# 25-kW Solar dish/engine system



## Boris (Nov 18, 2010)

"Solar dish/engine systems convert the thermal energy in solar radiation to mechanical energy and then to electrical energy in much the same way that conventional power plants convert thermal energy from combustion of a fossil fuel to electricity. Dish/engine systems use a mirror array to reflect and concentrate incoming direct normal insolation to a receiver, in order to achieve the temperatures required to efficiently convert heat to work. This requires that the dish track the sun in two axes. The concentrated solar radiation is absorbed by the receiver and transferred to an engine.

Dish/engine systems are characterized by high efficiency, modularity, autonomous operation, and an inherent hybrid capability (the ability to operate on either solar energy or a fossil fuel, or both). Of all solar technologies, dish/engine systems have demonstrated the highest solar-to-electric conversion efficiency. The modularity of dish/engine systems allows them to be deployed individually for remote applications, or grouped together for small-grid (village power) or end-of-line utility applications. Dish/engine systems can also be hybridized with a fossil fuel to provide dispatchable power. This technology is in the engineering development stage and technical challenges remain concerning the solar components and the commercial availability of a solarizable engine...

*Concentrators*
Dish/engine systems utilize concentrating solar collectors that track the sun in two axes. A reflective surface, metalized glass or plastic, reflects incident solar radiation to a small region called the focus. The size of the solar concentrator for dish/engine systems is determined by the engine.
* At a nominal maximum direct normal solar insolation of 1000 W/m2, a 25-kW dish/engine system&#8217;s concentrator has a diameter of approximately 10 meters.*

Concentrators use a reflective surface of aluminum or silver, deposited on glass or plastic. ... Depending on the thickness and iron content, silvered solar mirrors have solar reflectance values in the range of 90 to 94%.









Dish/engine system schematic. The combination of four 25 kW units shown here is representative of a village power application. Source: Sandia Labs..."
More details are posted here: Solar dish/engine system | The Energy Library


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Things like this are great......until you get around to "where can I buy one".......then they never seem to make it to a shelf somewhere.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Years ago at an energy fair work shop this guy was really touting a "fuel cel".....
Finally I raised my hand and said "I've $5000 in my pocket" "Where can I buy one??"
He totally stopped for a minute . . pause . . .pause . . . . . pause . . . then he said "You can't buy one"............
The rest of the workshop went down hill . . .

These things are nice . . . . . .But still mainly lab stuff...........


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Jim-mi said:


> The rest of the workshop went down hill . . .



ahahahahaaaaa........I'll bet it did !


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## defenestrate (Aug 23, 2005)

Stirling engines certainly have the potential to make for useful generators, but most of the ones I've seen, even fairly impressive setups, have had little more than hobby-use output. You'd probably get more use at this time with a combo genset/photovoltaic cells/battery bank at the price you'd be looking at to build this. I intend to get a Stirling setup one day, but I haven't been able to find one that will really create the kind of power that is typically spoken of potentially generating.


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## Boris (Nov 18, 2010)

In 2011 the "SES had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and was going into liquidation."
Solar Shakeout Continues: Stirling Energy Systems Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy | Renewable Energy News Article

More solar projects are posted here: Energy Saving Now! 










I already started my project similar to this (see below), but on a small scale.









Boris Romanov
http://www.beebehavior.com/solar_supplemental_heating_system.php


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