Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Small marine diesel generator

[David Buchner <buchner@wcta.net>]

On Monday, September 29, 2003, at 11:42 PM, Ian Roxborough 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:

I want TWO! Wow, this is definitely the Cool Thing Of The Day. Gee, who 
wants a crummy old fuel cell anymore?

>   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.

Or put yourself through school and build a shop to produce your own...

> 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.

Yeah, see -- that's where I start remembering to be nervous: As soon as 
we start mentioning "flame" and "inside the hull" in the same sentence. 
That's why I started thinking about something like a ruggedized 
outboard. Even if you have your flame in another, totally sealed off 
separate portion of the hull, it's still going to totally suck if it 
decides to blow up, burn out of control, etc.

I'm sure there are ways to do it safely, but it complicates things. I 
can see why most guys will still be sensible and just plug in a charger 
(and a big blower) when they get back to the dock/tender.