Explantion:
OK very crude first sketch let me try
to explain and you tell me if it sounds remotely workeable.
Like every other eco nut after the holy
grail of energy, I'm trying to brainstorm a low cost solar CHP
system. I'm of the opinion that passive solar is always going to win
on a BTU/$ collected and that if the metric of success in an engine
is $/kWhr over a lifetime that efficiency may not be as important as
ease of maintenance, and upfront capital cost.
That being said I'm proposing building
a low temperature differential stirling that runs on a hybrid passive
solar collector. The hybridization component is the mirror wings,
which under sunny conditions will increase temp and overall
efficiencies, however unlike a pure concentrative machine it'll still
OK on moderately cloudy days.
Since the differential pressures will
be low and heat transfer is an issue I am thinking that a large air
impermeable fabric accordion cylinder with a metal bottom could be
coupled to a hydraulic pump to operate as a free piston hydraulic
engine.
The dynamics of the engine could be
controlled through hydraulic actuated valves. When the working
piston is at the top of the stroke the inlet valve is opened, and the
two exhaust valves are closed and the pressurized air expands the
working piston downwards until either the stroke limit or lack of
forward progress is reached. The the inlet valve is then closed, the
two exhausts valves are opened and the LP resovoir in the hydraulic
pump pushes the cylinder back until either stroke limit is reached or
progress is stoped. Then the cycle begins again with the inlet valve
opening and exhaust valves closing.
The stroke length would be controlled
through regulating the low pressure resavoir and the high pressure
resovoir pressures.
Does this cycle seems possible and more
importantly remotely feasible?