About us
Frauscher Motors represents more than two decades of intensive research and development in the field of Stirling engines. Since our first feasibility and design studies in 2001, we have been exploring how a wide variety of heat sources can be utilised efficiently, reliably and sustainably to generate electrical energy.
Our expertise ranges from thermodynamics, engine design and CFD simulation, through heat exchanger and materials technology, to test bench development, control technology and system integration. In our in-house technical centre, we develop, manufacture and test Stirling engines and their components for a wide variety of applications and heat sources.
A key milestone in our research was the alphagamma® technology developed by Josef Frauscher. It emerged from the findings of years of research into conventional alpha, beta and gamma Stirling engines and opened up new possibilities in terms of efficiency, continuous operation and smooth running. Extensive test bench and field experience now forms the basis for robust Stirling generators designed to utilise heat from, for example, biomass, biogas, thermal storage systems, as well as hydrogen and ammonia applications.
From inventive spirit to Stirling specialist Company founder Josef Frauscher combines mechanical engineering with electronics, sensor technology and control systems. As early as the 1980s, he was already working intensively on semiconductor and control technology alongside mechanical engineering. In 1987, he took the plunge into self-employment and, with his own developments in the field of sensor technology, laid the foundations for his future entrepreneurial activities. These activities gave rise to Frauscher Senortechnik GmbH, a globally active company with more than 600 employees.
In 2001, Josef Frauscher began his initial studies into Stirling technology. What started as a research project developed, through numerous prototypes, test bench trials and technological breakthroughs, into a core competence in its own right. In 2008, Stirling engine development was spun off into a separate company – today’s Frauscher Motors GmbH.
Today, the experience gained from 25 years of Stirling engine research is incorporated into our products and joint development projects with partners from all over the world.
“Developing an efficient and economical heat engine is a challenge that can easily take up a person’s entire working life. Given the physical challenges that need to be overcome, a viable solution can only be achieved through the close collaboration of a qualified team. In this respect, such a project can only succeed with long-term resource planning and sufficient resilience in the face of numerous setbacks. The company’s management must accept that a return on investment within a few years is impossible.Rather than putting pressure on staff to succeed, it is cooperation with the team on an equal footing that guarantees good results in the long term. These are my findings after 25 years of research and development and 35 years of studies on heat engines.”
Josef Frauscher
CEO Frauscher Motors GmbH
Significance for the future
The alphagamma® technology holds great potential for a future, sustainable energy supply because it can convert heat from a wide variety of sources into electrical energy. The engine is not restricted to any particular fuel – the only crucial factor is a heat source with a sufficient usable temperature difference. This makes the technology suitable not only for renewable heat sources and biomass, but also for industrial waste heat, thermal storage or new energy carriers such as hydrogen or pico-nuclear technology.
The particular value of Frauscher Motors’ many years of development work lies in the fact that a practical, robust and versatile technology has been developed from a well-established physical principle. Decades of experience in design, thermodynamics, materials, heat exchangers, control systems and endurance testing have created a knowledge base that cannot be built up overnight.
Heat engines can play a particularly important role in an energy system characterised by increasingly decentralised generation and diverse energy sources: They make it possible to make better use of existing heat, reduce energy losses and convert heat into electricity right where it is generated.
Frauscher Motors’ research and development work is therefore not merely the foundation for new products. Rather, it creates a technology platform for future energy applications, in which efficiency, fuel flexibility, durability and the intelligent use of existing heat are becoming increasingly important.
Milestones
2001–2005
Feasibility studies, thermodynamic design examples, design concepts
2006–2015
Development, manufacture and testing of alpha, beta and gamma engine prototypes, heat exchanger manufacturing methods
2016–2017
Centre design of a new type of Investment in a new research and development gas burner, invention of alphagamma® technology
2018–2023
Optimisation of the performance, manufacturing methods and tests of two power ratings (1 kW und 6 kW)
2024–today
Service life tests, development of customer relationships and first commercial deployments
Stirling engine prototypes
Potential factors
Experienced staff
Long-term collaboration with staff is a key factor in the success of our development work. It is an invaluable asset, as the experiences gained by each individual during their training are incorporated into the process.
Facilities
Our state-of-the-art processing equipment is at the cutting edge of technology. It boosts staff motivation and creates synergies that ensure the highest product quality.
Manufacturing processes
The focus is on new manufacturing methods that are developed collaboratively and which highlight the product’s uniqueness.
Test environments
Our advanced test benches ruthlessly reveal the stark truth about a project’s success or failure. They ensure clarity at every stage of development and prevent wrong decisions, which can all too easily be made as a result of illusions.
