Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Small marine diesel generator

[Ian Roxborough <irox@ix.netcom.com>]

I would imagine that it couldn't produce enough power for
propulsion.  I seem to recall that stirling engines need
over 200 degrees temperature difference to produce usable
power.  You can get a stirling engine which is powered
from the heat of your hand, but I doubt it would produce
enough power to go any where.

I would be interesting in any references you could provide
about using temperature gradients to drive a stirling
cycle engine.  So far the only one I've heard about was
really a glider, that would do half a cycle when it
was deep enough (cold enough), which would be used to
change the gliders displacement (making it lighter than
water), and another half cycle when it was near the
surface (when the water was warm again), this half
cycle changes the displacement again causing the glide to
be heavier than water and start sinking again.

Ian.


On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 08:05:06 -0700 (PDT)
Warren Greenway <opensourcesub@yahoo.com> wrote:

> You can actually make stirling cycle engines that run
> on temperature gradients in the water. This has
> actually
> been done, but requires deep water for the drop tube.
> 
> Warren.
> 
> --- Ian Roxborough <irox@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> > 
> > How about a stirling cycle engine as a power source?
> > A company is selling (rather pricey) stirling cycle
> > diesel generators to people who have nice quiet
> > sailboats
> > and don't want noisy internal combustion engines on
> > board.  It only generates 750W, but, I really want
> > one:
> > 
> >   http://www.whispertech.co.nz/
> > 
> > I would really want two or four maybe.  Although,
> > for the
> > cost I be would paying (the cheapest one I found was
> > $13600us)
> > I might be able to have a custom stirling engine
> > built.
> > 
> > Of course, I don't know how well sealed the burning
> > area
> > is, but it probably wouldn't be hard to put the
> > whole thing
> > in a sealed off container, with it's own exhaust
> > port and air
> > input to the out side world. Mainly for fumes that
> > it might
> > give off, but also if any explosive gas where
> > building up
> > in the hull, the flame would be sealed off from
> > them.
> > 
> > It seems that it is either a multi-fuel enginer
> > (similar 
> > to the multi-fuel coleman stoves maybe), or pretty
> > easy to
> > convert to different fuels (the great thing about an
> > external
> > combustion engines - they can burn anything).
> > 
> > Ian.
> 
> 
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