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IEEE Power and Energy Society |
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| Phoenix Chapter |
| September 2009 Luncheon Meeting |
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| Date: |
Thursday, September 17, 2009 |
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| Location: |
SRP PERA Club (map) |
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1 E. Continental Dr. |
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Tempe, AZ |
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| Speaker: |
Mark Powell; Senior Director of Controls, Electrics, and Systems; Stirling Energy Systems |
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| Topic: |
The Suncatcher: a highly efficient, solar-powered Stirling engine |
Summary:
Mark Powell is the Sr. Director of Controls, Electrics, and Systems at Stirling Energy Systems (SES) in Scottsdale, Arizona. SES is commercializing a 25 KWe Dish/Stirling system called the SunCatcherTM. The Stirling Engine is an external combustion engine that was invented in 1816 by Robert Stirling. The Stirling Engine was initially conceived to compete with steam engines and diesel engines for stationary power applications through the early 20th century. Its primary advantage over other engine technologies is the ability to utilize almost any heat source, due to the closed gas cycle. The SES SunCatcher system is utilizing this relatively old technology, combining it with modern computer control, and adding state-of-the-art solar tracking systems in order to convert solar energy into electricity on a utility-scale. The SunCatcher system has the potential to help reduce the amount of fossil energy required to meet the growing energy requirements in the Western United States and other regions around the globe with sufficient solar resources. Mark will present a general description of the Dish/Stirling technology and its advantages; discuss the upcoming deployments currently being executed by SES; and describe SES’s planned utility scale projects in California and Texas. 55 persons attended, including the speaker, 10 GOLD members, and 4 students.
Biography:
Mark is currently a Sr. Engineering Director at Stirling Energy Systems in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is leading the controls, electrics, and systems engineering teams that are commercializing the SES 25KWe Dish-Stirling solar power generation unit. These units will be manufactured and installed in utility-scale power plants that will be deployed in California and Texas. Mark received an MS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 1987. Prior to joining SES, Mark was the Global Director of Technology Development at Alcoa Closure Systems International.
Mark was first involved with Dish-Stirling systems in 1992. As a Sandia National Laboratories employee he worked on the testing and development of Stirling Engines, as well as, utility-scale joint venture programs that partnered the Department of Energy with industrial consortiums with the goal of developing commercial dish/Stirling systems. Upon leaving Sandia, he held various positions where he successfully led efforts to develop control systems for precision machining system, commercialize integrated circuit manufacturing equipment, and develop advanced technology products for compression molding systems. In 2007, the opportunity to return to the solar industry presented itself and Mark joined Stirling Energy Systems (SES) to assist with the commercialization of the SES solar power generation system.
Mark shares 8 patents for machinery, process, and product innovation; and he has led successful product development projects, research projects, and commercialization efforts in multiple industries throughout his career.
Contact information:
Mark Powell
Sr. Director of Controls, Electrics, and Systems
Stirling Energy Systems
4800 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 5500
Scottsdale, AZ, United States
Phone: (602) 957-1818
e-mail: MPowell@stirlingenergy.com
website: www.stirlingenergy.com
(Last modified: Friday, October 2nd, 2009 @ 18:37:22 Webmaster)