re: concentrator questions & clarifications SOLAR.KnowledgePublications.com

re: concentrator questions & clarifications
24 apr 1997
>nick pine wrote:
 
>> aerospace engineer rudy behrens (aurora farms, 1547 n trooper road,
>> norristown, pa 19403/(610) 489-6356) says making a small steam engine
>> is a piece of cake, very old technology involving about a half-hour of
>> calculations on the back of an envelope. start with a briggs and stratton
>> 5 hp gasoline engine, add oil to 150 psi steam, modify the timing to get
>> 30-40% efficiency, watch out for explosions, $250 or so... who needs pvs?

>you must be joking!

not at all.

>ever compute how long such an engine would last? 

no. i'd guess 10 years, at least. i'm no expert. talk with rudy, if you like.

>what its efficiency is?

rudy says "30-40%." trust him. he's an engineer. 

>it is not "simple" at all. 

sure is. rudy says he has all the parts to make one of these, cheap.

>just try to find a commercial external combustion engine off-the-shelf.
>they just don't exist.

firstly, rudy suggests it's easy making a gasoline engine into a steam engine.
he does not suggest buying a steam engine. but if you wanted to do that, you 
might buy jade mountain's commercial off-the-shelf $2900 5 hp steam engine.
 
>no, heat engines are a great idea, but they need lots of work.  do you
>see an equivalent number of papers of people working on heat engines as
>you do on pv?

no. steam engines are over a hundred years old.

>what would motivate anyone?  

3 kw for $500...

nick