Say you build a parabolic trough or other type of CSP installation, it's got tubes and after making so much cappuchino's you want to really utilize the steam for power, what can you find on the web. Surprisingly not very much. For some reason a steam turbine has to be big, MW big. Also for some reason trubines are expensive (the reason is clear, they need to be able to stand high rotation speeds. Here I will highlight some options that are available.
Infinity Turbines
Infinity Turbines makes a very simple type of turbine, wraps it up in a complete unit if you like. The T10 unit comes at $20,000 which will be pretty much plug and play. Efficiency is not high (8-12%) because the generator is meant to utilize waste heat.
The Quasiturbine
The Quasiturbine is a type of Wankel engine meets compressed air engine. It has high torque and is relatively cheap ($2450 for the engine). Its a versatile engine that can be used for other fuels as well. It is 80% efficient, which probably means it achieves 80% of the theoretical Carnot output. Generators are ususally pretty efficient, so it should be a better candidate than the Infinity turbine. Manufacturing is still in the experimental phase, and you will need some help making a steam system work, but at least its available.
The Tesla Turbine
There are several examples of
Tesla turbines, here is one of them (I suspect). It is not being sold yet, that will be 2010 (according to the company). You can buy
small versions to get an idea. Tesla turbines are made of very strong material because they need to reach high rpms to be efficient. That makes them more expensive. There are many
sites dedicated to the simple tesla engine, but who sells them? If you know we are very much interested..
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