Stirlingengineforum.com

Found this while doing some googling, not sure but it looks like it could have some helpful info for this discussion. It's about a free piston control sytem:
http://www.ansoft.com/workshops/aeroee/ ... _regan.pdf

Thanks Ante, I'm sure we can find even cheaper prices, and there's no reason not to buy good condition used (over the past few years, restaurants have closed across america by the thousands). I only posted the original link to show the item pictured, as well as similar ones, I have no idea about the...

I was wondering if anyone has used restaurant quality stainless steel dishes such as a bain marie for hot caps? They are shaped with a slightly arched crown, and have a flanged opening which would be easily sealed against a multitude of mating materials, and come in a large variety of shapes and siz...

1- Just attempt to keep the gap as small as possible. Fact is, the displacer can make contact with either end with no ill effects, so long as it doesn't create friction/binding. I have used, and seen others use springs as the attachment between displacer shaft and con-rod, allowing the displacer to ...

She's running! As is to be expected, there are some issues. Main one being it appears the floral foam suffers from thermal expansion. Very soon after warm up, the displacer binds against the side on the down stroke, and it appears as if the lower side expands a bit. It's not making any direct contac...

I believe you can get a general idea of what the instructor is asking by simply googling his question. The results of a search on "Calculations on the influence of the flywheel" shows similar discussions and the calculations required. https://www.google.com/search?q=Calculations+on+the+inf...

Bit of a set back this morning, good ol Murphy had to put his two cents in. Last nite I used clear RTV to attach the displacer cylinder to the aluminum hot pan, put a bead around the outer edge right at the bottom, and it looked like a pretty good seal as I slid the cylinder into the pan, spreading ...

I added the counterweight to the flywheel and got everything balanced nicely now. Spins rarely stop in the same area twice in a row, and there's no settling into any particular position. I used an old laptop harddrive spindle cover and epoxied it on in position. I then added 7 coats of epoxy to it, ...

I attached the displacer and it's linkage, everything's looking good so far. Without having balanced the flywheel, a gentle spin gives 4-6 revolutions, and a harder one 12 or more. No apparent binding or rough spots, just nice smooth motion. Ready to seal the bottom and give her a test over the week...

I'm relatively new to building Stirling models, but I think I can offer one piece of good advice. Start your students off with a gamma egine with a diaphragm based design, and once they have it working, then move on to a piston based design. The power piston is the stumbling block for most new to St...

Made the smallest part today, the connector for the displacer shaft to con-rod. Used some more of the UHMW, and epoxied it to the displacer shaft. The hole is large enough to thread the bicycle spoke con-rod, and use it's hub end as the retaining flange. http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff362/Jer...

Got the displacer con-rod and it's bearing made this morning. I drilled a hole to fit the crankshaft in a piece of UHMW, then cut a square out around it. I used the dremel diamond disc to cut a wedge into one side of the square to allow it to snap onto the crankshaft. I then cut a groove around the ...

Finished with the basic assembly today. Still have to attach the sign to the sign posts in front of the flywheel, the bagel image to the flywheel (not enough room for a torus shape, have to settle for a picture), and the displacer con-rods. http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff362/JerryScript/IMG_2...

Got started on the flywheel today. Using a harddrive platter, with a bushing from one of the computer fans and it's motor shroud. I traced the platter and bushing on a piece of paper, using folds to find and ensure proper centering. I placed the paper cutout under a plastic sandwich bag (peels off e...

Generally speaking, decreasing the stroke increases RPMs, while increasing the stroke increases available torque. Rather than concentrate on force, think in terms of work, which takes into account time. The same amount of force applied for a shorter time (decreased stroke) equals less work. The same...