6/30/2009 PERMALINK
A new personal transport pod that runs on anything that burns
Segway inventor Dean Kamen is developing a hybrid electric scooter that can run on almost anything that burns - from wood chips to plastic. According to the patent, the bike uses a small two-piston Stirling engine. Stirlings move their pistons by means of internal temperature differentials maintained by an external combustion heat source. The image is of a low temperature difference Stirling Engine by American Stirling Company that is powered by the heat from a warm hand holding it.