Low Temperature Differential Stirling

[greybeard]

I've just been given my first commission -re the solar/stirling - by my wife.
"Build something to recharge all our rechargeable cells for free. At least it will be a start."

So, I'd better make a start on the dish. It's going to be a simple 3' x 2' sheet of 1/16"ply cut and pulled into dish, a la Mercator projection for a globe, suitably modified. Spray adhesive and cooking foil for the reflector.
Sort of 1/3 scale model for proof of principle.

John

[peteach]

John
Don't waste your time. The sun comes up every morning. With it comes all the heat you could want. But you don't want heat, you want electricity. Heat is easy. People have been harvesting solar heat for forever, there is nothing new to learn about solar heat. You need to concentrate on converting that heat to electricity. That's the hard part. Build a convertor. Your real proof of concept would be getting some useful electric current from heat. Building a dish or trough is rewarding and fun, but you can get heat on your stove top! Build a converter, I'll tell you how to power it.
I was going to give you some tips on constructing solar collectors. But that would keep you from solving the real problem.
That's why I'm collecting just heat. I'd love electricity, but Stirlings and Tac's are not available parts at this time.
Build a converter!
I'll give all the heat you want!

Have fun,
Pete

[greybeard]

Hi Pete.
The concept I need to prove is that I can build something that works
I have already started to acquire the magnets etc aimed at a generator of some sort, starting, as we're here, with a stirling to convert the heat to movement.
However, I have another thread going on thermoacoustic stirlings which might be a more appropriate place to discuss that development.

I don't want to get away from Nick's original thread topic here.

What do you have in mind when you use the term "converter" ?
John

[peteach]

Hi John
Prove that you can make electricity from heat.!!!

Converter: I stole that term from NASA, to refer to the gen-set, or the engine / generator combo that will CONVERT the heat energy source to electricity.

Thirteen pages later, I've lost the thread!
But I don't remember seeing anything about low temp stirlings either.
Should we take this somewhere else?

Pete

[greybeard]

Hi Pete.
I started this thread ......

From Stirling engines to thermoacoustic generators

.....where I'm hoping to move towards high temp stirlings, so perhaps we should continue there.
Regards
John

[Khalid]

I am really curious if some one make it DIY producing upto 400watt??