Making a stirling engine 5 kw generator

[Tom Booth]

Just saw this thread... I am unsure if I have replied before... but does anyone remember the studies done by NASA... they even have a video on youtube where they convert a delivery van to a sterling engine and it does a great job... all plans are in the public forum... I can't remember the horsepower or KW output, but it seemed fairly nippy.

I don't "remember" from personal experience, but there is this video:

https://youtu.be/aoKECrXeiV8?si=_imxrTbHfgIIJ0FI

[VincentG]

They were really onto something and had they kept development going, maybe we would have some SE powered cars rolling around. In the DIY setting, it seems far too complicated to make reproduction practical.

[VHoffmann]

Could I buy a 5-10 kW electric, Stirling engine generator that would operate between 400 degrees Celsius and 600 degrees Celsius? Can anyone help me?

[Lerninsterling]

Hey I hope you find what your looking for.
I'm looking for the same thing.
5000 watt generator is what I'm looking for to.
If you succeed let me know please.

[CruiseDancer]

Hi, this is my first post hopefully I don't break any rules.

I'm super new to Sterling engines but very interested in using them to offset a solar battery system.
My plan is to generate hydrogen with excess solar energy when the batteries are almost full.
I know making hydrogen and burning it for fuel is highly inefficient but it's better than breeding it off in a resistor bank or turning the system off and it's green.
Besides this has been a super interesting investigation into energy storage and I'm happy that I found this forum, so thank you.

To the question of the Post, "Making a Stirling engine 5 kw generator". I did find a free piston Sterling 5KVA Generator if you have $50K USD (they did offer to sell me a refurbished one with no warranty for $30K, thanks but no thanks).
I maybe wrong but it looks like it's based off the Nasa research but I don't believe this EU company says anything about that.
Here is the the website for Qnergy, https://qnergy.com/tech/ and the YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH8RBcyFDe4

Since that time I've been watching YouTube and reading Sterling engine posts non stop looking for good ideas for my hydrogen Sterling energy generator.

[Tom Booth]

... I did find a free piston Sterling 5KVA Generator if you have $50K USD (they did offer to sell me a refurbished one with no warranty for $30K, thanks but no thanks).
...
Here is the the website for Qnergy, https://qnergy.com/tech/ and the YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH8RBcyFDe4
...

Qnergy emerged out of the demise of Infinia. I think, basically the same engine. Though in 2008 it was just 3kw and Infinia had their solar Stirling dish priced at $20,000. Or, according to this article, that was the projection, just before they went "bankrupt".

https://metaefficient.com/uncategorized ... nding.html

If Qnergy is currently marketing their engine to the general public at any price, I guess that's progress, in a way.

[Tom Booth]

Infinia did complete an installation at the Tooele Army base in Utah.

https://vimeo.com/48084629


This is a Google Earth screenshot (taken on my phone just now)

Resize_20240315_223216_6381.jpg (486.41 KiB) Viewed 560 times

It appears to still be in service, at least the area looks like it is being maintained.

From the ground, it appears that access to the area is restricted

Resize_20240315_224355_5072.jpg (206.45 KiB) Viewed 560 times

So, no street view available.

[Tom Booth]

Once the military focused attention on these engines as a potential strategic "national security" asset that could be deployed in Afghanistan, Infinia, a company that seemed to be on top of the world with a bright future ahead for unlimited expansion quite abruptly went "bankrupt".


https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php? ... type=cmsid

[Tom Booth]

The stated goal at that time, aside from deploying these as power generators for the US military in Afghanistan and Iraq, was also to make military bases in the states more secure by allowing them to generate their own power, independent of the grid.

"This is a glimpse, just a glimpse of the future," he said.

https://www.ksl.com/article/21753389/ar ... -in-tooele

The installation contract was awarded to CDM CONSTRUCTORS INC.

https://www.governmentcontractswon.com/ ... .asp?yr=14

But of course, everybody knows Stirling engines are not really at all useful or practical for domestic or residential power generation. No no no. Not at all.

[Tom Booth]

There was another installation of Infinia solar-Stirling Power Dish system at a Frito Lay plant that produces Sun Chips.

The dishes were to be used to charge their electric delivery trucks:

The dishes will power the plant’s electric delivery vehicles. Appropriately, those trucks will distribute SunChips.

https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/arti ... r-net-zero