Stirling Energy Systems Inc. - Solar Overview - Solar Parabolic Concentration and Sterling Engines

Stirling Energy Systems Inc. - Solar Overview - Solar Parabolic Concentration and Sterling Engines: "SOLAR OVERVIEW
Concentrating Solar Power is
'Fuel from the Sky'
In the past, the majority of solar generation was installed for remote-use application. For this application, photovoltaic ('PV') panels have been the best-suited technology. As utilities gain more involvement with solar generation however, solar thermal technologies, especially concentrating solar power ('CSP') is gaining more attention. CSP technologies use reflective materials such as mirrors to concentrate the sun's energy and convert it to electricity.
Right: A Depiction of a Dish Stirling System On Sun
CSP technologies are much more cost-effective and practical then PV for centralized plants. According to the Department of Energy, at least 7,000 MW of centralized renewable power plants will be built by the year 2020, and possibly much more.
In December of 2001, a peer review Panel for the Department of Energy�s CSP program concluded that 'with proper funding the DOE CSP program can play an important role in catalyzing further CSP technology advances, which will further improve CSP economies and market penetration. Ultimately, CSP technologies could contribute significantly to the U.S. supply of electricity from domestic resources. In the short term, CSP could make a difference for the U.S. by adding diversity and security to our energy supplies, particularly in the high-grade areas of the Southwest.' To view the complete CSP peer review, go to www.energylan.sandia.gov/sunlab/feature.htm."

*** MY COMMENTS ***
This is a VERY interesting company that is using a very efficient and innovative solar reengineering of an engine idea first presented by Stirling in 1816. Once again a full assessment of ancient technology can lead to new breakthroughs. "To not know what happened before you were born is to remain forever a child" - someone besides me.

But from the looks of it a Stirling engine can work on ANY source of HEAT (i.e. landfill gas) due to it's inherently external heat source design it can even use dirty sources such as fryer grease and turkey guts. But for Landfill (methane) Gas - Is it still more efficient to burn methane in a turbine turning a generator or burn the methane in a different exothermic (heating) reaction to drive this engine? Let's test with a side by side set up each set up gets 1000 lbs of propane as a control then 1000 lbs of methane then finallly 1000 lbs of raw compressed landfill gas to see the changes to the system in performance and tuning the systems will be gauged on their capacity to drive generators measured in Mega watt hours produced and toxicity of final products included into the calculation. Or can we just skip that and figure out a way to use the waste heat of the gas turbine generator to run a Stirling Engine or perhaps a series of Stirling engines in the exhaust system. The potential of Stirling engines to run off of GeoThermal Heat could be very exciting.