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(More customer reviews)I can't believe this thing ever sold for the list price, as I feel I overspent at 80% off. Took forever to get the generator running even in midday sunlight in Southern California (yes it's winter, but still). Even when we did get it running it mostly petered out or couldn't sustain more than 1 volt output. When we plugged in the electric car toy all of a sudden the generator picked up a bunch of speed, because the battery in the car was powering the generator instead of the reverse! I don't know if it's bad design or just poor build quality (both the car and the generator station are made of light plastic and have a very cheap feel), but this thing fails big time.
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Thames & Kosmos Alternative Energy and Environmental Science Stirling EngineDiscover the Stirling engine, a simple, clean and efficient energy technology that is quickly becoming a viable source of electricity as the availability of fossil fuels declines. The Stirling engine in this kit uses renewable energy from the sun to drive a generator, which charges a rechargeable battery to power an electric car. Named after its inventor, Robert Stirling, the original Stirling engine dates back almost 200 years. Today, high-tech Stirling engines are being used in arrays of giant mirrored solar collectors and common applications like compact generators. NASA is even working on using Stirling engines to power a human outpost on the moon!Like a steam engine, a Stirling engine is a heat engine that converts heat energy into mechanical work, usually to drive a generator that then converts the mechanical energy into electricity. But instead of water and steam, the Stirling engine uses a permanently enclosed volume of gas, such as air or helium, to perform the mechanical work. Stirling engines are highly efficient, can operate very quietly, and can use many different sources of heat: combustion of fuels, nuclear fission, geothermal, or solar heat, as this model uses.The Stirling engine in this kit is located in a charging station with a mirrored parabolic dish. The dish focuses the suns rays onto the cylindrical glass bulb of the Stirling engine to heat it up. The air inside the bulb heats up and pushes a piston, which turns an electric generator. The generator produces electricity that charges a rechargeable battery in the car. The car runs on an electric motor powered by the battery. The kit includes the charging station with a beta type Stirling engine, the electric car, and a full-color, 64-page manual.Ages 12 and upNot suitable for children under 3. Small parts; choking hazard. All Thames & Kosmos products have been safety tested to the rigorous standards of both the USA and Europe.
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