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Warm water power plant.

Matteranenergy

Jeff Sterling and his colleagues at Matteran Energy claim to have designed and built a working power plant which generates electricity and refrigeration from nothing more than water warmed up by hot plates on a roof. No fancy expensive solar panels needed. The implications, if true, are astonishing, but it’s hard not be cynical in this day and age. Maybe some thermo-knowledgeable readers can tell more from the animated demos on the site. There’s apparently a working plant down in Florida too.

 Recently, we requested an independent thermodynamic analysis of our patented power cycle by a prominent thermodynamic engineer, in association with the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program. The study reveals that our cycle is equally efficient as the 150 year old Rankine cycle. Interestingly, the theoretical analysis was performed across a wide range of input temperatures, including an energy source of only 150o Fahrenheit. This is much too low a temperature for a commercial organic Rankine cycle power plant, but a temperature at which we routinely operate at our outdoor East Everglades facility.

4 Comments

  • Jeff Sterling.

    Stirling is the hot air cycle that has been around as long as the Rankine cycle.

    I’m not certain if this is a Rankine cycle, or if his “thermal pump” qualifies it as a new cycle, but it is interesting.

  • Oops, yes my bad, thanks Basalt. Sterling. As in Sterling stuff. :-)

  • The innovation here is that Jeff Sterling’s Rankine engine uses a solar heat pump to circulate the fluid. Traditionally the Rankine engine has required an electric pump. The problem with this is that low boiling liquids in a Rankine engine require an awful lot of pumping compared with water/steam, and the net output is pitiful. Sterling’s design finesses this problem. I think it looks brilliant.

  • Hmm…fascinating feedback. Thanks. Wonder why no-one has picked up on it. It does sound incredibly useful.

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