Stirling generator [RE-wrenches]

[Mick Abraham]

Jeff Wongstrom/ Sarah Anderson wrote about the WhisperGen Stirling 
engine cogeneration unit made in New Zealand.

Mick says: I've been fooling around with a WhisperGen in my 
la-bor-a-tree since about 2001. My sample runs on propane and is the 
battery charging version. I could field technical questions or 
curiosities that the Wrenchies may wish to post. I am still acquainted 
with key personnel at the NZ mfr and could serve as interface between 
the manufacturer and the solar electric industry in North America. Each 
machine must be charged after shipment with a high pressure nitrogen 
charge, so training for the installers is important and some special 
tools are required. I think these machines could never be sold on eBay, 
which is part of why I became interested.  

The manufacturer encountered a huge opportunity in building a natural 
gas fired unit for direct grid tie in England. That took their focus 
away from the DC machines and they also lost interest in a propane 
machine. This is most unfortunate, as the sample I have is reliable, 
smooth running, and well suited for battery support applications. Think 
of an 800 watt battery charger that runs on propane and never needs an 
oil change or any other routine service...

If enough of us were interested to pool up an order for 100 machines, 
the company might get interested in our niche...or maybe not. Their 
technology has attracted a lot of attention from various quarters and 
the American PV guys seem to be last on their list.   

The DC/battery charging machines are still being built, but for diesel 
fuel only and mainly for sale to the high end marine market. A few big 
deal marine distributors are selling those stateside. These diesel/DC 
machines have Coast Guard certification I think, but no UL listing and 
no other listing for a land based installation. The manufacturer is 
"risk averse", and they are reluctant to sell machines into a market for 
which the safety certifications are not totally dialed in.

The diesels had burner clogging problems in prior years which were 
non-issues in the propane version because propane burns so much cleaner 
than diesel. I don't know if the diesel machines have been changed to 
address that problem or not, but fuel quality and freshness remains a 
big concern. Since all my off grid clients already have a propane fuel 
infrastructure on their property, and since the diesels had a bit of a 
scary track record with burner clogging, I was mainly interested in the 
propane version, but very few of those remain in captivity. I thought if 
a bunch of us could get certified to do the presurization and 
commissioning on the DC off-grid machines, we could also shift over and 
begin installing the grid tied version once those certifications were 
complete and a unit was ready for the American landscape. Sigh...

Mick Abraham, Proprietor
www.abrahamsolar.com


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