Solar Stirling engine

[jai_mann]

Hey folks, so I just scored a 10' satellite dish off of craigslist. I plan on using the frame for a solar stirling engine. There aren't any really straight forward plans that I've come across. I was thinking I would try using Mylar film on the panels to produce the heat reflection towards the focal point. If anyone thinks that's a bad idea let me know. I have a few months before I move so I want to plan this out. Additionally, if anyone can point me to some well detailed directions for building a stirling engine meant for this setup I would appreciate it. I have located some patents but I think I would need to extrapolate the design for my purposes.

I was also thinking that for the "cool" side of the engine I could maybe use a closed loop water system to cool that side and the waste heat would be routed to a water heater. Any advice would be appreciated and possibly help get 'er done sooner.


-Jai

[AlaskaStar]

I have seen MANY Sterling Engines. The best place to look is in the older volumes of GAS ENGINE MAGAZINE. the date to look through are June of 1990 to June of 2002- and every issue between. most time you can find a whole collection of these magazines together, and such forth for sale.

Worth a try anyway.

AlaskaStar

[spinning-magnets]

Dear jai_mann, I am also interested in a solar Stirling, If you want, please contact me at "velmis1450bcXatXaolXdotXcom", (remove "X's" and correct the at/dot-com to email) perhaps we can compare notes. -Ron

[blackice]

Hey jai_mann How far Are you on your sat dish project?? I got a 12' dish this summer and was thinking about doing the same! I have a dish mover and I built a solar tracker...The stirling part seems to be elusive. Have you found any potential engines? (that a mortal could afford)

[jai_mann]

Hey Spinning magnets. Sorry I haven't looked back at this post in some time otherwise I would have responded.

Basically my dish is in storage in my shed because building the engine is outside of my means at the moment. I could pick up the skills but I need the time and the money. I had contacted some older fellows online that had demo's of many of their own stirlings online. The work at a minimum for an efficient engine (why build one if the efficiency is going to be sub-par) would entail using a lathe (don't have one, can't afford it at the moment, and "school"- (where they indoctrinate one with the establishment's ideas) is taking up too much time). There are MANY patents out there on different stirling designs. To break it down a little more, I would say you would want to

1) Be able to build the stirling engine yourself to your own specs
2) create a controller for moving the dish at intervals to keep the maximum amount of energy focused on the engine. (there are free circuit schematics out there for this).
3) use mylar for the reflective surface on each panel.
4) use a water cooled loop to cool the engine block (several benefits: keep the block from melting/cracking, the hot water can be cycled as solar thermal heat for house heating/ hot water usage)

It's a BIG project all in all and I would love to just work on projects like this but I need to finish school and I would prefer to work on this setup out in the country. As it stands I am in a major city and I could see immediate complaints from choppers etc. due to being blinded =P.

If either of you'sa guys are interested try pm'ing me for patent #'s/ pdfs and I can try to provide what I have accumulated in order to help you out more.

[ragtime8922]

[AlaskaStar]

I am not sure about you, but I am building an ORGANIC RANKINE CYCLE engine, and will run on a basic sterling cycle, but be usable at NIGHT as well. A secondary system will utilize hydrogen fuel to supplement a heat source for the super-heater, and the super cooler.

It's all really simple.

Once you understand the energy basics behind the relative perspective, (theory of relativity), you will find that ORGANIC RANKINE CYCLE coupled with Sterling cycle will yield the results needed. Modification of an internal combustion engine to perform this task is easy as well.

AlaskaStar

[FlashBang]

[FlashBang]

[FlashBang]

[12volt dan]

Wich is sutable for the linear stirling cycle.

AlaskaStar

Any progress on your RANKINE CYCLE engine? I've seen old briggs and stratton 3&1/2 hp conversions to stirlings but this type intrests me

[Jehu]

Here's the thread on the whole build



Flashbang, usually a flywheel is used as an energy storage device, storing the energy produced as kinetic energy or inertia.

But your idea of a linear alternator is good coz it doesn't need much power to be run. Also with them shakelights, I think I might have a good idea to make more power from them. Get an non-magnetic spring and place it at either end of the tube so the magnet bounces back up again thus conserving energy and making them more effecient. All the shake lights I've seen just let it whack against each end of the tube. This may also silence them somewhat.

[AlaskaStar]

[Jehu]

[AlaskaStar]