skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: On the role of external combustion engines for on-site power generation

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6413864

Stationary external combustion engines are prime movers that have potential for becoming viable power generation machines in both the residential/commercial and industrial sectors. These large engines are being developed with the capability to employ alternative and/or non-scarce fuels. Energy sources under consideration include coal, coal derived liquids and gases, low-grade petroleum residues, biomass, and municipal wastes. Advantages of external combustion engines relative to conventional prime movers are: greater fuel efficiency, reduced environmental impacts (noise and emissions), and a high degree of fuel flexibility. External combustion engines include steam turbines, Stirling cycle engines, and externally-fired Brayton gas turbines. Among the various applications for external combustion engines are: total energy plants, ICES, industrial cogeneration, small municipal generating plants, and pumping stations. It is not necessary for all the heat supplied an external combustion engine to come from a single source. Various non-coal sources that can be used either independently or integrated with others to supply heat to external combustion engines include solar energy, municipal wastes, biomass, and geothermal. Stirling engine based systems are described. The development of the Stirling engine is briefly discussed. (MCW)

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31-109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
6413864
Report Number(s):
CONF-790107-4
Resource Relation:
Conference: 3. national conference and exhibition on technology for energy conservation, Tucson, AZ, USA, 22 Jan 1979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English