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Is there a reason? It's curious to me that you don't see many Stirling engines. Is there a big downside to them?

by api 2y ago

PaulHoule 2y ago
There is this https://www.stirlingengine.com/why-not-popular/ https://www.stirlingengine.com/why-not-popular/ I've heard that the manufacturing tolerances are tough. One problem is that people systematically publish optimistic cost estimates for new technologies and that these don't get updated. I still see papers that cut-and-paste cost estimates for various technologies from 1970s papers and don't even bother to adjust for inflation. You can certainly couple a Stirling engine to a parabolic dish https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar-powered_Stirling_engine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar-powered_Stirling_engine but it just isn't cost effective with PV when you consider the cost of the engine, the cost of the dish, etc. And think of all the moving parts to maintain! A big solar thermal plant looks ready to shut down https://www.greenprophet.com/2025/02/ivanpah-fails-value/ https://www.greenprophet.com/2025/02/ivanpah-fails-value/ not just because the capital costs were high but because the operating costs are high. It's hard for anything to compete with PV because the operating costs are low (you clean them once in a while) and the capital cost keeps dropping because it is so fiercely competitive -- something that happens rarely (hydrofracking for hydrocarbons was another example)
- naasking 2y ago
  Ivanpah failed because of the maintenance costs of the motors moving the reflectors, not the heat engine. Those motors are not really a factor in the kind of setup comparable to this article. Stirling engines actually require considerably less maintenance than combustion engines, and the maintenance is simpler because the engines are simpler. Manufacturing tolerances are only relevant if you want to maximize efficiency for competition at commercial scale power production, which is not this case.

Is there a reason? It's curious to me that you don't see many Stirling engines. Is there a big downside to them?

by api 2y ago

Is there a reason? It's curious to me that you don't see many Stirling engines. Is there a big downside to them?

There is this https://www.stirlingengine.com/why-not-popular/ https://www.stirlingengine.com/why-not-popular/ I've heard that the manufacturing tolerances are tough. One problem is that people systematically publish optimistic cost estimates for new technologies and that these don't get updated. I still see papers that cut-and-paste cost estimates for various technologies from 1970s papers and don't even bother to adjust for inflation. You can certainly couple a Stirling engine to a parabolic dish https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar-powered_Stirling_engine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar-powered_Stirling_engine but it just isn't cost effective with PV when you consider the cost of the engine, the cost of the dish, etc. And think of all the moving parts to maintain! A big solar thermal plant looks ready to shut down https://www.greenprophet.com/2025/02/ivanpah-fails-value/ https://www.greenprophet.com/2025/02/ivanpah-fails-value/ not just because the capital costs were high but because the operating costs are high. It's hard for anything to compete with PV because the operating costs are low (you clean them once in a while) and the capital cost keeps dropping because it is so fiercely competitive -- something that happens rarely (hydrofracking for hydrocarbons was another example)

naasking 2y ago
Ivanpah failed because of the maintenance costs of the motors moving the reflectors, not the heat engine. Those motors are not really a factor in the kind of setup comparable to this article. Stirling engines actually require considerably less maintenance than combustion engines, and the maintenance is simpler because the engines are simpler. Manufacturing tolerances are only relevant if you want to maximize efficiency for competition at commercial scale power production, which is not this case.