dw8928
Senior Member
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Stirling Gensets for Boats - the way forward?
- Thread starter dw8928
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The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
RT Firefly
Enigma
Yup. Bad linky. You stinky.
stubones99
Guru
It is a sterling engine. Nothing new.
MurrayM
Guru
PDF with little information: https://www.qnergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Download-the-PCK80-Brochure-Spec-Sheet.pdf
OP
OP
dw8928
Senior Member
OP
OP
dw8928
Senior Member
RT Firefly
Enigma
Spottsville
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Ok, I know we are in the age of "fake news and no trust" but before we Poo Poo it, how does it work and has it yet been deployed in real life marine applications?
It is intriguing! Could hot engine exhaust gas from small genset be amped up with this?
How it works according to them:
Using a highly efficient thermodynamic process, Qnergy’s free-piston Stirling engine (FPSE) generator can create electricity from virtually any heat source. The heat input creates a temperature differential across the engine causing the helium inside the engine to expand and contract, which in turn drives a linear reciprocating motion of the piston. The FPSE directly converts the reciprocating motion of the piston into electrical power via the integral linear alternator.
The Qnergy engine has fewer moving parts than traditional kinematic Stirling engines, and no direct-contact points that cause wear and require lubrication. Thus, the Qnergy engine is truly a maintenance-free technology that offers long-life performance, two key features that make it an ideal power source.
It is intriguing! Could hot engine exhaust gas from small genset be amped up with this?
How it works according to them:
Using a highly efficient thermodynamic process, Qnergy’s free-piston Stirling engine (FPSE) generator can create electricity from virtually any heat source. The heat input creates a temperature differential across the engine causing the helium inside the engine to expand and contract, which in turn drives a linear reciprocating motion of the piston. The FPSE directly converts the reciprocating motion of the piston into electrical power via the integral linear alternator.
The Qnergy engine has fewer moving parts than traditional kinematic Stirling engines, and no direct-contact points that cause wear and require lubrication. Thus, the Qnergy engine is truly a maintenance-free technology that offers long-life performance, two key features that make it an ideal power source.
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RT Firefly
Enigma
Greetings,
Mr. S. I'm not poo-pooing it as such but as has been mentioned, you NEED a heat source. Using the residual heat from a shut down engine is great until the engine cools and if placed in the exhaust of a running engine, again you only have power until things are shut off and cool down. So if you're running a genny, for example, why use this device? Redundancy?
I understand the "amped up" idea you're suggesting but if your small generator produces X watts even if this device extracts every joule of heat from said genny, you will never get more than the same X watts out of it.
Mr. S. I'm not poo-pooing it as such but as has been mentioned, you NEED a heat source. Using the residual heat from a shut down engine is great until the engine cools and if placed in the exhaust of a running engine, again you only have power until things are shut off and cool down. So if you're running a genny, for example, why use this device? Redundancy?
I understand the "amped up" idea you're suggesting but if your small generator produces X watts even if this device extracts every joule of heat from said genny, you will never get more than the same X watts out of it.
Ski in NC
Technical Guru
The Sterling engine only works well when there is a big difference in temps between the high side and the low side. Could work on engine exhaust, certainly. But so works also an alternator driven by a belt from the engine.
I would venture (without doing the math) that the alternator would win the efficiency and life cycle cost argument.
There are a bunch of reasons why Sterling engines are not popular in energy conversion.
I would venture (without doing the math) that the alternator would win the efficiency and life cycle cost argument.
There are a bunch of reasons why Sterling engines are not popular in energy conversion.
Spottsville
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Thanks guys! Sorry for being a little snarky, my older brother always tried to throw cold water on any new idea or technology that someone advanced. Guess it makes me push back on the quick negative, as I was always the one who liked the new ideas, 8 track tape player, Cassette player, CD player, iPod, iPhone, Solar, Netflix, AIS, etc (he still uses a flip-phone...go figure).
So still curious as to what it cost and has anyone seen an example of it playing a useful role in a marine application?
Just wonder if it could produce enough power to run an AC while underway with waste heat from a main engine?
Thanks to the OP for posting it, like I said, (love the new ideas) many do actually work... we use the waste heat from our central air system to heat our hot [emoji97] water at our dirt house. Also use the shower water to flush the toilets (cut our water/sewer bill in half
Here is my last months power bill
So still curious as to what it cost and has anyone seen an example of it playing a useful role in a marine application?
Just wonder if it could produce enough power to run an AC while underway with waste heat from a main engine?
Thanks to the OP for posting it, like I said, (love the new ideas) many do actually work... we use the waste heat from our central air system to heat our hot [emoji97] water at our dirt house. Also use the shower water to flush the toilets (cut our water/sewer bill in half
Here is my last months power bill
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If you want to experiment get one
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201976169887
see how big an alt you can get it to spin running off a given heat source
just don't put it on a boat until you get the safety and extra fuel supply issues sorted
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201976169887
see how big an alt you can get it to spin running off a given heat source
just don't put it on a boat until you get the safety and extra fuel supply issues sorted
RT Firefly
Enigma
Greetings,
Mr. 61. Says 1/20HP and a $200 re-stocking fee. I'm in the wrong business.
Mr. 61. Says 1/20HP and a $200 re-stocking fee. I'm in the wrong business.
sbu22
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They have caught on. See Swedish Gottland class submarines. AIP with Saab Sterling generator for submerged battery charging. It took an 8' hull extension to house 100 hp Sterling generator on the prototype. It's a matter of application.
