> Err... Where exactly are the large, heavy, fixed, long lasting 
> striling
> engines that are useful for alternative energy applications? 'Cause 
> I don't
> see those either. Is it that they are so huge that they cost a ton 
> and never
> recoup their initial investment despite running for years and years?

A problem is that nit many people have the glint in their eyes, the 
fire in their bellie *AND* the money in their pockets to buy an 
efficient and planet saving but large, heavy and low power density 
Stirling (not Sterling) engine when there are many many nastier 
alternatives. I suggest you ask all the people on their electric 
commuter car-cycles (of the sort that you lust after) who zip past you 
as you sit in traffic queues where to buy the stirlings. The answer 
is, of course, the same place that they bought their (non existent) 
car-cycles from. ie if you are a fanatic greenie alternate energyiser 
and a century or so ahead of uour time and if your home  heat energy 
comes from the Methane digester in your backyard, fuelled from your 
families excrement and that of  your chickens and pigs, then you may 
be willing to buy a car-cycle at the ridiculous prices they cost 
nowadays. And a Stirling energy converter as well. The problem is, 
without the volume you don't get the product and without the product 
you don't get the volume.

> I challenge ANYONE to show me a sterling engine ANYWHERE in ANY 
> application
> that has EVER recouped what it cost.

As an example of something that "should" have been commercial gargoyle 
the Rice Husk Stirling. This was good enough that ex Sunpower stirling 
(AFAIR) empolees actually spin it off and sought to commercialise it. 
The problem was, even third world farmers didn't care enough to use 
rice husks as an energy source. When you can run a nice little double 
flying horse brand diesel to run your water pump, who wants to use 
rice husks.

I'm surprised that someone as starry eyed in the eco sphgere as James 
doesn't see that the Stirling is another car-cycle metaphor.

Just to spoil the picture there are people selling small and veruy 
very very expensive stirling cycle devices to the military. Very niche 
market.

An the Whispergen is going to spoil your day sometime soon, or that's 
what the imvestors hop who are still putting big bucks into its 
development. At present it fits our model BUT the orders they have 
look set to spoil it. Forward sorders are AFAIR around 100,000 and 
cost is thousands of dollars each ($4000?) AND the buyers intend 
making a profit from them. Will that meet your challengs when/if it 
happens?

And, I'll show you my idea working when I get it working :-)
I'm not at all "starry eyed" about it - just think that a fairly basic 
design with a certain magical variation on what's usually done should 
be commercially viable. I hope it may interest Whispergen :-)




        Russell


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