[Caoimhan]

Their site sounds like they're fishing for investors. When they have an order page, and I can buy a 10 kW unit for a reasonable price ($10-20 K), THEN I'll get excited.

[Curmudgicus]

I didn't know you were looking for a product to purchase right now. Infinia supplies stirling engines for high tech apps from deep-space satellite powering systems to stand-alone remote power sources for the military. They are not a selling a hypothetical piece of gear - they've been around awhile.

They have two partners abroad that make home electricity generation units. Rinnai corp of Japan and ENATEC of Holland use stirling engines for microcogeneration plants for the home. The ENATEC product is widespread in Holland. They aren't distributed here yet, but then neither are Toyota or Mazda high efficiency turbo-diesel automobiles.

[Googolplex]

For a 1MW system these equations solve as follows:
RE = 40 - 10 * 0.04 = 39.6%
OCGT = 35 - 15 * 0.74 = 23.9%

Ah, of course. I was thinking of the well-to-wheels efficiency numbers Ive seen posted here in the past, which is somthing like 11% I think. My bad.

It doesn't really matter though. If the recipricating engine is more efficient, then great! Put one of those in instead. The important point is that the engine is sized and designed only to generate electricity, so that it can run at maximum efficiency at all times, resulting in the absolute maximum milage.

[Aedo]

Check out infiniacorp.com. They make stirling engines, which are extremely high efficiency external combustion engines.

Thanks for the link - but I'm looking for MW, not kW, size equipment that is currently available (I used 'Small' in to differentiate from the GW size turbines used in central power stations).

[savethehumans]

From a current story posted here at Peakoil.com:

Wind Turbine is designed for low-wind areas.

Rated at 1.5 megawatt, 1.5xle model features LM 40 rotor blade with 82.5 m rotor diameter that is suited for class III or weaker wind applications. Extreme cold-weather package provides for nominal operation at temperatures as low as -30°C and in survival mode without operation at temperatures as low as -40°C. Available tower heights are 58.7, 80, and 100 m, and tallest version is also available in solid steel form with no concrete foundation.

If this is anywhere close to true, this is an encouraging piece of news--if enough of them can be made in time to provide power to post-peak communities.

I hope it's close to true...we all need some encouraging news from time to time! These days, I seem to be lurk-living over at the Depression board....

[Dezakin]

Why depressed? Nuclear obviously works on large scales and theres enough fuel demonstrably for millions of years.

[aflatoxin]

I do a lot of work on industrial engines.

Typical fuel consumption rates for a recip are between 7500 and 9000 BTU/bhp-hr.

Simple cycle small turbines are about 9500-11,000 BTU/bhp-hr, and worse, depending on load.

Turbines are air cooled. THis results in a lot of 1000 degree F air being blown out into the sky.

The reason the oil industry likes them is because of maintenance costs, Electric equipment is starting to make inroads where electrical power is available, especially with gas priced like it currently is.

Recips are better at varying loads. Turbines are best in rural areas running 100% load, 100% of the time.

Turbines are also good if a device called a HRSG is used to generate steam with waste heat. In this (combined cycle) process, a turbine can really get amazing efficiencies, Even better if a duct burner is used to burn up the waste O2 in the turbine exhaust prior to the HRSG.

If you want to buy a turbine, better look to the used market. New ones cost big bucks. I think a new Saturn 10 (1300 horsepower) costs about $100,000. A new Mars compressor (15000 horsepower) is about 5 mil.

Allied Signal (Honeywell) tried to develop a small (35 kW) turbine, and abandoned the effort after it failed for many reasons. Reliability, fuel consumption, cost and air emissions were amongst the reasons.

NOx emissions from these little turbines was over 15 g-bhp-hr. That is a lot worse than most uncontrolled, high compression rich-burn engines. Most industrial engines are 2 grams or less.

I would like a Allison 501 oil-fired turbine to shoehorn into a Pantera. A 5000 horsepower car would be a lot of fun.

[Aedo]

aflatoxin,

Thanks for all that useful info.

I would like a Allison 501 oil-fired turbine to shoehorn into a Pantera. A 5000 horsepower car would be a lot of fun.

Mmmm - all that torque!