What is the feasibility of running a car with a Stirling engine?

Question

Certainly, someone must have tried this. How did it work out?

Answer 1

Stirling engines have already been used in cars. I remember reading in a book on efficient energy usage of a 100 hp car driven by a stirling engine. This book was from the late 1970's and had a nice photograph of the car. There were some difficulties with the technology though.

Check out this thread:
http://www.stirlingengine.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=00000D&topic_id=Power-producing%20Stirling%20engines&topic=

Currently it would seem the best possibility for stirling engines in a car would be as a hybrid. Stirling engines need to warm up first and are best suited to steady running. Maybe one could run a generator in an electric car and store the excess energy in a bank of batteries....

Answer 2

That's a bloody good question, and one which I've googled a lot. Stirling engines are very efficient and, being external-combustion, like steam engines, they're very environmentally-friendly. You can burn rubbish like agricultural waste, that isn't much use for any other purpose, and you can burn it very efficiently in plenty of air, so you don't get much pollution like particle emissions, carbon monoxide, tar and nitrogen oxides. Only trouble is, Stirling engines are slow and you can't start them in a couple of seconds with the turn of a key. You have to give them time to warm up like a steam locomotive. That's the situation today. But I reckon that at the rate progress is being made, some time soon we'll see Stirling engine cars as part of the solution to the energy crisis.

Answer 3

As suggested until now the engine shouldn't in any respect be grew to become on whilst bleeding brakes. For capability advice you may ought to "turn the main" to accessory yet to no longer actual turn the engine. And in case you have the automobile jacked up for clearance to bleed the brakes consistently use jack stands! they're going to shop your existence in the journey that your lifting jack grow to be to ever slip. while unsure with vehicle artwork, play it secure!