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[Ian S C]

Hi Flash, why are you using plain bearings in the Ross Yoke, you would eliminate the oiling system, and reduce friction by using sealed ball races.
If you want efficiency, why are you not pressurising it?
If you have not done so all ready, it would be worth down loading Andy Ross's book "Making Stirling Engines" if you print it out it's 68 pages, Andy has kindly allowed the book to be down loaded free.
Ian S C

[William42]

Hello everyone! Just saying hi so that y'all know that I am indeed real. :)

I have many, many questions, as I just found out about the Stirling engine and would like to build one.

So without further ado...

[flash3780]

Hi Flash, why are you using plain bearings in the Ross Yoke, you would eliminate the oiling system, and reduce friction by using sealed ball races.
If you want efficiency, why are you not pressurising it?
If you have not done so all ready, it would be worth down loading Andy Ross's book "Making Stirling Engines" if you print it out it's 68 pages, Andy has kindly allowed the book to be down loaded free.
Ian S C

Hi Ian,
I'm still working out the design; I like plain bearings because of their light weight, relative simplicity and long life. For a prototype, greased plain bearings should work fine (or even teflon bushings), although admittedly an oiling system would probably be required for a machine designed for extended life (>150k hours continuous service). As far as pressurizing the engine, it is my intention to pressurize the engine with a helium working fluid due to the high thermal conductivity of that gas. I've been trying to decide whether it would be worth pressurizing a prototype engine versus just using air... a tradeoff of complexity versus efficiency for a demonstrator. For now, my intention is to build a 1kW demonstrator as a proof-of-concept, and then scale to a larger machine.

Yes, I've read Andy Ross' book, it's very helpful to see his (rather ingenious) stirling machine configurations. I don't know if you've also seen Dr Israel Urieli's webpage (Ohio University), which describes analysis of stirling machines. I'm making my way through the analysis that Dr Urieli describes (which is really just the analysis from A. Organ's book) for sizing the machine.

My webpage is a work in progress; obvioulsy I've got some work to do on it. Apart from making stirling engines, I'd like to work out a methodology for collaborating on mechanical designs in a similar way to how open source software is developed. I think that there are a lot of great tools which have been developed to use the internet for software collaboration which can be applied to mechanical design as well (or any design for that matter). At the end of the day, collaborating in a very public way helps humanity.

There are other advantages to desiging things openly as well. Experts from around the world can contribute, even if only a little bit.... sort of like on this forum. :)

Chris H

[Ian S C]

I think if you work it out weight is no added problem with ball races, and the friction advantage is well worth it, most of the bearings that I use are recovered from old gear. For minimum friction, you can take the seal/shields off, and flush out the grease, and replace it with light grade oil.
For the prototype at least, air would be ok up to at least 200psi, that's the pressure that Philips used. There are slight advantages of changing the gas at low (under 1000psi). Argon is a gas that is used. The main reason other than the thermodynamic effect of the gas over air is that it eliminates oxygen which can cause problems with oil, oil, oxygen, pressure, BANG. Ian S C

[wbeetge]

Hi Everyone.

Been interested in green technology now for 3 years, experimenting with different kinds of energy saving and generating projects. Started off with CSP at home with parabolic mirror, and experimented with solar vacuum tubes for more efficiency. Was able to produce over 600 deg celcius from the tubes, so the next step was to try and generate power with steam engine, but could not find anything small enough. Moved on to creating home made wind turbine and was reasonably successful. Now moving to 2m blades and higher tower for better efficiency. Then started working on personal all iron flow battery, which I only recently got to seal completely with 6mm Steel end plates. Now starting experiments with graphine and graphite properties in the electrolyte.... Having said all that, I have come a full circle back to the CSP part where I would like to pick up on the steam engine, or even better , a stirling heat engine. Infina has gone bang and now some Israeli company has bought over the technology from them, so I have not been able to get a response from then for their 3KW system.
I need to move on and decided I will then rather start building my own, and if the first one is successful, I will be able to go for gold and continue to build better ones. I am not an engineer or a boilermaker, but I have friends in engineering who can make to spec what I need. - Just takes a bit longer. So, here I am looking for advice, help, plans, etc to start building a reasonable efficient stirling engine in the 1 KW rated power range. I will still see how I am going to apply my parabolic mirror to become the source.

Wimpie

[geoth]

New to the group. Interested in geothermal heat as the energy source for Stirling engines. I and colleagues would like to see Stirling engines employed in the 1 - 50 MW range (yes, pie in the sky, but . . .). Swedish subs have used Stirlings for some years - but power output hard to find. Anyone out there with experience with such big systems? The delta T for the application we have in mind is >200C.

[zzhamblen]

I are new here!

[pallikubbur]

Hi,

New member here. Work as a CNC machinist in Iceland. Have big dreams of making several working Stirling Engines.

Best reg

Atli S
Iceland.

[little john 1]

hi im now the new edition

im no stranger to building my own model steam engines using anything and evrything i can find in my shed or sticking out of skips or the scrap mans van ( one mans junk is another mans treasure )

i have now directed my attention to building a stirling engine and i dont do things tiny so im looking at building a monster gamma type eventually

so before i start pestering for information and ideas ill just say hi for now

[H..Deep]

I am a final year Mechanical Engineering student and taken Stirling engine as my final year project.
Have only 3 months to complete the project.
Will go with beta configration with rhombic drive.
Have some experience with ic engines but no encounter with stirlings.
Begining from scratch.
Starting from today.
Wish me luck.

[Andreo]

Hi! I'm just starting studying and producing my own Stirling engine, and I think I'll do my Mechanical Engineering's final project with this subject too. I'm almost there

[CaptLink]

Hello new to the group and hungry for information. I'm looking for reference and technical books.
I hope to build a few of these in my modest machine shop.

[m.a.mohammadi]

hi to all
i am ms student of energy conversion in Iran. i am working on cfd simulation of stirling engine. i am happy to join this forum
best regards

[rich]

Hi,

I'm Rich and I am trying to see if I can generate a modest amount of electricity from a stirling engine.

I live off grid (boat) and work from home (requiring electric). I am almost all year round self sufficient with solar and wind, but in the deepest darkest days of winter I have to use the engine or generator backup. At the same time I have a stove burning logs or coal almost constantly. Plenty of spare heat!

I have been toying with the idea of a stirling engine for years, originally stumbled on the whispergen which would have been great (id probably buy one now if I could).

I want to try something much more simple. along the lines of using my stove as a heat source, with the engie driving a low rpm permanent magnet generator (wind turbine style).

At last my dream came true and I now have two stirling engines to play with. One a kyko style reproduction, the other is similar size but quite different. I will post some pictures soon.

[Swifty]

Just joined up and wanted to say hello, I'm a retired toolmaker from Australia. I have made several air operated engines and a couple of IC engines, but now I would like to make some stirling engines. I have a 14 x 40 lathe and a Bridgeport size mill, plus all the other associated tooling. I'm looking forward to reading posts about members engines.

Paul.