sterling engines

[dalcazar]

Hey everyone, I'm working on a project in Paso Robles california and we are trying to install a custom cush facility for olive oil and trying to make it as environmentally friendly as possible, we will have solar cells set up with feedback to the utility to counteract the cost of operating the equipment on electricity.

I was wondering just how worth it it might be to have a sterling engine ducted or installed to take advantage of any excess temperature coming out of the boiler. and on the technical side, how easy are they to make? I don't think it would be cost effective to buy a unit, I'd like to try my hand at building one, any idea how difficult that might be?

Any info on where to find the thermodynamical calculations in order to figure out efficiency would be great as well

thanks

D

 

[JimCasey]

It would be a lot easier to install an economiser on the boiler. It's really only practical to take the exhaust heat down to just above the dewpoint of the gases anyway. Oncew the boiler gases start to condense you'll have a much more difficult disposal problem, and very likely a corrosion problem. Better in a nice, inexpensive stack than on the fins of a Stirling engine.

 

[tronical]

Hi,

I know sterling engineres are easy to make. of course you have the headache of fabricating/outsourcing the parts and putting a good design together..but thats with making anything

I own a mini sterling engine. i bought it for about $100 from PM research (seen here

http://www.pmresearchinc.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=1502&cat=0&page=1)

its fast too, more than 1000rpm

as for calculations, here is a quick way of reiterating your calculations.

http://www.suction.co.jp/stirling/sdsj20/sdsj20.html

this applet will make it easy to recalculate when you change your parameters. form the rejected heat you should be able to get your efficiency

good luck.

Tronical