Details – 

 Jeff Sterling, the inventor.

 The Sterling cycle, is a modification of the Rankine thermodynamic cycle. It makes ice, and electricity, from very low-grade thermal sources, like solar collectors, geothermal wells, hot springs, food processing plants, industrial waste heat, and a world of thermal sources. Preppers can appreciate its post-apocalyptic practicality.

 When

 From 1997 to 2012, a small group of investors funded R&D for a prototype to demonstrate this long-sought technology. In 2012, their prototype produced 1 ton of refrigeration, and generated electricity. After 2012, when they could not find funding to continue, work stopped. 

 R&D

We developed a series of single residence-scaled power plants, culminating in our 2012 prototype, which produced 1 ton of refrigeration, at 28ºFahrenheit, and generated electricity, fueled by simmering hot water. 

 Our Solution

 Our solution was to invent a modification of the thermodynamic power cycle which would suffer much less in the low temperature , low-efficiency range.

 Our invention eliminated the recycling motor, called the ‘feed-pump’, from the Rankine cycle, and replaced it with tanks and valves. Now, instead of ‘force pumping’ the working-fluid into the evaporator to repeat the power cycle, the working fluid is gently ‘escorted’ there.

 Analysis

 With the elimination of the feed-pump, we no longer need to convert energy to generate power for the feed-pump’s motor. The end-result is that a greater percentage of that 13% of convertible energy is left to make power and air conditioning. According to a NASA Space And Technology Outreach Program, (SATOP), analysis conducted in 2005,  based on equivalent source and sink temperatures of 150ºF and 80ºF respectively, the Sterling power cycle’s thermal efficiency is 5.4%, versus a Rankine thermal efficiency of 4.7%, a 15% improvement at only 150ºFahrenheit !

 Prototype

 By 2012, our prototype performed well, but there were operational issues that needed remediation. We dismantled it to refine the design which ended up being smaller, lighter, wireless, and with no flanges.

 The Product

 Our products will process heated water from any source. During the day when the sun is shining, a solar heated appliance will produce refrigeration for air conditioning, while also storing ice for air conditioning when the sun doesn’t shine. This is solar air conditioning and refrigeration 24 7, with storage.

 The Market

 There is a desire for an economical product to ease the transition away from carbon-based fossil fuels. Our technology has been demonstrated, and it is the only economical pathway to solar air conditioning on any scale. We’ve tested the demand for our product, and it is extraordinary. A market for autonomous power and refrigeration exists in both the developed, and the developing world.

 Our vision is of an energy appliance which converts raw thermal energy into power and air conditioning as an economic solution to expensive and threatening carbon-based fossil fuels. Our business will be to bring that solution to everybody.

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