Solar-powered Stirling engine: Difference between revisions
Added a reference with history relating to Farthington Daniel's of England and his work with solar energy around 1900. Tags: Reverted Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
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{{Short description|Technology used in concentrated solar power stations}} |
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[[File:Dish-stirling-at-odeillo.jpg|thumb|right|10 kW Dish-Stirling system in Font-Romeu-Odeillo, France]] |
[[File:Dish-stirling-at-odeillo.jpg|thumb|right|10 kW Dish-Stirling system in Font-Romeu-Odeillo, France]] |
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A '''solar powered Stirling engine''' is a heat engine powered by a temperature gradient generated by the sun. |
A '''solar powered Stirling engine''' is a heat engine powered by a temperature gradient generated by the sun. Even though [[Stirling engine]]s can run with a small temperature gradient, it is more efficient to use [[concentrated solar power]]. |
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| inventor-last =Meijer |
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The mechanical output can be used directly (e.g. pumps) or be used to create electricity. |
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| inventor-first =Roelf |
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| inventorlink = |
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== NASA == |
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| publication-date =November 24, 1987 |
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| ⚫ | [[NASA]] patented a type of solar-powered Stirling engine on August 3, 1976. It used solar energy to pump water from a river, lake, or stream.<ref name=Fletcher76>{{cite patent|inventor-last=Fletcher|inventor-first=James C.|inventor2-last=Kirsten|inventor2-first=Charles C.|pubdate=1976-08-03|title=Solar-powered pump|country=US|number=3972651 }}</ref> The purpose of this apparatus is to “provide a low-cost, low-technology pump having particular utility in irrigation systems employed in underdeveloped arid regions of the earth…[using] the basic principles of the Stirling heat engine“.<ref name=Fletcher76 /> |
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| issue-date = |
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== Meijer == |
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| title =Solar-powered Stirling engine |
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One design was patented by Roelf J. Meijer in 1987.<ref name=Meijer87>{{cite patent|inventor1-last=Meijer|inventor1-first=Roelf J.|assign1=Stirling Thermal Motors Inc.|pubdate=1987-11-24|title=Solar-powered Stirling engine|country=US|number=4707990}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | His invention combines a heat engine, such as a [[Stirling engine|Stirling cycle engine]], with a solar dish collector to produce electricity.<ref name=Meijer87 /> This apparatus consists of a large dish that concentrates solar energy to a focal point at the center of the dish. The concentrated solar energy drives a Stirling cycle engine,<ref name=Meijer87 /> which operates by letting heat flow from a hot source to a cold sink to do work.<ref name=Moran>{{Citation |
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| description = |
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| patent-number =4,707,990 }}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | His invention combines a heat engine, such as a [[Stirling engine|Stirling cycle engine]], with a solar dish collector to produce electricity.<ref name=Meijer87 /> This apparatus consists of a large dish that concentrates solar energy to a focal point at the center of the dish. The concentrated solar energy drives Stirling cycle engine,<ref name=Meijer87 /> which operates by letting heat flow from a hot source to a cold sink to do work.<ref name=Moran>{{Citation |
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| last =Moran |
| last =Moran |
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| first =Michael |
| first =Michael |
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}}</ref> The work output of the Stirling cycle then drives a generator to create electric power. Moreover, for optimal heat collection, Meijer’s solar-powered engine requires that the dish always point directly at the sun so no shadows are in the solar dish collector. This presented issues because, for the apparatus to have a complete range of motion, lubrication and rotational systems are necessary, and may compromise structural stability.<ref name=Meijer87 /> |
}}</ref> The work output of the Stirling cycle then drives a generator to create electric power. Moreover, for optimal heat collection, Meijer’s solar-powered engine requires that the dish always point directly at the sun so no shadows are in the solar dish collector. This presented issues because, for the apparatus to have a complete range of motion, lubrication and rotational systems are necessary, and may compromise structural stability.<ref name=Meijer87 /> |
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== Sunvention == |
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[[NASA]] patented a second type of solar-powered Stirling engine on August 3, 1976. It used solar energy to pump water from a river, lake, or stream.<ref name=Fletcher76>{{cite patent |
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| ⚫ | Around 2010, a company called Sunvention Solar Energy created a device similar to the NASA design that they say can pump 100,000 gallons per day, purely off of solar energy and the Stirling cycle, and costing only US$1,250. This apparatus, much like the others, used a large solar dish to collect heat from the sun to create a high temperature source, and also used low temperature water from a nearby stream as its low temperature source. This provided a great temperature range, which in turn provided more power. The apparatus pumped the water into nearby crop fields, providing a “low-cost, low-technology pump having particular utility in irrigation systems employed in underdeveloped arid regions of the earth.” |
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| inventor-last =Fletcher |
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| inventor-first =James |
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== Comparison to Solar Panels == |
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| inventorlink = |
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'''Solar-powered Stirling engines''' are in some situations more efficient in generating electrical energy than solar panels.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.promes.cnrs.fr/index.php?page=envirodish|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160528054708/http://www.promes.cnrs.fr/index.php?page=envirodish|archive-date = 2016-05-28|title = Envirodish - Promes}}</ref> Thermal capacity and rotating mass result in less sudden changes in output power. Experiments show the possibility of higher efficiencies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Stirlingmotor-befluegelt-Solarkraftwerke-916656.html|title = Stirlingmotor beflügelt Solarkraftwerke| date=28 January 2010 }}</ref> |
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| inventor2-last =Kirsten |
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| inventor2-first =Charles |
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'''Solar-powered Stirling engines''' are less scalable than solar panels. |
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| inventorlink2 = |
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They are also more complex than a solar-electric system. |
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| publication-date =August 3, 1976 |
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| issue-date = |
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'''Solar-powered Stirling engines''' can have a secondary heat source (e.g. Gas), allowing operation during night and when the sky is clouded. |
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| title =Solar-powered pump |
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| description = |
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| ⚫ | |||
== See also == |
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Around 2010, a company called Sunvention Solar Energy created a device similar to the NASA design that they say can pump 100,000 gallons per day, purely off of solar energy and the Stirling cycle, and costing only US$1,250 <ref name=Ardron>{{Citation |
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* [[Solar thermal energy#Dish designs]] |
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| last =Ardron |
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* [[Stirling Energy Systems]] |
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| first =Mitra |
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| title =Sunvention Sunpulse Water |
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| date =October 28, 2010 |
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| url =http://www.stirling-motor.com/pdf/pg1.pdf |
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==References== |
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==References==Farthington Daniel's "Direct Use of the Sun" may provide your first patent around 1900 when he used it in Egypt to produce electricity. |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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[[Category:Stirling engines]] |
[[Category:Stirling engines]] |
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[[Category:Solar thermal energy]] |
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Latest revision as of 11:07, 29 August 2024
A solar powered Stirling engine is a heat engine powered by a temperature gradient generated by the sun. Even though Stirling engines can run with a small temperature gradient, it is more efficient to use concentrated solar power.
The mechanical output can be used directly (e.g. pumps) or be used to create electricity.
NASA
[edit]NASA patented a type of solar-powered Stirling engine on August 3, 1976. It used solar energy to pump water from a river, lake, or stream.[1] The purpose of this apparatus is to “provide a low-cost, low-technology pump having particular utility in irrigation systems employed in underdeveloped arid regions of the earth…[using] the basic principles of the Stirling heat engine“.[1]
Meijer
[edit]One design was patented by Roelf J. Meijer in 1987.[2] His invention combines a heat engine, such as a Stirling cycle engine, with a solar dish collector to produce electricity.[2] This apparatus consists of a large dish that concentrates solar energy to a focal point at the center of the dish. The concentrated solar energy drives a Stirling cycle engine,[2] which operates by letting heat flow from a hot source to a cold sink to do work.[3] The work output of the Stirling cycle then drives a generator to create electric power. Moreover, for optimal heat collection, Meijer’s solar-powered engine requires that the dish always point directly at the sun so no shadows are in the solar dish collector. This presented issues because, for the apparatus to have a complete range of motion, lubrication and rotational systems are necessary, and may compromise structural stability.[2]
Sunvention
[edit]Around 2010, a company called Sunvention Solar Energy created a device similar to the NASA design that they say can pump 100,000 gallons per day, purely off of solar energy and the Stirling cycle, and costing only US$1,250. This apparatus, much like the others, used a large solar dish to collect heat from the sun to create a high temperature source, and also used low temperature water from a nearby stream as its low temperature source. This provided a great temperature range, which in turn provided more power. The apparatus pumped the water into nearby crop fields, providing a “low-cost, low-technology pump having particular utility in irrigation systems employed in underdeveloped arid regions of the earth.”
Comparison to Solar Panels
[edit]Solar-powered Stirling engines are in some situations more efficient in generating electrical energy than solar panels.[4] Thermal capacity and rotating mass result in less sudden changes in output power. Experiments show the possibility of higher efficiencies.[5]
Solar-powered Stirling engines are less scalable than solar panels. They are also more complex than a solar-electric system.
Solar-powered Stirling engines can have a secondary heat source (e.g. Gas), allowing operation during night and when the sky is clouded.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b US 3972651, Fletcher, James C. & Kirsten, Charles C., "Solar-powered pump", published 1976-08-03
- ^ a b c d US 4707990, Meijer, Roelf J., "Solar-powered Stirling engine", published 1987-11-24, assigned to Stirling Thermal Motors Inc.
- ^ Moran, Michael (2011), Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics, Hoboken NJ, pp. 72–73
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Envirodish - Promes". Archived from the original on 2016-05-28.
- ^ "Stirlingmotor beflügelt Solarkraftwerke". 28 January 2010.
External links
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