A Qnergy Stirling-based power generator reached 20,000 hours (more than two continuous years) of uninterrupted, maintenance-free operation, about five times longer than conventional generators. The generator is installed in the IJ & Jeanné Wagner Jewish Community Center in Salt Lake City, Utah (JCC). It uses Qnergy’s proprietary Free-Piston Stirling technology, the same fundamental technology that was recently recognized by NASA as the “the longest running heat engine ever built.” (https://www.qnergy.com/stirlingnasa)
Qnergy Generator 20K: A Qnergy Free Piston Stirling engine
“It is symbolic that our generator reached the 20,000-hour mark exactly on Earth Day,” said Ory Zik, Qnergy’s CEO. “It reflects our commitment to help customers mitigate their GHG emissions, in addition to reducing operating costs.” He added, “We have built hundreds of additional units that have the same design principles and the same superior reliability.”
“The generator has been providing both power and heat to our facility for more than two years,” said Andrea Alcabes, executive director at JCC. “We are proud to be among the first users of the system and the first to reach the 20,000 hours mark,” she added.
Utah-based Qnergy provides reliable remote power in the 1-10 kilowatt range. The company helps oil and gas companies improve operational efficiency, decrease cost and reduce emissions. Qnergy’s Stirling engine technology can use any heat source. The typical fuels are natural gas, propane and biogas. The Stirling design is an enclosed system which requires no lubrication, maintenance or repair, leading to tens of thousands of hours of uninterrupted operation. Qnergy’s success is rooted in coupling innovative mechanical design with advances in software and power electronics.
For more information on Qnergy, see its whitepaper: https://www.qnergy.com/whitepaper.
Related Files
Free-Piston-Stirling-4.2019-VII.pdf
SOURCE Qnergy
Background on Stirling Engines:
- Automotive Stirling Engine, Noel P. Nightinagale
- Automotive-Stirling-Engine
- 5 kWE Free Piston Stirling Engine Convertor, Peter A. Chapman, et al
Source: Mechanical Engineering
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