Wed, Oct 11, 2006, 8:30pm (EDT-1) (Morris*Dovey)
doth mumbleth:
Yup - followed your link and the links on the web page. snip
The object is to work out a design that can be built inexpensively,
require no fuel or electricity, will run reliably over a long period of
time with little or no maintenance, snip

Yeah, but you've gotta admit, that Stirling is definitely museum
quality. LOL
And, no, I don't think you'd get anywhere with a tin can Stirling.
However there used to be some hot-air engines that could do some serious
work. But, I don't think they'd be what you're after here.

What you want is something like a hydraulic ram, no moving parts.
There's also a propane powered outboard based on that - that one I don't
think you need. The hydaulic ram would need a moving source of water
tho, and I don't think you'd have that. Seems to me that I've read
somehing about something that's along t he lines of a hydraulic ram that
you could use, but I can't remember what or where. No way could one put
out your 2hp, but make multiples instead and that would work.

I'm thinking what you want to do has already been done. But where
I've seen something you can use, I don't remember. However, I used to
check out a lot of NASA inventions, and it seems to me I may have seen
something there. It'd be in the public domain. I don't think you'd
want to scale up, I think adding units until you get what you want/need
would be preferred.

How igh do you want to lift? A series might work best. With
multiples efficiency wouldn't be as much of an issue. Ever see a
river-powered water wheel, for irrigation? It might only lift a cup of
water with each "bucket", but with a lot of buckets, and continual
operation, it can pump a huge amount of water. I've seen 'em made with
an old wagon wheel, and some out of just bamboo - not very high tech,
but they all worked.

Hmm, somewhere in the filing cabinet of my mind, I've got the
feeling you're close, but not quite the right path. Been a long time
since I was interested n stuff like this, and I'm not sure how much of
my reference material I have left. Seems like one of the gubmint
organizations to help underdeveloped countries may have something
that'll work for you. I'll keep pondering a bit on this, and maybe see
what reference material I have left. If I come up with something
concrete I'll make you a good price on it. LOL



JOAT
It's not hard, if you get your mind right.
- Granny Weatherwax