Eli5, even if they are not the most efficient or powerful things, why are stirling engines not sprinkled everywhere where there is a decent amount of thermal differential? or energy to recapture, Like in power plant cooling systems or other places where there’s lots of “waste heat” as a byproduct.

Question

Eli5, even if they are not the most efficient or powerful things, why are stirling engines not sprinkled everywhere where there is a decent amount of thermal differential? or energy to recapture, Like in power plant cooling systems or other places where there’s lots of “waste heat” as a byproduct.

In: Engineering

Answer 1

as a general rule, if you want a lot of something, you don’t want to get it from a bunch of little somethings. you can if you have to, but better if you can get it from one big source. when generating power, you get a lot more efficiency from a single big generator than you do from a bunch of little ones. when you factor in the costs of purchase, installation, maintenance, etc., little stirling engines are just not worth it for the additional power.