What are the challenges for making an engine that does real work?

[James]

I have a question regarding the feasibility of building a Stirling Engine that is based entirely on open source and low tech methods. I would like this machine to be capable of performing real work with a minimum power output that makes it truly useful and not just a toy. It should be able to be build in rural settings by people with a average level of mechanical knowledge and skills.

What do you think are the main technical challenges towards making the above a possibility?

[thanh-cuibap]

for you !!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr6BHVhXPtc

[Ian S C]

I can't find the site, but there was a motor (?5hp)designed in USA to be built in Bangladesh from locally found materials, and be fueled with rice husks, there is also a book about it.
Ian S C

[thanh-cuibap]

solution to your opinion, I think Similar work by Trevor , it will be easier and should be able to be build in rural settings by people with a average level of mechanical knowledge and skills. but changed a little : it horizontally..

http://www.stirlingengineforum.com/view ... f=1&t=2156

[James]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Trevor's machine looks to be more powerful than the other miniaturize versions of Stirling engines i have seen so far. I wonder if it might not be useful to standardize a building plan for a simple and work capable Stirling Engine prototype built using easy available materials. This prototype will be even more useful if it can be scale up to different power outputs without having to drastically change the basic design. If this is possible, then we might see a myriad of applications for such a scalable model depending on the users' power requirements.

I have taken a look also at the rice husks stirling model for Bangladesh. It looks to be powerful though making it might be an issue especially when it comes to steel fabrication.

[thanh-cuibap]

you do not find on google ??? has a lot of stirling engine bigger and is very useful for remote rural areas, but I can not do it because they need money and time !! But I can design a diagram for you !!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjzAqwyBgy8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGFiaL_gYhU
..............

[Trevor]

HI Thanh - Did you see that big piece of heat shield he was using in that video - Man! wouldn't I like a piece of that right now.
Trevor

[James]

Hi Thanh,

Thanks very much for your offer of help! It will be much appreciated if the building plans can be documented clearly on diagrams for easy instruction to DIYers. I have seen several Stirling Engine designs on the internet and came to understand there are several versions. Although not having a mechanical engineering background myself makes it hard to tell the key difference between these designs and also on deciding which is the optimal for the building of the machine i have i mind.

For a Stirling Engine prototype to work in a low resource environment, the plans provided might need to be very specific to the point of describing the materials to use, low tech techniques involved to make them etc. It could take more than a video to demonstrate it i suppose.

[James]

My impression after looking at some of the comments seems to be that the 2 significant immediate challenges to the making of a powerful Stirling Engine are: 1)The need of a physically big engine body short of any clever way to overcome this size and power relationship. 2) The feasibility of engineering a high pressure setup for the engine using commonly available materials and low tech building methods.

Correct me if I am wrong here. Anyone?

[Ian S C]

In the old days, when these engines were quite common, the saying was about one ton per horse power, modern materials should bring that down a bit. One way might be a multi cylinder high revving engine, but you need large capacity, particularly with an atmospheric motor.
Ian S C

[youarenotwelcomekhan]

The biggest problem for me would be to seal the gas. If you wish to use helium gas, then it would be a headache for you to seal the gas all along. If you managed to do that, then it would be awesome.What do you guys think?

[Trevor]

Hi James - If you can get the book 'Sterling Engine Projects' volume 1 by James G. Rizzo - From Project 5 to 10 he explains and builds an enclosed Sterling Engine.
Regards Trevor

[James]

Hi Trevor,

Thanks for the tip. Will check it out.

[cbstirling2]

I can't find the site, but there was a motor (?5hp)designed in USA to be built in Bangladesh from locally found materials, and be fueled with rice husks, there is also a book about it.
Ian S C

Be warned, there are actually two engines involved surrounding that book.

The book was written by someone who ignored the design by Sunpower because he didn't like Ericsson linkage.

https://www.stirlingengine.com/forums/v ... 4&start=10

[Ian S C]

The motor is to be a low tech design To be built and used by low skilled workers, no Helium, that's no advantage in an un sealed atmospheric motor, apart from anything else, it's expensive, and getting harder to obtain, while there is a fair amount of air about(for the time being), and that's what Philips used in their motors at 200 psi.
Ian S C