This could be game changing…
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Nice pictures and words. But I’m cautious. Unless the four “cylinders” are cross-coupled in some way that isn’t shown, I can’t figure out how the engine works. At the end of the video, they say it produces “native DC.” Again, I can’t see how a reciprocating generator can produce DC. It’s great if it works, but I think I’ll not be investing in it.
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I am 100% with you. Must see it in production doing the work for a couple of years and get real world data. Hype cost nothing, real world tested results important enough that before I put money on the table must see tested proven results.
Very good to be cautious on new tech.
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Its actually nice…
AND…
Can be used with woodgas… 
There have been many linear / opposing piston idea’s out there.
This one is just based on a linear generator with both sides having a Sterling setup.
Parts are 3D printed.
No doubt , it will work, but, not convinced about the efficiency , yet
The max theoretical efficiency of a sterling motor would be 67% ( see the links in next posts)
Dang, now i want to build something alike…
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Interesting link to that OpenPPG discussion that you put up KVL.
Reading the back and forth exchanges what strikes me is the scattered use-of-purpose for the different engines explored and proposed.
USEAGE needs and constraints makes a huge difference!! As it should.
It is like following the late 1940’s thru 1950’s fascination and hundreds of thousand of hours spent on trying to make either a saucer shape; or flying wing advance from just a ooh-wow trick flyer to something actually useable.
Actually read and study the internal combustion developmental history books and what should gob-smack a fellow is how from a fuel/air power is made by the combination of the internal volume of actual direct combustion gases AND the rapid heat expansion of all of the intake’d non-combustable gases.
Then a matter of harness-farm that quick made TP to a repetitive movement work-capable energy power; cycle out; reset, and repeat, repeat, repeat.
I find the decade after decade and generation after generation endless chasing of a new-energy god to be pretty futile for actually living out in the real world. The real world has a mind of its own. You don’t self-important impose your will onto the real world. You reach out and snag, grab a piece of its actions and be satisfied with the exchange.
Spit; With the winds.
Steve unruh
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Hi Kent,
For what its worth, here the link to their website.
Some nice info there.
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Probably NOT mechanically coupled. Native DC might be a little deceptive, though I think not deliberately so.
There are either 4 or 8 separate engines here. I wasn’t able to walk around the thing to see. And each of them is producing AC, which naturally has to be rectified because it is at much lower frequency than 50-60Hz. This rectified power is what they are calling Native DC. Using the AC that each of the 4 or 8 engines produces as control signals the engines can easily be timed in much the same way two AC generators synchronize themselves when ganged in parallel.
Rindert
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I am not doubting the efficiency claims as much because they reduced the friction of the cylinders. And they are saying it is 60% efficient, but by the time they are done fidgeting around to get useful energy and measuring all the energy IO, it drops to around 50% efficiency, which is realistic.
I want one. but I have a feeling they are super expensive. I am interested in their software, and 3d printing tech. I want one of those 3d printers. 
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“The difference between spit and drool is just a matter of motovation” 
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Here is a picture I set up on a sweat-break from filling in potholes in the common-lane driveway:
Now the stories behind the pictures.
Close in shore dory-man subsistence fishing had been done for millennia’s by oar and then a combination of arm-strong oar and wind sail. Never bucking the tides. Having to flow and use the tides. The early 20 Century local made IC engines changed that. Castings made by existing stove manufacturers. Engine plans from magazines. Metals machining done on existing railroads equipments.
US; east, Great Lakes, south-Gulf and Canadian these engines were simple single cylinder 2-strokes. Close to the Pennsylvania and Ohio petroleum’s. US west coast went to more complex 4-strokes. Gasoline was more expensive out here.
These were dry-cell battery ignition; with the spark generated at replaceable formed nickel metal spark points.
The then, must buy-out’s added to fishing costs were the cans “tins” of gasoline; the dry cell batteries. Cans of lube oils.
Of course steam engines were the established, and developed thing at that time. But solo with maybe a son fishing was done crew light. No-space; no-time for a boiler-fireman. Steam down to that level would have been too heavy and too expensive.
So the PURPOSE needs, drove the development.
Now C. Lyle Cummins 1976 “Internal Fire” book of his father Clessie Lyle Cummins later 20th century; round cylinders; poppet valves IC engine development histories goes deep into the thermal dynamics for real put into production working IC engines. The why’s things evolved to what we now know are experiences tried in that book. Always their emphasis was on thousands of hours practical working lives. With the fuel use economies as a primary factor to the engines users.
Ohh-Wow, was never a Cummins family trait.
Now the third book pictured is a 1970 Motor’s publication “Auto Engines and Electrical Systems” book.
The page 237 photoed picture is inside a 12 page Wankel engine informational presentation. Yeah, yeah, they even touch on expected advancements improvements in thermal efficiency and fuel use economy.
The picture they set up to show the advantages of the RC (Rotary Combustion) is less parts to have to make up. Less size. Less weight.
Nothing said about the coming within 5 years exhaust emissions mandates. A real world factor.
The grossly larger surface HC’s making combustion surfaces could never be effectively overcome. Having to have a must lose oiling system another emissions factor. Last productions of these by Mazda use huge, expensive, after combustion catalytic converters. Converters needing just like the current diesel Blue-Tech systems more fuel to heat and convert clean, the exhausts. Simple is lost. Size and weight advantages are lost.
To me the picture show the real thermaldynamic handicap in the single rotor edges compression seals.
The IC V-8 engine pictured has three rings per easy made round hole piston. Add more compression for a higher efficiency? Add one/two more rings. The “more parts” were already in well proven, large scale production.
Even this book was a forced prevention for an unrealizable set of better-ways. The next chapter on traction power gas turbines. At least it does acknowledge that the best-at-time gas turbine would use 2X, 3X the fuel of the best at that time diesel engine.
Sure. Want the best helicopter engine . . . use a gas turbine. Much less vibration work stressing your airframe. Not good the tail extension breaking off.
NASA did not go with a Stirling power plant due to the micro-vibrations. Testing showed that would shake the cameras and long distance bi-directional antenna’s. Fuel cell was the best for their purpose.
For all of us actual personal power users stationary on homestead putting an IC engines rejected out heats to useable work is the ticket for best overall fuel use efficiency.
Engine heats dry some wood fuel. Heat domestic water. Dry fruits, vegetables, even meats.
Don’t solve the worlds problems. Solve yours.
Steve unruh
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Hi Rindert,
I believe they have a DC system, as you can study in following link, they might use a DC excited system.
each single generator have a “head” on each side, mechanically connected thru the linear magnetic rod.
So it generates a DC voltage pulse, the frequency depending on the wiring structure and the sterling heatexchane speed.
It is fun anyways, and good for those who like to produce woodgas, coz it will run with it as well
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An “external” combustion engine will never achieve the efficiency of an “internal” combustion engine, no matter how hard the experts try,…
Large two-stroke diesel engines achieve efficiencies of over 60%,…
This type of combustion chamber has proven to be the most efficient and is now used by most engine manufacturers, Giorgio confirms this with his Paquali, which he converted to gas from charcoal, I believe it achieves over 40% efficiency.
This type of combustion chamber was very efficient, but it did not achieve clean combustion on diesel fuel, but I think it would work wonderfully on wood gas.
When man invented the wheel, life on Earth changed.
https://www.sloveniaincolours.com/5200-kolo/
The rectilinear motion of the magnetic field near the induction coil and the circular motion of the magnetic field, … here again there is no physical basis for choosing a generator with rectilinear motion.
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There was no mention of William Beale or SunPower Inc., but the whole thing looks very much the same.
Rindert
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I see DC excitation, and permanent magnet also, but I didn’t see anything about DC output. Maybe I missed it.
Beale’s engine is free piston, and “free” displacer. At resonance, they oscillate about 90 degrees out of phase (if my memory is working), which is what you need for a Stirling-type engine. That phase difference for piston and displacer, or multiple pistons, is what I don’t see in the original engine. You have to heat the air, and push the piston, cool the air and pull the piston. Maybe I’m just missing the plumbing. Maybe it’s partly electrical phasing of the stator coils. Whatever it is, it’s just out of my reach, mentally.
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I think, they said it in the video.
Beale died in 2016 and the sunpower sterling is owned by ametek now. They mainly sell portable crytocoolers for lab samples like -80C. For people that pick up samples from the doctors offices to transport to the lab type of thing.
For the motor part, it is just like a regular DC motor. It is just unrolled like you cut a can and flatten it out.
For the hot/cold they have separate heat circuits for that, and while my excuse is I wasn’t glued to the video watching it, I didn’t quite understand the cooling circuit either.
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Fellows. Think about it.
The original steam engines were actually “atmospheric” engines. The working movement was from cooling/condensing what was hot steam filled expanded chamber.
So the maximum energy force possible was only the weight of atmospheric pressure.
Nice: because the pressures were low. The recreated model I saw at the Smithsonian had its cylinder made of steel banded wooden staves.
Bad: because to get any reasonable working power it had to be a very large surface area and volume of movement. That means slow recycling speed.
Bad: because all of these factors means terrible fuel use economy.
That soon changed to a cast iron bored cylinder being fed higher pressure steam for the power movement. The spent steam not just allowed anymore to residual pressure be exhausted; but engine-power forced out, for a cycle reset. Much faster; repeat, repeat, repeat. Power pulses per minute giving the ability to downsize scale the whole engine.
At least in a lost-water steam set-up the working parts can be left at a constant high working temperature.
Stirling and any other reusing; recycling, working expansion gas systems MUST be working parts and working gas cooled, to have a useable hot-to-cold differential sides to create the movement. And the hot side jacked up to materials life shortening levels. Delta T bites down hard.
Both systems are only powered by an externally made heating source.
The transfer of that heat and/or a heated working gas (working steam is a gas) will have heat energy losses that an all enclosed Internal Combustion engine simply will not have.
Tone’s illustrated example of the best so far evolved, IC combustion pocket within the head of the working movable piston. Puts the heat for expansion pressure away from heat robbing cylinder walls; valve faces and the inner cylinder head. That focused made heat then able to be better used on the intake’d in non-combustable gasses of nitrogen, CO2 and argon. Them heat energy expanded as also working power gases.
Now add in the hydrocarbon fuel molecules with atmospheric air combusted converted to to gases and those Will increase in volume versus the original fuel and atmospheric oxygen. And with combustion heating these increase in volume-pressure too versus their ambient temperature volumes. Move harder/faster you damn piston!
An Internal Combustion piston engine works by all enclosed made Temperatures and Pressures
No externally heated engine system relying on just pressure can beat it for fuel use economy.
Fuel used for useable power made is the game. Actual useable work the reward.
Ask Honda power. Ask any of the real in production engine makers across the world.
The use any fuel dreams are just that . . . fantasies. You cannot live; or run a world on fantasies and fancies.
A piston IC engine although not capable of fueling on any combustable HC fuel, gets pretty damn close. Powdered coal dust to pure hydrogen. Charcoal gas, and wood gases in the sweet spot between these extremes. The powdered coal dust extremely dirty abrasive/wearing using. The pre-made and purified hydrogen extremely expensive to make, and store.
S.U.
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For the coils and iron, that’s workable. It’s the commutator on a DC motor that lets it produce DC as a generator. That’s the hard part, especially in a sealed, long-life application.
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Right. And the dude that invented and installed the first ones was named Tomas Newcomen. He actually kicked off this whole engine thingy.
Rindert
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