Kamen's Stirling motor

This Stirling engine, developed by Dean Kamen^W, uses any heat source to produce electricity. This is probably done by either a dynamo or alternator fixed to the drive shaft, converting the mechanical to electrical power. It is about the size of a washing machine and produces 1 kW. At first glance, it looks like a regular Alpha-type stirling engine.

Use in microfinancing arrangements

Iqbal Quadir, the founder of Grameen Phone^W, conducted a six-month field trial, ending in September 2005. "This is a reliable machine," he says.

Kamen’s goal is to produce machines that cost $1,000 to $2,000 each. Under the Grameen model, they would be owned by entrepreneurs (funded by microcredit from the Grameen Bank^W). Quadir sees this as a better model than a single large power plant, in that it creates many entrepreneurs.

Uses

Water purification

Kamen thinks the waste heat of this device could be used to operate his other invention, the Slingshot water purifier.

Other Kamen Stirling engines

A different ? Stirling used by Kamen is used for transport, ie for the DEKA ReVolt. See here

Questions

• What is the latest news on the technology and the use of it with the Grameen model?^{[Suggested project]}

(Google News for Kamen + Stirling - http://news.google.com/news?q=kamen+stirling )

• How clean is the exhaust gas?^{[Suggested project]}
• How cost effective is it?^{[Suggested project]}
• How efficiently does it use the fuel?^{[Suggested project]}

External links

• The Next Net: Dean Kamen's Newest Slingshot
• Schematic of the engine
• Kamen's Stirling engine used for the Slingshot water purifier

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