Dan-Q
09-22-2002, 05:03 PM
From "Whispergen Sterling Cycle DC Generator " topic
You guys are right,
Robert sterling registered his first patent in 1816 ... it was the Sterling Cycle engine.
The very first kitchen fans were Sterlings. Hot air engines go back as far as 1699. Way before gas and electric
motors. Sterlings were in tight competetion with steam for quite a while. Steam beeing more dangerous people
turned to Sterlings for safety and reliability. Sterling Engine water pumps often ran for 15 to 25 years with minimum
maintenance. Common problems were the hot-point end of the engine that was a simple casting and was unable to
withstand the heat for so long. Too bad! because the Sterling engine took a fall in the early 1900s basically due to
the arrival of gas combustion engine and the electric motor ... and ironically ... stainless steel ! which would have
been an excellent metal for the hot end.
From the mid 30s up until post www 2 years, the Phillips Corp. did an awful lot of R&D on the Sterling. They droped
the Weight/HP and Size/HP ratios down by something like 50 fold. They built V4 engines developing 100 HP.
In the late 50s early 60s, GM Corp dumped M$$$ into R&D and developed a 150HP V6 Sterling Cycle computer
drawn and matched car engine. A week or so before the official test runs and before the engine was dropped into a
body, higher management put a TIGHT lid on the whole project.
American Motors, GE and NASA are others that took serious interest in the Sterling! ... and now ... nothing! ...
dead! No more Sterling! WHY? Because it does not CONSUME enough fuel and it does'nt break! What would
happen to the world if we sundenly reduced fuel consumption and broken parts by 50% !!
Whispergen makers claim a lifespan of 50,000 hours minimum on their generator before a major overhaul!! That's
running the engine non stop, 24 hrs a day for 6 years!! You clean the burner every 2,000 hours!!
Go here to see a Sterling Cycle motor running off the heat from a cup of coffee.
http://jlnlabs.ifrance.com/jlnlabs/html/stirling.htm
Have a nice day!
You guys are right,
Robert sterling registered his first patent in 1816 ... it was the Sterling Cycle engine.
The very first kitchen fans were Sterlings. Hot air engines go back as far as 1699. Way before gas and electric
motors. Sterlings were in tight competetion with steam for quite a while. Steam beeing more dangerous people
turned to Sterlings for safety and reliability. Sterling Engine water pumps often ran for 15 to 25 years with minimum
maintenance. Common problems were the hot-point end of the engine that was a simple casting and was unable to
withstand the heat for so long. Too bad! because the Sterling engine took a fall in the early 1900s basically due to
the arrival of gas combustion engine and the electric motor ... and ironically ... stainless steel ! which would have
been an excellent metal for the hot end.
From the mid 30s up until post www 2 years, the Phillips Corp. did an awful lot of R&D on the Sterling. They droped
the Weight/HP and Size/HP ratios down by something like 50 fold. They built V4 engines developing 100 HP.
In the late 50s early 60s, GM Corp dumped M$$$ into R&D and developed a 150HP V6 Sterling Cycle computer
drawn and matched car engine. A week or so before the official test runs and before the engine was dropped into a
body, higher management put a TIGHT lid on the whole project.
American Motors, GE and NASA are others that took serious interest in the Sterling! ... and now ... nothing! ...
dead! No more Sterling! WHY? Because it does not CONSUME enough fuel and it does'nt break! What would
happen to the world if we sundenly reduced fuel consumption and broken parts by 50% !!
Whispergen makers claim a lifespan of 50,000 hours minimum on their generator before a major overhaul!! That's
running the engine non stop, 24 hrs a day for 6 years!! You clean the burner every 2,000 hours!!
Go here to see a Sterling Cycle motor running off the heat from a cup of coffee.
http://jlnlabs.ifrance.com/jlnlabs/html/stirling.htm
Have a nice day!