[Gasification] PRECIR STIRLING ENGINES

[Thomas Reed]

Dear Tom Miles and All:

In the beginning was little Tommy Watt and his mother's kettle.  This 
generated the idea that steam from an externally heated boiler could 
apply pressure to a piston, and the age of steam was born and the Kelvin 
cycle is still used for boiler-steam power. 

Then came Mr. Stirling who wondered if yu could use gas as the pressure 
element and he invented the Stirling engine which works - sort of.

Then came Dr. Otto who wondered if you couldn't actually burn a clean 
fuel INSIDE the piston/cylinder and thus was born the internal 
combustion spark ignited engine.

Then came Rudolph Diesel who thought that with sufficient compression of 
air and injection of the fuel that you could burn almost anything inside 
the cylinder.  Mr. Diesel even ran on powdered coal. 

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There are still people who think that the advantage of *external* 
combustion of ??? can compete with the *internal* combustion of prepared 
fuels inside the cylinder/piston.  The first thing they want to buy is a 
propane torch or woodgas generator to supply the controlled amount of 
heat.  I fear they are dilusional.

TOM REED  

BEF/BEC