Stirling engine pellet experiment

First testrun with a pellet fire. This is my homebuilt prototype, aimed to generate 500w some year. Many have asked information about the engine, so:

Single acting, two piston alpha engine with external stainless steel tube heat exchanger. Stainless steel wire regenerator and copper tube cooler. Piston stroke and diameter 63mm, phase angle 90 in the video but freely adjustable. Pistons covered with igus G bearing plastic and no oil used to avoid regenerator contamination and engine explosion if pressurised with air.

www.stirlingmoottori.blogspot.com

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• stirling
• engine
• pellet
• moottori
• pelletti
• kuumailma
• kone
• biomass
• wood
• energy
• chp
• bioenergy
• renewable
• diy
• environment
• gadget
• mechanics

[24max]

Oh man you are so right. It doesen't produce more energy than is feeded in :O

[PKMartin]

Cool! Did you build the engine yourself? Using HTD stirling engines for renewable power is an interest of mine- you can use concentrated solar in hot places and biomass fuel for combined heat and power in cold places, I think it would be a great advance. The only problem is the cost of commercial engines... are you aiming for "power independence" if you complete the 500 watt model?

[24max]

Yep, that is built and "designed" by me. Energy independence would be great, I pay for 500€ / year for the electric company to keep the powerlines connected + about 1000€ for the power I use. And getting powerlines to my cottage would cost about 3000€.

[barumman]

Have you done a brake test on it to get some idea as to what your output is?

It looks good, well done, thanks for sharing

[24max]

I haven't been braking it yet, but I'll estimate somewhere around 100w... Check the latest video "Red Hot Stirling Engines" where it performs much better. I'm lookin for a simple, fast and cheap way to measure the power. Might be the prony brake.

[diymania]

It sounds like a diesel!

[InTheSticks1881]

I wish I could buy one of these or the plans.

[StirlingEngine123]

I realy like your engine! It's design and even the sound... i even don't know wath to say about it! lol lol You should continuing working on it and achieve the 500W as u wanted. Acctualy, I dont know if u make any chages already, but how many horse power does it produced or produces? Tkx

[frackcha]

@railrdr523 gas engine, 80% efficient?? you mean 20% right?

[111fishkiller]

It would be cool, if it had the HORSE POWER to run a pellet mill or turn a generator.

I am a mechanical nutcase too, don't get me wrong here but, JUST to see it rin is bullshit.

If it takes more fuel/resources to run it, than HP+ Torque it puts out, it's just an interesting piece of shit.

[AlternativePowerMan]

@24max Cheap and simply way to measure power would be a car alternator.

[beuteljc]

@Leberteich

And you get the benefits of the Wood Gas, reducing the emissions from the wood fire and gain the efficiencies of the Stirling as you mentioned. By the way, this does not stop on a cloudy day! Excellent job, excellent comment!!

[Leberteich]

Good job, but a suggestion for improvement: Don't just burn the pellets in a heap, burn them in a wood gas stove. They're easy to make, basically a can in a can, plenty of vids on here. Wood gas stoves burn much hotter, and that makes the Sterling engine more efficient.