Our Experience

For approximately 7 years we have been conducting research at the laboratories of the DICheP, Department of Engineering Chemistry and Processes, in the Engineering Department of the University of, Genoa, with the objective of the realisation of a range of Stirling Engines with a power rating of from 1 Kw to 7 Kw, destined for use in residential units or small operational concerns.

With the last model conceived the first significant results have been achieved through the realisation of fully operational prototypes with the following features:

Simplicity of construction: the engine may be completely disassembled and reassembled with a simple Allen key in less than two hours by anyone who has basic mechanical aptitude and know-how.

Versatility: the engines may be used with either a gas burner or with a biomass furnace (pellets, wood, chip). Tests have been conducted with gas burners, pellet furnaces, wood fired stoves, and inverse flame furnaces without the need of making any modifications to the heat exchanger.

There is no need for lubrication or for dynamic gaskets subject to wear.

Air is the working gas, instead of helium or hydrogen, so as to enable use in even the most isolated areas.

Strength and reliability: all materials have been selected and tested so as to be able to operate under the most harsh conditions, particularly on the hot side, which is normally subject to oxidation and corrosion as well as fatigue (an engine that runs at 600 rpm has 10 pulsations per second with a peak of several tens of bar in pressure at a temperature of 700 to 800 °C or more.

Tests conducted on these prototypes showed the continuous and regular production of electrical power at approximately 250 W (DC), using a permanent magnet motor as generator with the single cylinder model; whilst with the two-cylinder model under equal conditions it produced 800 W.

The engine begins to work at 500° C and operates normally at 750° C (temperature maintained during the test). The engine may in any case operate without problems at higher temperatures (up to 1000° C) thanks to the Inconel and AISI 310 stainless steel used in its manufacture: the higher the temperature the higher the power output.

The engines have been tested at an overpressure of 50 bar with nitrogen.
Genoastirling is implementing, based on the results obtained, a prototype that puts out 3 Kw.
Relative to four of the main innovations on the engine we have applied for patents.
Over the course of 2011 we foresee the realisation of a prototype able to generate 5 Kw still to be used in cogeneration applications.