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Kickstarter project for $100 - 1 kW - stirling engine

kickstarter.com

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Re: Kickstarter project for $100 - 1 kW - stirling engine

#31

Post by JoeAltmaier »

Volodesign wrote: post #25
JoeAltmaier wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But this device is vaporware, and its price is a pipe dream.

Lets hope not - we did complete a working prototype, proving out the mechanics, linkages, and feasibility. We are pretty close to budget on the full sized model - bearings may take us slightly over the $100 mark.

That's the device, cool. Then there's the infrastructure as others have commented.

Another compelling issue is, will it work uninterrupted for 10 years? Like other household appliances e.g. water heater, furnace, softener, dryer, roof.

Building it cheap may preclude building it to last. Thats where Engineering comes into play.

Re: Kickstarter project for $100 - 1 kW - stirling engine

#32

Post by Volodesign »

jerfelix wrote: post #3

Looks like a cool project. One note to entrepreneurs using Kickstarter, or creating any slide presentation for potential investors: Take the time to spell check your slides. Tim Sefton (creator of this project), if you happen to be reading this, here are some notes that may help you make your presentation more professional... "One thing.. The Sterling engine is about 10% more efficent then the gasoline engine, but st…

Appreciate the feedback. I'm going to have to give that typist a tough tongue lashing !

Re: Kickstarter project for $100 - 1 kW - stirling engine

#33

Post by Volodesign »

retube wrote: post #21

Hmm. I see a few practical issues with this. I need to keep a fire burning the whole time? Not practical for many (most) homes and also will result in a lot of wasted heat.

We've given some thought to this - one idea we are kicking around is embedding a heat capacitor in the engine, kind of like a battery for heat so that we can even out the heat input to the engine - The heat capacitor coule be a type of insulated molten salt bath.

Re: Kickstarter project for $100 - 1 kW - stirling engine

#34

Post by Volodesign »

MrEnigma wrote: post #2

Seems like a huge long shot. Even if you wanted to get one now, it's $250. I guess I've never seen this yet, but what happens when they can't' deliver you the working product? Do you get your money back?

There is no money back guarantee, it is a gamble, although we feel its a pretty good gamble.

Re: Kickstarter project for $100 - 1 kW - stirling engine

#35

Post by Volodesign »

MrEnigma wrote: post #5
MrEnigma wrote: post #2

Seems like a huge long shot. Even if you wanted to get one now, it's $250. I guess I've never seen this yet, but what happens when they can't' deliver you the working product? Do you get your money back?

Also, there has to be some sort of mechanism for heat, and then something to actually generate it. All this is going to be is the engine to turn it I believe...

Correct - this is just the piece that turns heat into work. The rest electrical system and fire box / solar concentrator comes latter.

Re: Kickstarter project for $100 - 1 kW - stirling engine

#36

Post by TylerE »

damoncali wrote: post #30
colanderman wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know why you're being downvoted. One of the primary uses of Stirling engines, especially for off-grid homesteaders (at whom I'm sure this is aimed) is concentrated solar. All you need are a giant Fresnel lens (~$100), some black metal to act as a collector, and heat transfer compound to attach that to your Stirling engine and you're off to the races.

Not a downvoter, but maybe it was the "normally". The cool part of a Stirling is that it is indifferent to fuel.

That's true, but in the real world it's fairly uncommon to see actual burners in use, outside of machine shop projects and the like.

Re: Kickstarter project for $100 - 1 kW - stirling engine

#37

Post by Egregore »

ck2 wrote: post #7

Yes gas is near $4 - what does that have to do with utility prices, since there aren't any gasoline powered plants in the USA since the 70s ? I would have to assume the way the utility company produces power is far more efficient than a town with thousands of mini-engines. Only stuff like solar cells work better in distribution. Not sure how this would work either - what fuel are you going to use to power it for 24 h…

I would put it on heating stove.

Re: Kickstarter project for $100 - 1 kW - stirling engine

#38

Post by nobody31415926 »

ck2 wrote: post #7

Yes gas is near $4 - what does that have to do with utility prices, since there aren't any gasoline powered plants in the USA since the 70s ? I would have to assume the way the utility company produces power is far more efficient than a town with thousands of mini-engines. Only stuff like solar cells work better in distribution. Not sure how this would work either - what fuel are you going to use to power it for 24 h…

Compared to your local big-city nuclear plant, no this thing doesn't compete.

But if you are off-grid or have unreliable power it is better than a Honda gasoline generator, especially because they can pretty much burn anything - from wood chips to pig manure.

Although you do need a big cold sink for it to work well - a river/stream is ideal.

Re: Kickstarter project for $100 - 1 kW - stirling engine

#39

Post by rcfox »

What sort of performance could you expect by just sticking this in the wall of your house? In the winter, you've got cold air outside and you're already heating the inside. In summer, you've got hot air outside and you're cooling the inside. Does it matter which side is hot/cold?

Re: Kickstarter project for $100 - 1 kW - stirling engine

#40

Post by a-priori »

rcfox wrote: post #39

What sort of performance could you expect by just sticking this in the wall of your house? In the winter, you've got cold air outside and you're already heating the inside. In summer, you've got hot air outside and you're cooling the inside. Does it matter which side is hot/cold?

And waste the energy you used (via a furnace or air conditioner) to create that temperature gradient in the first place?
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