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Peakoil.com :: View topic - Stirlingsolar
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Stirlingsolar

 
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Vegas
Tar Sands
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Joined: Mar 29, 2008
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Location: Ashland,OR
PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 9:49 am    Post subject: Stirlingsolar Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote
http://www.stirlingenergy.com/default.asp

Heat-based solar collector. Mirrors and engines seem easier to scale up than silicon based stuff, though I could be wrong.

Desperation is the mother of all invention.
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mos6507
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 12:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Stirlingsolar Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote
Vegas wrote:
http://www.stirlingenergy.com/default.asp

Heat-based solar collector. Mirrors and engines seem easier to scale up than silicon based stuff, though I could be wrong.

Desperation is the mother of all invention.


The one thing I don't like about stirling engines is the mechanical components. Aside from solar trackers, there is nothing more reliable than photovoltaics because they are completely solid state (except for organic solar cells which have an electrolyte in them).

Rollout of solar beyond a certain scale will be a maintenance nightmare. Imagine hundreds of thousands of these solar collectors spread out over many square miles. There will always be a certain percentage of them breaking down and a long trip required to get to and repair them. You really need something you can set up and largely forget about.
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Vegas
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:50 am    Post subject: Re: Stirlingsolar Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote
mos6507 wrote:


The one thing I don't like about stirling engines is the mechanical components. Aside from solar trackers, there is nothing more reliable than photovoltaics because they are completely solid state (except for organic solar cells which have an electrolyte in them).

Rollout of solar beyond a certain scale will be a maintenance nightmare. Imagine hundreds of thousands of these solar collectors spread out over many square miles. There will always be a certain percentage of them breaking down and a long trip required to get to and repair them. You really need something you can set up and largely forget about.


Everything you say is true. I think they are running sterling engines at a greater EFF% than photovoltaics. As for reliability, we ain't talking combustion engines, no carbon deposits, no viscosity breakdown.
But, they do run at godawful temps.
Scaling up any kind of energy 'solution' is going to be a pain in the ass....
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FoxV
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:14 am    Post subject: Re: Stirlingsolar Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote
one of the hallmarks of Sterling engines is their reliability. I can't find a link for it but I don't think a Sterling engine will have any problem matching a Solar panels 20 year life expectancy.

And ultimately because of their simplicity, you could probably repair the Engine yourself, or at least find a mechanic that can do it. In 20 years time, you may not be able to find or afford a new solar panel.

As for the temperatures and pressures involved they are often much less than that of an IC engine.

Btw, these guys are old news. First being reported here in 2004
[Solar 9] Paraboloidal Solar Stirling Cycle Generators
but the good news is that its been 4 years since we first heard of them. That means we're very close to the "We'll have a product to market in 5 years" benchmark.

Only one more year to wait to see if they'll come through

P.S.: Theoretical maximum efficiency of a Sterling engine is:

(Hot Temp - Cold Temp)
2 X Hot Temp
(Temperature in kelvin)


Practical efficiencies tend to be around 30% - 35%

Last edited by FoxV on Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:25 am; edited 2 times in total
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roccman
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Joined: Apr 27, 2007
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Location: The Great Sonoran Desert
PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:16 am    Post subject: Re: Stirlingsolar Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote
Had lunch with these guys two weeks ago.

Big plans...

Big big plans.

Contracts signed...ink dried...herculian backlog.

Just say'n.
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TreeFarmer
Heavy Crude
Heavy Crude


Joined: Jun 26, 2007
Posts: 352
PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:12 pm    Post subject: Re: Stirlingsolar Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote
Have any of you seen an attempt to connect a stirling engine to a regular IC engine in a car in an attempt to capture and use some of the waste heat?

I know that the catalytic converter gets pretty hot so it should be possible.

TF
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yesplease
Fission
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Joined: Oct 03, 2006
Posts: 2552
PostPosted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:43 am    Post subject: Re: Stirlingsolar Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote
In terms of belt driven car alts the big things on the table for replacing them seem to be TECs and running the alt off the exhaust.
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