Stirling Engines for Gas Fired Micro-Cogen and Cooling

Authors

  • Neill W. Lane Se nior Proj ect Engineer Sun potcer, Inc. Ath ens, Ohio
  • William T. Beale President Sun potcer, Inc. Ath ens, Ohio

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13052/dgaej2156-3306.1215

Abstract

This article describes the design and performance of free-
piston Stirling engine-alternators particularly suited for use
as natural gas fired micro-cogen and cooling devices. Stirling
based cogen systems offer significant potential advantages
over internal combustion engines in efficiency, life, noise and
emissions.
The ability of Stirling machines to maintain higher effi-
ciencies at lower power levels than internal combustion en-
gines significantly expands the potential market for micro-
cogen. System cost reduction and electric prices higher than
the U.S . national average will have a far greater effect on com-
mercial success than any further increase in Stirling engine
efficiency. There exist niche markets where Stirling based
cogen systems are competitive.
Machines of this design are being considered for produc-
tion in the near future as gas-fired units for combined heat
and power in sufficiently large quantities to assure competi-
tive prices for the final unit.

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Author Biographies

Neill W. Lane, Se nior Proj ect Engineer Sun potcer, Inc. Ath ens, Ohio

Neill W. Lan e, Seni or Pr oject Engineer at Sun pow er , Inc. , Ath-
ens , OH , was educated at th e Uni versity of Witwat ersr and in
Joh ann e sburg , South Africa , receiving his bachelor of science in me-
chanical engi nee ring in 1982 . He had additional graduat e w ork from
1983 to 1987 while also t eaching courses in th erm odyn amics and
design . He works on th e design , testing, and analy sis of free-pi ston
Stirling engine/alt ern ators. He is the author of 13 publications; hi s
inv ention s are the subject of 2 pat ent s or pendin g applicat ions.

William T. Beale, President Sun potcer, Inc. Ath ens, Ohio

William T. Beale, Pr esid ent , Sunpower, Inc ., wa s educate d at
Wa shington State University (BS, ME , 1950 ) and th e C alifornia Insti -
tute of Technology (MS ME, 1953 ), with additional graduat e work at
Dartmouth , MIT, and Cambridg e Univ ersiti es. His ea r ly engi nee r ing
care er was spent at Convair (Sa n Diego), NASA Lewis Rese arch Cen-
t er (Cleveland ), Boston Univ er sity, and Ohio Univer sit y (At hens). In
1974 , he founded Sun power, Inc ., to develop his inv enti ons rel at ed to
the free-piston Stirling machines, a nd to promote comm erci aliz ati on
of thi s t echn ology . He se rves as CEO a nd Technical Dir ect or of
Sun pow er , an R&D firm with 38 employees . He is th e a uthor of nu -
m er ous publications; his inv enti ons a re th e subje ct of 24 pat ent s and
seve r al p ending applications .

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Published

1997-01-19

How to Cite

Lane, N. W. ., & Beale, W. T. . (1997). Stirling Engines for Gas Fired Micro-Cogen and Cooling. Distributed Generation &Amp; Alternative Energy Journal, 12(1), 62–78. https://doi.org/10.13052/dgaej2156-3306.1215

Issue

1997: Vol 12 Iss 1

Section

Articles