"DoN. Nichols" wrote in message
ervers.com...
According to Rex B "":

Ed Huntress wrote:
"Sunworshipper" wrote in message
...

I agree. Still think they should have stirling engine roving bots on
the moon. I'm not a rocket scientist, but seems the temperature
difference from shaded and sun side would enable them to having lots
of power.


You need to have the hot and cold at the same time with a stirling.
One side
is kept hot, the other side is kept cold.

Nothing to it. The side of the body facing out is heated by direct
radiation from the sun. The dark side of that same body would receive
no radiation except that that is reflected from the moon's surface under
the body.
Hot on top, cold on the belly.

But -- does a stirling engine self-start? I though that they
had to be given a spin by hand once the temperature differential was
established.

Like a single-acting steam engine, a normal single-acting stirling requires
3 power cylinders to be self-starting. Saab once built one that had
something like 8 or 10 cylinders, driving through a swashplate.

The free-piston stirlings, which are linear alternators, are started by
powering the alternator to act as a temporary starting motor.

--
Ed Huntress