Closed chamber Stirling engine generator.

[xingu]

Microgen has already developed a combined Stirling motor/generator. If I am correctly informed they can be installed in the central heating of your home using the waste heat of your central heating burner or be placed on the warm water tube spiral, to generate electricity up to a few kW a day. Now this might not be worldshocking, but at least it is a good start.
Also a dutch manufacturer of central heating systems is developing a similar device/system.
So it's not free energy, but could easily contribute to keep your energy bills low(er).

[Overwrought]

Hello Tinu & folks!

Please bear with me as I'm new to this forum discussion thing and I just happen to blindly find your site yesterday.
I'd like to thank all of you for your constructive & critical thoughts on the Dieter Stirling Engine.  This rotary style Stirling has been a work in progress for my father for many years.  Dad holds an earlier patent from the 70's on an internal combustion rotary which I believe fueled, (no pun intended) this concept.
I cannot tell you the number of highs and lows this animal has incited.  However, after breezing through some of ya'lls topics and issues at this site I think we're in good company.
Within the last few years Dad and I have attempted to do the following: contact, make contact and then be ignored, out right rejected, well received and let down, etc, etc. by "engineers" and "engineering / prototyping firms". On the other hand we've met some truly genuine and helpful people along the way.
For the good news.
We have engaged a firm and have a proof of concept prototype in production with an ETC of 45 days.  The primary objectives: hold compression on the seals and rotate thru the closed curve of constant width with minimal resistance introduced through the seals.  I know this will function.  I'm convinced it will run with any heat source, solar, geothermal, waste heat exhaust, etc.  The trick is to convert that heat to work as rapidly as possible as well as dissipate the heat on the "cold side" and cycle the process.
Anyone know a good thermodynamics guy?  Optimum material choices per component will be one of our next objectives.
Thanks again to all of you who've taken your time and commented on the merrits of my Dads invention.  Any of your thoughts, constructive, critically constructive or just plain 'ol critical would be appreciated.  I'll keep you posted if interested.

Overwrought aka David Dieter

[tinu]

Hi David,

It?s very nice to have you here! Hopefully you?ll come with good news on prototyping. I?ll be very interested in hearing about any advancement. Unfortunately corporate power and money are heavy players against good ideas. See Microgen above, which I have to find some time to dig upon.
Definitely I?m interested in keeping contact with you.

Welcome again,
Tinu

[magkor]

The Infinia solar stirling engine is essentially what you are trying to make. I know because I had the same idea and have a drawing I made. I then went on-line searching and discovered the idea already was in production. I have a couple variations, though, that I'd like someone to look at.

Cheers

[Groundloop]

Hi David,

Thank you for posting information here. I'm very intrested in your rotary engine. Please post
informations about your progress. The world need alternative ways of producing energy.

I have one idea to improve your engine. As I understand from your patent description the rotating
and sliding piston must be "air tight" to the cylinder. This will result in a lot of friction and wear
on the piston due to the small "foot print" of the piston to the cylinder at high rpms.

One way to counteract this wear and to keep the piston flush at the cylinder at all time is to use
"floating" spring loaded piston heads. The springs will press the piston material flush against the
cylinder at all time until the piston material is "used up". See my simple drawing.

Thanks again for posting here, I will be looking forward to see more information about your engine.

Regards,
Groundloop.