rules/specifications of designing a stirling engine

[ilovesteel99]

Hi im 14 and I want to start building Stirling engines. I am competent with tools, my dad is a mechanic and I'm always in the garage making things. At lunchtimes at school I fabricate steel parts for the teachers projects. Right, boring story over I can make you more bored by asking millions of questions! My plan is to make a coke can engine and then make some bigger ones with water bottles. First question should I make a beta or a gamma?
Should I use a diaphragm or a piston? I don't want to bend a crankshaft is it better to fabricate one and is it possible to turn one on a lathe? How do you balance a crankshaft? What should the volume and dimensions of the displacer cylinder, the displacer piston, the diaphragm or the power piston and cylinder be? (These questions are about the bigger water bottle one)

[ilovesteel99]

By the way I can weld solder and braze and at school I have access to a milling machine and a lathe. Thankyou

[Ian S C]

I'd start with Daryls tin can motor, plans near the top of index page. Then a GAMMA motor on the lathe, you need to make an accurate cylinder, then fit the piston carefully. I say piston because I have not tried a diaphragm. You don't have to make an accurate cylinder/ piston assembly if you use a diaphragm.
Ian S C

[ilovesteel99]

Thank you Ian

[Triangle.Stirling]

It's a good idea to start with a tin can stirling engine. I also started with one.
You can look on Youtube, lots of video's about these engines.

For bigger engines, i made a 2-cylinder stirling engine with a diaphragm. A piston is better but not so easy to make. It must be airtight and also slide easily in the cylinder.
A diapgragm can do very well. You could take a look at my engine. It's made with water bottles and a diaphragm.

Good luck with your tin can engine!