2011 International Conference on Recent Advancements in Electrical, Electronics and Control Engineering

Solar Powered Stirling Engine for Self-Generating Electricity

R.Aishwarya, K.DhivyaBharathi
Dept. of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Sri SaiRam Engineering College, Chennai, India Email: aishusaran10@gmail.com, dhivykrish@gmail.com

Abstract- In the energy deficient world, it is strongly felt that the use of solar energy as a possible source is not being fully utilised. So in an attempt to deploy its use, a novel concept of solar powered stirling engine is introduced in this paper. At present there are no solar powered Stirling engines ready for use in many countries. The Stirling engine used here runs using solar power from computer controlled solar beam concentrator. Stirling engine is unique in its sense that it uses only two pistons for its operation to produce motoring action unlike the conventional motors. A Stirling engine is basically a heat engine that operates by cyclic compression and expansion of air or other gas, the working fluid, at different temperature levels such that there is a net conversion of heat energy to mechanical work. This solar powered Stirling engine is coupled with a generator to produce power. The generator is usually a linear alternator which helps in reducing the number of moving parts and linkages that are required in a conventional generator arrangement. Moreover, the gas bearings provide a non-contact frictionless surface for the piston, thus eliminating the need of maintenance. Provision for storage of solar heat using salt storage system is implemented to make use during its absence. The Stirling engine is noted for its high efficiency (up to 40%), quiet operation, and the ease with which it can use almost any heat source. It has the ability to utilize effectively any burnable fuel, such as wood, rice husk, straw, agricultural waste and other readily available and cheap combustibles. This compatibility with alternative and renewable energy sources has become increasingly significant as the price of conventional fuel rise. This method of power production has no pollution, no noise. Incredibly, the absorber in the concentrator is very small (10 x 10) but has the ability of providing 10kW per hour. This is proven to be the most efficient way to convert solar energy to electric power. It is twice efficient and five times costeffective than the conventional method using Photo voltaic cells. This engine is currently exciting interest as it is more efficient and safer than a comparable steam engine. Stirling engines are also being looked by NASA for the use in space exploration. Keywords-cyclic compression and expansion, linear alternator, solar beam concentrators, stirling cooler, stirling engine.

power ourselves without depending on our government. We can even sell the excess of electricity if one is connected to grid. Let us see how to self-generate electricity easily by making use of solar powered stirling generators in this paper. First of all, we need to be aware of the major resource for the power production & how long will it last? The answer to this question is of course the black diamond, coal. But the present scenario is that the availability of coal content will last hardly for another 155 years. Also other resources like diesel, nuclear power seems to be costly. So, we need to find an alternative fuel[10] for power production. While thinking about this, we must keep in mind that the resources should also be renewable. The everlasting resource which is at the reach of everyone is our CLEAN and GREEN SOLAR POWER[2][5].This way of generation ensures to be Eco-friendly too. The convenience of this engine is that it can be operated at any time, day or night, rain or shine by making use of the salt storage concept[13].This is going to be the heat source for the Stirling motor. This motor doesnt have parts like STATOR or ROTOR[4] but it has just a piston, cylinder & a displacer(as shown in fig.1)which produces the motoring action[1][7], which will be coupled with an alternator to produce power. The suns energy is focussed using Solar Beam Concentrator. One Solar Beam Concentrator[6]can produce peak 10 kW/hour if we focus an average of 8 hours of sun per day, you would achieve 80 kW power generation in a day. Thus, this new way of power generation with air or other gas as working fluid[3] is really going to change the world[12].

I. INTRODUCTION God said, LET THERE BE LIGHT & there was light but the Electricity Board said He would have to wait until thursday to be connected is the present situation of our country. Probably the above lines would have made you people to get an idea of what the paper is about.Its nothing else than a solution for increasing demand of power. One of the ways of meeting this power demand is by producing

Fig.1 Stirling motor and its parts

II. WORKING PRINCIPLE The working of this generator can be analysed from: A.MOTORING ACTION B.POWER GENERATION

978-1-4577-2149-6/11/$26.00 2011 IEEE

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2011 International Conference on Recent Advancements in Electrical, Electronics and Control Engineering

A. Motoring Action due to Stirling Cycle The Stirling engine was invented by Robert Stirling, a Scottish minister in 1816. At that time, Stirling engines were recognized as a safe engine that could not explode like steam engines of that era often did. As the output of a Stirling engine is mechanical, it can be considered as a Stirling motor. The Stirling engine is a heat engine that operates by cyclic compression and expansion of air or other gas as the working fluid, at the different temperature levels such that there is a net conversion of heat energy into mechanical work. The gases used inside a Stirling engine never leave the engine. There are no exhaust valves that vent high-pressure gases, as in a gasoline or diesel engine, and there are no explosions taking place. Because of this, Stirling engines are very quiet. The Stirling cycle uses an external heat source, which could be anything from gasoline to solar energy to the heat produced by decaying plants. No combustion takes place inside the cylinders of the engine. The Stirling engine uses the concept of Stirling cycle. The cycle of generic stirling engine is as follows:

Isothermal Compression-The compression space and associated heat exchanger are maintained at a constant low temperature so the gas undergoes near-isothermal compression rejecting heat to the cold sink. Constant Volume (known as isovolumetric or isochoric) heataddition-The gas passes back through the regenerator where it recovers much of the heat transferred in isovolumetric heat removal, heating up on its way to the expansion space. While considering the practical cycle, we can explain this engine working in the following manner: 1) Process 1:Most of the working gas is in contact with the hot cylinder walls, it has been heated and expansion has pushed the cold piston to the bottom of its travel in the cylinder(refer fig 2.2).The expansion continues in the cold cylinder, which is 90 behind the hot piston in its cycle, extracting more work from the hot gas. RED CYLINDER-HOT END(H) BLUE CYLINDER-COLD END(C)

Fig.2.2 Gas at end H expanding isothermally by absorbing heat from the source Fig.2.1 Stirling cycle resulting in motoring action

With reference to fig.2,Air at the bottom of cylinder (E) is heated, thus expanding and forcing the piston (A)(which has about a 25-micrometer clearance in the cylinder)upward. At this time the displacer (B) is driven downward to the bottom of the cylinder. Since the displacer is of the smaller diameter than the cylinder, the hot air rushes around the displacer to the cool end of the engine (F). Once in the top of the cylinder, the hot air begins to contract, sucking the piston downward. Now, the displacer moves upward, forcing all the cool air from the top end of the cylinder to the bottom end. Here the air is heated and the cycle begins again. The idealized Stirling engine has four thermodynamic processes acting on the working fluid: Isothermal Expansion-The expansion-space and associated heat exchanger are maintained at a constant high temperature, and the gas undergoes near-isothermal expansion absorbing heat from the hot source. Constant Volume (known as isovolumetric or isochoric) heatremoval-The gas is passed through the regenerator, where it cools transferring heat to the regenerator for use in the next cycle.

2) Process 2:The gas is now at its maximum volume. The hot cylinder piston begins to move most of the gas into the cold cylinder(refer fig 2.3), where it cools and the pressure drops.

Fig.2.3 Gas moving from H to C at constant volume

3) Process 3:Almost all the gas is now in the cold cylinder and cooling continues(refer fig 2.4). The cold piston, powered by flywheel momentum (or other piston pairs on the same shaft) compresses the remaining part of the gas.

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product integrity in both hot and cold conditions. The reflective petals are made of a high quality reflective material with a high resistance to corrosion. The reflective petals will not deteriorate from salt spray or acid rain when installed in regions prone to these conditions. 2.Solar Collector The solar absorber is made of solid aluminum block to maximize the thermal transfer to the poly-glycol fluid.
Fig.2.4 Isothermal compression of the gas from C to H

3.Power Train The power mechanism for the solar concentrator is driven by a motor for horizontal tracking and a heavy-duty actuator is used for vertical tracking. 4.Tracking System SolarBeams celestial tracking system allows the concentrator to follow the sun during all times and seasons with 100% accuracy. The solar concentrator does not require additional sensors to track the sun. As seasons change, the distance from the earth to the sun also changes. The solar concentrator automatically adjusts each day to maintain alignment with the sun. 5.Wind Load The solar concentrators supporting structure, including the foundation, is designed to withstand up to 170km per hour wind load. 6.Safety The system goes into safety mode when there is no sun available for harvesting. This safety feature places the solar concentrator in a horizontal position to protect it from damage from wind or vandalism.

4) Process 4:The gas reaches its minimum volume, and it will now expand in the hot cylinder(refer fig 2.5) where it will be heated once more, driving the hot piston in its power stroke.

Fig.2.5 Gas expanding isochorically in H

Thus this cycle repeats to produce rotary motion at the output thereby producing mechanical energy. A. Power Generation using Solar Energy Solar power is used for the generation of electricity from sunlight. This can be direct as with photovoltaics (PV), or indirect as with concentrating solar power (CSP), where the sun's energy is focused to heat the air in the displacer which runs the motor and then coupled to a generator to produce power. The generator is usually a linear alternator which helps in reducing the number of moving parts and linkages that are required in a conventional generator arrangement. Moreover, the gas bearings provide a non-contact frictionless surface for the piston, thus eliminating the need of maintenance. Solar Beam Concentrator 1.Concentrator The solar beam concentrator is designed to take advantage of the parabolic curve performance of a reflector which is the most efficient means of collecting solar energy. By utilizing the parabolic curve, the SolarBeam concentrator focuses the suns intensity onto the focal point, where the absorber is located. Incredibly, the absorber is very small (10 x 10) but has the ability of providing 10kW per hour (31,140 BTUs) It is designed to handle extreme weather conditions (refer fig 2.6). High quality components & materials are used to ensure

Fig.2.6 Solar Beam Concentrator showing its parts

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7.Mounting Structure With practicality in mind, the mounting structure was designed so that the SolarBeam will not affect people or animals near the collector; nor will people or animals interfere with its operation. When the SolarBeam is mounted on the ground, its mounting post will be 8 feet from the ground post and the reflective dish is 15 feet wide (4.5 m). The mounting of SolarBeam on the roof is a perfect option for apartment buildings, hotels, offices, grocery stores and retail stores which will not affect the daily operation of the facility. Solarbeam Concentrator vs. The Competition SolarBeam tracks the sun continuously no matter the time or the season. This provides 100% direct perpendicular sun collection throughout the entire day, maximizing efficiency. SolarBeams solar collector is smaller than those of other systems and so the heat loss is much lower due to the decreased surface area.The sizes of SolarBeams collector (10 x 10) when compared to that of an evacuated tube design (110 ft2). Though SolarBeams size is smaller,this efficient design collects 10kW or 31,140 BTUs per hour. Passive mounting systems miss much of the suns energy each day, even in their most optimal conditions. Stationary collectors only harvest at peak efficiencies during a short time in the day. If the sun is obscured by clouds during those short couple of hours, the days peak collection has been missed. Thats harvestable energy savings gone forever. SolarBeam uses a patent pending tracking system that follows the sun, so it is always in peak-efficiency position. SolarBeam does not suffer from stagnated heat conditions as flat panel and evacuated tube systems do. Flat panels and evacuated tubes are, by their very nature, susceptible to heat stagnation. This occurs when the heat collected cannot be extracted from the collectors because the application has all the

heat it requires. The tubes and panels cannot move out of the sun and as a result continue to collect energy, which can be damaging and dangerous. The SolarBeam automatically turns the collector away from the sun until more energy is required, at that time it realigns to collect more energy. III.STIRLING GENERATORS STORING ENERGY BY MOLTEN SALTS Solar energy is not available at night, making energy storage an important issue in order to provide the continuous availability of energy. Solar power is intermittent energy source, meaning that all available output must be taken when it is available and either stored for when it can be used, or transported, over transmission lines, to where it can be used. This method of energy storage, allows us to store enough heat in a 68 m storage tank to provide full output of 10 MWe for about 40 minutes, with an efficiency of about 99%(refer fig. 2.7).Salts (potassium nitrate) are an effective storage medium because they are low-cost, non-toxic, have a high specific heat capacity and can deliver heat at temperatures compatible with conventional power systems, have the potential to eliminate the intermittency of solar power, by storing spare solar power in the form of heat and using this heat overnight or during periods when solar power is not available to produce electricity. This technology has the potential to make solar power dispatchable, as the heat source can be used to generate electricity at will. This has proven to be the backbone for modern renewable electricity grids. U.S, MiddleEast and North Africa have invested in the solar thermal storage power sector which is five times greater than the total Australias the coal-fired electricity capacity. Spain has 15,550MW of solar thermal plants.Solar power installations are normally supplemented by storage or another energy source, for example with wind power and hydropower.

Fig. 2.7 Flow diagram for the storage of solar power using molten salt

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IV.

ENERGY PAYBACK TIME AND ENERGY RETURNED ON

ENERGY INVESTED

The energy payback time of a power generating system is the time required to generate as much energy as was consumed during production of the system. The payback period for the Stirling engines is between 2-3 years which assumes an 8,000 hours per year of operation. Due to the SolarBeams superior design, its cost is lower and its efficiency is higher. That gives SolarBeam a shorter payback period than flat panel and evacuated tube systems. It starts putting money back in your pockets as soon as it starts working, and will pay for itself in about 6 years. Thats much better than the 15-20 year payback of other systems. It is the most economical way to lessen your demand for power from the grid. Another economic measure, closely related to the energy payback time, is the energy returned on energy invested (EROEI) or energy return on investment (EROI) which is the ratio of electricity generated divided by the energy required to build and maintain the equipment. The Stirling engines have a 10% return on investment. V. POWER COSTS AND EFFICIENCY Developing a 1 megawatt low temperature Stirling engine to convert excess process heat and steam energy at industrial plants into electricity has an efficiency of 13% for steam and 20% for industrial heat, with the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) costs projected at 0.296/Kw.The concentrated solar power is five times cost-efficient than photovoltaic (PV) and its efficiency being twice that of PV. Due to SolarBeams innovative design, it requires 98-262% less space than conventional solar flat plate panels or solar evacuated tube panels. VI.FUTURE OF STIRLING ENGINES A study done by Greenpeace International, the European Solar Thermal Electricity Association, and the International Energy Agency's Solar PACES group investigated the potential and future of concentrated solar power. The study found that concentrated solar power could account for up to 25% of the world's energy needs by 2050(as per Table-I). Also, with this expansion of concentrated solar power, thousands of new jobs would be created and millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide would be prevented from being released.
TABLE I SCOPE FOR SOLAR ENERGY IN FUTURE

Time 2015 2050

Investment per year(in 1410 billion 11686 billion

Capacity 420 megawatts 1500 gigawatts

VII. ADVANTAGES A. The high efficiency It is function of the temperatures of the hot and cold sources. As it is possible to make it work in cogeneration (mechanical and caloric powers), the overall efficiency can be very high. B. Multitude of sources

The combustion of various gases, wood, sawdust, waste heat from industrial processes ensures that any heat source can be used. C. Non-Polluting The ecological aptitude to respond to the environmental requirements on air pollution. D. Easy start They start easily (after warm up) and run more efficiently in cold weather, in contrast to the internal combustion which starts quickly in warm weather, but not in cold weather. E. Silence of operation There is no expansion in the atmosphere like in the case of an internal combustion engine; combustion is continuous outside of the cylinders thereby eliminating noise. F. Combustion It is easier to achieve a complete combustion in this type of engine. G. Reliability and easy maintenance The technological simplicity makes it possible to have engines with a very great reliability and requiring little maintenance. It can be operated by even untrained persons. H. Lifetime An important lifetime because of its rusticity The very diverse uses because of its autonomy and adaptability to the need (from mW to MW). I. Simplicity The engine mechanisms are in some ways simpler than other reciprocating engine types. No valves are needed, and the burner system can be relatively simple. Crude Stirling engines can be made using common household materials. J. Low risks A Stirling engine uses a single-phase working fluid which maintains an internal pressure close to the design pressure, and thus for a properly designed system the risk of explosion is low. In comparison, a steam engine uses a two-phase gas/liquid working fluid, so a faulty release valve can cause an explosion. K. Less weight In some cases, low operating pressure allows the use of lightweight cylinders. With the post and the reflective petals, the SolarBeam weighs approximately 700 pounds. L. Configuration: A Stirling engine used for pumping water can be configured so that the water cools the compression space. This is most effective when pumping cold water. M. Duality Waste heat is easily harvested (compared to waste heat from an internal combustion engine) making Stirling engines useful for dual-output heat and power systems. N. Easy balance The engine is easy to balance and generates few vibrations. Thus, because of characteristics such as simple arrangement, fewer parts, zero maintenance and absolutely environmentally friendly, the Stirling engines are sure to be the best solar energy tapping devices ever built.

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VIII. THE CURRENT AND PAST APPLICATIONS OF STIRLING

ENGINES

At the moment, Stirling engine is unknown to the public. It is seldom used. However, one can quote, in a nonexhaustive way, the following scopes of application: A. Research and university world Stirling engine is the subject of theoretical studies and practical works in order to better know it, to improve its output and to increase its competitiveness facing other energy sources. These works enable the modelization of this engine, i.e. to put in equations the heat transfers, the flows of the fluids, to simulate certain configurations without having to build an engine. When one studies something at school or university, this promotes its introduction in everyday life. No doubt that will happen for the Stirling engine. B. Military uses Stirling engines can be used for auxiliary electrical production in order to provide the vital functions in the event of unavailability of the main source. Its silence of operation is a major asset in this application. Some military ships also use this technology for corvettes or boats for mine detection or acoustic monitoring. C. Spatial domain Some satellites get energy through a Stirling engine. The efficiency is particularly high considering the great differences in temperature. D. Solar applications Remember, that when we are able to track the sun continuously, we will be focusing the suns intensity 100% of the time.Its efficiency increases significantly compared to stand-alone evacuated tube technology or photo-voltaic panels.The SolarBeam stands out as the first ever solar concentrator to produce up to 3.5kW of electricity from a single system on the concentrator surface that is 10x10. E. Research and oceanographical exploitation SAGA(Submarine Assistance Great Autonomy), used two Stirling engines for a campaign since it has only a very minimal number of moving parts and they won't wear out very fast. Long lasting and silent is why the Navy uses them in subs. F. Cryognic domain The reversibility of the Stirling engine is used in order to produce cold in an industrial way. Its efficiency is then excellent. We provide mechanical energy to the engine. In fact, we transfer calories from the cold source the hot source, like in a domestic refrigerator. This mode of operation is so efficient that we use this type of installation to liquefy certain gas. G. Domestic uses Small installations were developed in order to function in cogeneration: electricity supply and dwelling heating. One chooses fuel (oil, wood, wood pellets) to make electricity and to heat a house. During certain periods, it is possible to sell excess electricity if one is connected to the grid. If the area where one lives has 7 hours of sunshine a day, the SolarBeam will produce 10kW of solar energy per hour . 7 hours of sunshine a day x 365 days, that amounts to 70 kW per day of free energy.

H. Heating & cooling purposes The waste heat can be used to heat your water or keep your house warm in the winter. To keep you cool in the summer the Stirling engine could drive an optional Stirling cooler (which is basically a Stirling engine running in reverse) uses the environmentally friendly "refrigerant" Helium and not Freon.The Stirling regenerators, where the working gas is cooled inside the engine, are expected to provide 2.7 million Btu of hot water per hour. I. Leisures Some fans have made beautiful small-scale models which are moved by a Stirling engine. Even the Stirling engines can be operated by the warmth of ones hand. We can even reduce household fuel bills up to 30% if we make use of waste heat at houses. IX. CONCLUSION This invention could really change the world because the current method of delivering electricity is extremely insufficient. A new power plant will typically burn natural gas, but there are a lot of losses between the power station and your house. It would be much more efficient to generate the power at your house by making use of renewable sources.Thus we can be generating power on our own and atleast compensate our additional needs thereby sharing the power with our neighbours and leaving way for the future generations to make use of the resources because ENERGY SAVED IS ENERGY PRODUCED. Finally, a big thank you to Robert Stirling for making us know this concept of Stirling engines and further making us to analyse on an eco-friendly power production and it can be said that Stirling engine is a "extra green, extra quiet, extraordinary." REFERENCES
[1]W.T. Beale (1971). "Stirling Cycle Type Thermal Device", US patent 3552120. Granted to Research Corp, 5 January 1971. [2]"The Philips Stirling Engine" by C. M. Hargreaves (Hardcover - Oct 1, 1991) [3]S. Backhaus; G. Swift (2003). "Acoustic Stirling Heat Engine: More Efficient than Other No-Moving-Parts Heat Engines". [4]S.D. Allan (2005). "World's Largest Solar Installation to use Stirling Engine Technology". Pure Energy Systems News. [5]H.W. Brandhorst; J.A. Rodiek (2005). "A 25 kW Solar Stirling Concept for Lunar Surface Exploration". in International Astronautics Federation (PDF). Procedings of the 56th International Astronautical Co. [6]J. A. Riofrio, K. Al-Dakkan, M. E. Hofacker, E. J. Barth. "Control-based Design of Free-Piston Stirling Engines,"Proceedings of the 2008 American Control Conference (ACC), pp. 1533-1538, June 11-13, 2008. Seattle, WA.

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