If you’re looking for a Stirling engine generator, there are several models commercially available on the market. I’m going to list the main ones.
The ST-5 Engine, produced by Stirling Technology, Inc.
• Power Output — 3700 Watts (5 HP)
• Speed — 650 rpm
• Thermal efficiency — 10%
• Fuel — wood, wood pellets, husks and chaff, weeds and hay, cotton waste, other agro-products, and natural gas
• Cost — unknown, contact dealer
• Comments — waste heat can be utilized for crop drying, greenhouse heating, and home cogeneration
For additional information see http://www.stirling-tech.com
The PowerUnit, produced by Stirling Biopower
• Power Output — 43 kW (58 HP) at 60 Hz, 38 kW (51 HP) at 50 Hz
• Thermal efficiency — 27-28% electrical efficiency, and 75-80% when used in combined heat and power mode
• Fuel — biogas (methane, flare gas, synthetic gas, hydrogen, volatile organic compounds), biomass, liquid fuel, and hot air streams
• Cost — $1218/kW
(ref: http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/mpsc/electric/capacity/energyplan/alttech/Stirling%20engine%20characterizations.pdf)
For additional information see http://www.stirlingbiopower.com
WhisperGen on-grid/off-grid system, produced by WhisperGen Heat And Power System
• Power Output — 1000 Watts (1.3 HP) on-grid system, 800 Watts (1.1 HP) off-grid system
• Thermal efficiency — 15% electrical efficiency, and 90% when used in combined heat and power mode
• Fuel — diesel, kerosene, natural gas
• Cost — $5,000-10,000, an estimate
(ref: http://www.greenconsumerguide.com/powergenminisite/whispergenunit.htm)
For additional information see http://www.whispergen.com
Dear friend i am very interessseret in a big Stirling Generator for my company from 10 – 200 kW
Dear emil Poulsen
togheter with rob Litzouw i have made a Stirling engine of about
200 KW sadly it is broken during testing but we have a film of it working
and of course learnd a lot. We are able to make a stirling engine
in sise from 5-500kw. (3/6 cylinder type)however that will take some time and is very costly since we make them by hand exept for the screws
we will publish said film on youtube soon.Currently we are interested
in using the stirling cycle in producing liquid air.
robertstamm@gmail.com
Can you give us a price quote for 250KW+ Stirlings? Ideally we need 1MW+ engines and up if you can do these.
Regards, Tom Hudgens
Tom, I’m not aware of any commercially available Stirling generators with a power output of 250kW+ or 1MW+
However, the kind of power you’re asking for would be available with gas generators (which can run on either natural gas or other combustible gases, such as biogas).
Here’s a link to GE’s Jenbacher Gas Engines, if you want to know more:
http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/recip_engines/en/index.htm
Thanks for this rundown. I’m going to call around to see if a human being will tell me a price. I am looking for something like the ST-5, but I really only need about 1hp, got any ideas on the cost of such a thing? I’m going off-grid and use very little electricity as it is, less than 200wH/day. My sense is with one golf cart battery with accessories, a small stirling, and fuel from the woodlot or a fresnel lens, I’d be much better off than with PV — seeing as I’m dirt poor and in a cloudy-in-winter locale! I’d like to see if this is a good option for others like me — time and timber, but no money. Does anyone know of a ~1-5 hp internal combustion engine that could use natural gas for electricity generation?
The WhisperGen is the only 1 hp (give or take) Stirling generator I’ve seen. It costs a few thousand dollars. You might be able to use wood with it, as long as you combine it with a gasifier-burner unit, which converts biomass (which is wood in this case) to a combustible gas for use with the WhisperGen.
I think modifying an internal combustion engine (that normally runs on gasoline) to run on natural gas is not a big deal.
i have about 5 acres of woodland and i’m thinking about chopping down some wood and chipping it for a wood boiler for heating a swimming pool and house. in addition i thought it would be good to use the surplus heat to run a stirling engine and in turn produce electricty making me self sufficient. in the uk any surplus electricty can be sold to the grid. can anyone give me an idea of the cost of a stirling engine and generator to produce say 50kw? also i may try and buy 4 -10 acres of poorer land and plant trees in order to cover my carbon footprint. roy
Can the Whispergen be modified for solar?
Where does one go to buy it?
You should be able to buy the WhisperGen through http://www.whispergen.com, and ask for a dealer nearest you.
I don’t know that it can be easily modified for solar, as that would probably involve a different heater design; something that can receive incoming solar radiation in an efficient way. But I’m sure there is a way to do it, starting with a different heater design, probably similar to Stirling Energy Systems design (http://www.stirlingenergy.com)
For point of reference, I was quoted a price of $40,000 for the ST-5 unit from their supplier in Japan, which is the only source into the US. for roughly 3 kW output, this is rather pricy.
Infinity turbine organic rankine cycle units rated at 10 kW are billed at $20,000, although you need heat exchangers to heat a fluid.
for larger capacity systems, the Turboden units from Italy may offer some advantage…
Hello,
I am pleased to inform you that we can supply Solar Concentrator powered Stirling Engines system.
Please ref to info at http://www.solarfire.org
Regards
Madhav Chowdhary
SWEE Technologies
Pune (india)
Mobile: +91-9623557207
email: sweetechnologies@gmail.com
We have an operating Stirling engine at 2kW, intended for solar thermal and waste heat thermal inputs. We have hit 16.5% thermal to electrical conversion efficiency at 220C hot side temperature, 10C cold side. We are finalizing our 2.5kW unit design, and hope to have 10 pilot units beginning installation by early 2011.
Pricing is to be determined, based on the final 2.5kW design and contract manufacturer bids.
The website for Cool Energy, making the 2.5kW low-to-medium temperature Stirling engine is http://www.coolenergyinc.com …