Stirling engines running on biogas

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  • GrahamK
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Re: Biogas

Dear Joram,

Your message was quite a surprise! I have tried to get NGOs to try making biogas but most fail. One or two have succeeded including one in Zimbabwe, see attachment.

I've looked at your website and found nothing relevant. Where did you get Stirling engines from?

Graham K BioDesign
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  • mazingira
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Re: Stirling engines running on biogas

Hello Graham,
Here in Kenya ,iam using Bio gas to run Engines and generate electricity.The gas can run CHAFF CUTTERS for cutting fodder. We have installed several and they are working alright.
We would like to learn more about bio gas generators and possible funding opportunities to help us upscale our work to enable poor rural households access bio gas generated power.
Regards,
Joram Mathenge
Executive Director
Kiangure Springs Environment Initiative
www.kseikenya.org

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Re: Stirling engines running on biogas

Since the recent discussion about Stirling engines running on biogas I have discovered there is an alternative - small IC generators.

Most biogas IC IC generators are of high power but the Stirling engines I've come across are around 1 kw and there are now Chinese-made biogas generators of even lower power.

I've been gathering information from around the world on biogas generators in the field and will forward it to anyone interested.

What I need are leads as to how low power projects can be funded so that the more remote poor can benefit from the present enthusiasm for renewable electricity.
I'm open to any suggestions!

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Re: Stirling engines running on biogas

You can follow the UK discussion at:

www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&item=59...il&ut=3QFOmpL2PYr6o1

You will see that I am urging them to consider getting funding so a small unit can be developed for use in rural Africa.
There are a number of schemes (both EU & USA) where funding will be available for electricity projects.
So far as I know there is no way yet proposed of producing a few watts after dark - except for the Biogas Socket
Graham Knight

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  • AquaVerde
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Re: Stirling engines running on biogas

Hallo Graham,

I am and others interested too. ;-)
www.modernpowersystems.com/features/feat...crogen-failed-1.html
Wall-hung cogen plants: can Ecogen succeed where Microgen failed?

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Detlef
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Re: Stirling engines running on biogas

Hi Thomas,

I have just come across this discussion having been in contact with a biogas-stirling project in London.
There they are trying to develop a small digester to use food waste and supply a Stirling engine -
Ecogen CHP with microgen Stirling engine.

I am trying to persuade them to develop this via funding now available for Africa projects.
More if you are interested

Graham K
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  • sjoerdnienhuys
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Re: Stirling engines running on biogas

Thanks for all the info, I am working on it.
Sjoerd from The Netherlands.
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Re: Stirling engines running on biogas

Our visit of Danish Stirling 35 kWel. at AD-AS-wwtp in Sachsen, East-Germany on 25.03.14 with Mr. Hoffmann (BORDA) and others.
after 4 years running, first revision of stirling:
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Re: Stirling engines running on biogas

stirling on a German wwtp since 2010
7 pages article in German language, in DWA's new KA 1/2014
Teil 1
summary in English

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Re: Stirling engines running on biogas

Sjoerd: "Zuhausekraftwerk" und 'SchwarmStrom'
www.lichtblick.de/microsites/zhkw/index_en.php

...remote start-stop activity and monitoring by the power stations...


since 1986 Eckhart Weber working on stirlings
www.hans-dampf.ch/index2.php?inc=energie
former sunmachine (old.stirlingmaschine.de/deutsch/presse_7.html)
now superengine.de/e-index.html
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  • JKMakowka
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Re: Stirling engines running on biogas

30% is a realistically possible carnot cycle efficiency of an internal combustion engine and not too far from the theoretical maximum of something like 40-45% if I recall correctly (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnot_cycle).

If you don't have a use for the heat (and the electricity is not being subsidized by a "renewable resource" feed in tarif like in Germany) it might make sense to invest in a gas purifier and sell the gas directly.

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Re: Stirling engines running on biogas

@AquaVerde, Thanks for the links. It seems that the BHKW engines produce about 30% electric power and 60% heat, while the 10% is energy loss due to conversion. I am interested in designs that mainly convert the enery in electricity. Maybe some waste heat can be used for heating up the biogas reactor for accelerated fermentation. The remote start-stop activity and monitoring by the powerstations is probably easyer to develop.
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