In the process of doing research for an article I did on solar green products, I came across the Stirling air engine. The engine was once called a hot air engine because it requires no internal diesel or fuel to run. Let's take a deeper look at this unique engine that requires no fuel and has recently been adapted for use on solar collector dishes.
The Stirling engine was originally invented and patented as an air engine by Robert Stirling in 1816. It may have been designed as a replacement for the steam engine, because the steam engines used in factories would explode frequently, causing many injuries and fatalities. These days, because of the cost of fuel and the environmental problems with coal, many new designs are incorporating the Stirling engine in solar power systems.
The Stirling engine has many different designs, some more efficient than others. Some designs use the two cylinder Alpha design, some the Beta single cylinder design and some the Gamma design (a variation of the beta for use in multiple cylinder applications). The beta Sterling design has a single chamber with two pistons and uses a highly efficient regenerator gas as the thermal conductor.
The operation of the Stirling engine is not complex, it only requires an external heat source. Some heat sources have been fuel, while some solar designs use a Fernell lens, and the latest source is large parabolic mirrors.
The Stirling cycle is pretty simple. When a heat source is applied to the large end, it causes the air to expand which moves a piston. A flywheel is used to maintain movement between cycles and add a convenient place to tap the power from the engine. What is so amazing about this design is that the design is very scalable. Engines have been produced that are as small as your hand to a large as a car but the concepts remain the same.
The Stirling engine is ideal for use in a solar power generating system. With one of the hottest heat sources available (sunlight), the hot chamber will continue to operate without external fuels as long as there is daylight. This makes it ideal for use as a peaker type power plant when the demands for electricity are at there highest.
With the space age list of available materials, the pistons in the hot chamber are much better designed to handle the high temperatures that would have fried previous generations. The new systems with the right mirror design and decent tracking systems are averaging up to 25 kilowatts of electricity
In another article on green products, I will be doing a comparison of the different types of solar energy producing products to see how they play out and if they are a viable alternative power source or just a bunch of fancy equipment.
Michael
The Stirling engine was originally invented and patented as an air engine by Robert Stirling in 1816. It may have been designed as a replacement for the steam engine, because the steam engines used in factories would explode frequently, causing many injuries and fatalities. These days, because of the cost of fuel and the environmental problems with coal, many new designs are incorporating the Stirling engine in solar power systems.
The Stirling engine has many different designs, some more efficient than others. Some designs use the two cylinder Alpha design, some the Beta single cylinder design and some the Gamma design (a variation of the beta for use in multiple cylinder applications). The beta Sterling design has a single chamber with two pistons and uses a highly efficient regenerator gas as the thermal conductor.
The operation of the Stirling engine is not complex, it only requires an external heat source. Some heat sources have been fuel, while some solar designs use a Fernell lens, and the latest source is large parabolic mirrors.
The Stirling cycle is pretty simple. When a heat source is applied to the large end, it causes the air to expand which moves a piston. A flywheel is used to maintain movement between cycles and add a convenient place to tap the power from the engine. What is so amazing about this design is that the design is very scalable. Engines have been produced that are as small as your hand to a large as a car but the concepts remain the same.
The Stirling engine is ideal for use in a solar power generating system. With one of the hottest heat sources available (sunlight), the hot chamber will continue to operate without external fuels as long as there is daylight. This makes it ideal for use as a peaker type power plant when the demands for electricity are at there highest.
With the space age list of available materials, the pistons in the hot chamber are much better designed to handle the high temperatures that would have fried previous generations. The new systems with the right mirror design and decent tracking systems are averaging up to 25 kilowatts of electricity
In another article on green products, I will be doing a comparison of the different types of solar energy producing products to see how they play out and if they are a viable alternative power source or just a bunch of fancy equipment.
Michael
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