Stirling Engines: A Way to Save The Auto Industry?

A technology well over a century old may soon revolutionize transportation. Robert Stirling's novel engine was an attempt to make steam technology safe. By repeatedly heating and cooling gas inside a sealed chamber, he was able to avoid the nasty explosions and scaldings that were the bane of steam engine technology.

While quite popular in the 19th Century, Stirlings were no match for the practical electric motors that appeared a few decades later. The technology languished as a laboratory curiosity for decades - the little $379.95 desktop Stirling engine above is a typical modern example.

However, Stirling technology might get a new lease on life thanks to Segway inventor Dean Kamen, who recently announced a prototype Stirling hybrid electric car. His development mule is built on the chassis of a Ford Think, a tiny 2-seat electric car that ceased production in 2000. The little car is driven by a lithium battery and can travel around 60 miles on a charge.

The futuristic Stirling engine is tucked into a compartment on the floor of the hatchback for easy access. It  can recharge the battery when needed and also powers the heater and window defroster directly. It's an approach that makes a lot of sense.

It remains to be seen how efficient Kaman's Stirling engine is in the real world, but it holds significant promise, especially since the Stirling engine has the ability to run on multiple fuels. Essentially, any liquid with sufficient energy density can serve as fuel.

Sadly, Kaman doesn't expect Detroit's Big Three to adopt his technology. "I think what Darwin really was saying was: It's not the fittest, not the smartest, not the strongest; it's the ones that can adapt to change. And big industries that have long histories, particularly successful long histories, and a lot of ingrained infrastructure become the least adaptable to change. And when a disruptive opportunity comes along, they are the last that are capable of dealing with it," he mused recently.

The Desktop Stirling Engine
Dean Kamen: part man, part machine
DEKA Research, Kamen's think-tank