the right information, and sometimes it seems like information is 'lost' somewhere in history.
From the list of spinningmagnets we've contacted a few companies. Some companies don't even reply, and some can't or will not give us information.
we're busy with our assignment yet, so be sure you will hear more from us in the future.
Krijn and Lukas
Re: Existing applications of the Stirling engine
Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 1:44 am
by Ian S C
Krijn and Lukas, don't worry the bit of the Stirling bug is not usually fatal, but it is difficult to cure people of the disease.
For information its best to search google, put in Stirling Engine/ Hot Air Engine books, you will find a number of free down loads. Real paper books on Stirling engines are often quite expensive.
There are some books and papers for free down load from NASA. A free down load of the directions for use for the Philips Air-engine Generator MP 1002CA. And "Steam and Stirling Engines You Can Build" by William C. Fitt, another free down load, also "Making Stirling Engines" by Andy Ross. For these all you need is a printer with plenty of ink, and some paper, the last book mentioned has 68 pages. Ian S C
Re: Existing applications of the Stirling engine
Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 2:08 pm
by Triangle.Stirling
We already have searched the internet a lot!
We have found a lot of literature.
We have all Nasa documents on the topic, the articles from another topic, and so much more.
It is quite a lot, but it's nice to gather as much information as possible.
The book of Andy Ross i have already printed, nice to read it!
Steam and Stirling Engines You Can Build we didn't have, but i'll search for it.
We've seen a lot of designs and learned a lot from it. We are also making a model for our assignment.
We plan to start this week with the design-process, but we already know what it's going to look like.
We'll try to get a bit of 'useful power' from it.
I'll open a new topic on the design soon!
Re: Existing applications of the Stirling engine
Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 10:55 pm
by scottmatthew
Sterling engines have an use with solar concentrators as a small scale renewable source (think remote locations). Using it as a primary, and also burning fuel to generate the heat for it is highly inefficient.