Development and testing of Stirling engine for wood chips
Develop and demonstrate a simple combustion system to the DTU developed Stirling engine, and solve known issues with seals and automatic lubrication, and through months of continuous operation demonstrate stable and trouble-free operation. Further, to develop and test a single-cylinder Stirling engine with an electric power output of 10 kW.
In a Stirling engine the fuel is combusted in an external combustion chamber, in contrast to the combustion in an internal combustion engine where the fuel is combusted inside the cylinder.
The company Stirling DK was spun out of DTU in 2006, but was unsuccessful. Although their gasifier-engine systems had a satisfactory performance, the plants were too complicated and unreliable. The result was that the company went into bankruptcy in the spring of 2013.
While the gasifier-engine systems were not successful, the Stirling engine itself is. However, the service costs are too high and must be reduced to optimise the operational economy. Hence, this project represents a “back to basics” approach to commercializing the Stirling engine.
Rekas longstanding success is due to solid business acumen, reliable and dependable products and a significant insight into the market. Reka sees a big market opportunity, if:
- A Stirling engine can demonstrate 8,000 hours of full load operation (there has been only 2,200 so far)
- The bearings and their lubrication improved
- Piston seals improved
- Combustion chamber and interface to the engine is redesigned.
Key figures
Participants
| Partner | Subsidy | Auto financing |
|---|---|---|
| Maskinfabrikken REKA | 3,16 mio. DKK | 3,16 mio. DKK |
| 1st Mile ApS | 1,05 mio. DKK | 0,70 mio. DKK |
| Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU) | 1,54 mio. DKK | 0,39 mio. DKK |