Stirling Engine Solar Power
Stirling Engine Solar Power
Generate electricity from a solar powered Stirling Engine
thermoelectric | solarA solar
Stirling Engine (or Hot Air Engine) takes advantage of the fact that concentrated sunlight is a fantastic heat source, and as such can be used to
generate electricity more efficiently than
photovoltaic solar panels
The
Stirling Engine was developed in 1816 by
Robert Stirling in order to offer an alternative to the frequently explosive early steam engines. Basically a closed cylinder containing a piston and helium, nitrogen or hydrogen gas is heated at one end by
concentrated sunlight, and cooled at the other end by air or water.
As the gas expands and cools with the movement of the piston, a generator can be driven to
produce electricity. (If the engine is run in reverse then it produces a cooling effect acting as a 'Stirling cooler'.)
With a Stirling engine combustion occurs
outside the engine which made it much safer and less likely to explode. Stirling Engines did not catch on in the nineteenth century because of the costs of manufacture despite
exceptional efficiency of almost 50% in some cases.
The dish pictured above is manufacted by
Stirling Energy Systems of Phoenix, USA. An array of concave mirrors focus the sun's rays onto a single point which drives a four-cylinder stirling engine which turns a 25 kW generator. The
concentrated solar collector is over 10 metres across and it currently costs 1/4 million dollars.
Collectors can be connected together into arrays in order to generate larger amounts of electricity. There are currently proposals to erect a 20,000 dish array somewhere in the sunny South West of the USA to pump out 500 MW of power - more than many nuclear or fossil fuel power stations.
Stirling engines can also be used with
geothermal heat, or waste industrial heat, to generate electricity.
See our article
Make a Stirling Engine.
Article Last Modified: 10:03, 9th Aug 2012Comment on this Article
If you have any comments on this article, please email them to
neil@reuk.co.uk.
Recommended Related Articles
People who read this article also enjoyed the following articles:
Make a Stirling EngineMake your own Demonstration Stirling Engine
Article Last Modified: 10:03, 9th Aug 2012thermoelectric | educationBuild a Concentrated Solar Water HeaterPlans for building a cheap advanced solar water heating system
Article Last Modified: 07:54, 8th Apr 2010heating | solar | waterEcofan Woodburner FansFind out about Ecofan energy efficient woodburner fans
Article Last Modified: 15:08, 9th Aug 2012heating | thermoelectric | shopping | energy efficiency200W 12V Immersion HeaterUsing a wind turbine to heat water for your home via an immersion heater element
Article Last Modified: 13:21, 4th Sep 2008heating | wind | waterSimple Geothermal Air Heating and CoolingMake your own basic DIY geothermal heating and cooling system
Article Last Modified: 15:56, 29th Nov 2012geothermal | educationEnamelled Magnet WireFind out more about the wire used to wind coils for generators and alternators
Article Last Modified: 14:34, 5th Apr 2007general | shoppingPermanent Magnet GeneratorBuild a wind or water power system with around a PM Generator
Article Last Modified: 16:43, 6th Apr 2010wind | hydroblueEnergy DIY Wind Turbine GeneratorView a photographic journal documenting the building of a wind turbine
Article Last Modified: 17:20, 2nd Feb 2007wind | educationSolar Panels on eBayFind out about the solar panels on sale on eBay
Article Last Modified: 17:00, 29th Nov 2012solar | shoppingCopper Oxide Thermoelectric GeneratorMake a thermoelectric generator from copper wire which can light an LED when heated
Article Last Modified: 09:20, 9th Aug 2012thermoelectric | education
|
|
