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I see all kinds of confusing information on the internet. Is there a difference betwern thermal lag and lamina flow engines? What are the key components of each?

Nothing, they are also known as Thermo Acoustic Pulse Engines, and if they don't go they probably get called a few other things as they get thrown at the dog. Quite interesting motors, and some have been built with quite a bit of power.
Ian S C

@ ian sc
Thanks.
After reading, watching, and scratching my head I came up with this design. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

DON'T use copper, get a bit of stainless tube. The copper conducts heat too well, and within a few minutes the whole motor will be hot. Also heated copper will flake, and before long it will bulge, and bend at the point of heating. Other than that it looks good, might even have a go myself. I think that I would cut a thread on the cold end, and in the cold end cap, then you can get the steel wool in, and if need be, adjust the amount and density.
A prototype could be made with steel tube, and you may not even need the water cooling.
Ian S C

@ian sc
Okay, i was looking at what was readily available and easy to fabricate and i forgot about copper spreading the heat. I just wonder how i would seal the ends , maybe compression fittings? I cant weld stainless steel. I wonder if high temp silicone sealer like the type used for internal combustion engine gaskets would work?

You can braze stainless steel quite easily, or at the LH end (your sketch), a tight plug, in fact that may do for both ends.
When it comes to welding SS I'v got a mate who runs a SS fabricating business and I get him to TIG weld my displacers, and hot caps, he doesn't like me when I bring along anything much less than .010" thick.
Ian S C

I'll build it and report back on the results. It may be awhile since I have a lot of household chores that have been assigned to me.:-(
The only hot air engine I've been succesful with, has been the pringles can, water piston, metronome engine.

Wish me luck. Going to build it. Here's basically what it might look like. Components are not to scale in relation to each other.
POC.

I'm starting mine with 12" of 3/4" chrome plated steel tube, it has a wall thickness of .025", we'll see how it evolves.
Ian S C

Cool

Just looking at your last sketch, the container with the diaphragm on top only needs to be deep enough for the diaphragm not to touch the bottom. you may find that the stroke is fairly short.
Ian S C

Watched lots of video's on youtube. I'm going to try it as a free piston version first. Got the heat tube from a Solar garden LED light, stake. 3/4" copper cap on one end, 3/4" copper elbow other side with a small tuna can RTVed on top. Tuna can has a 1/4" hole in bottom leading to elbow as a choke. Rubber diaphram (balloon) over that with a 3/4"x3/4" neodymium magnet stuck to the top as a resonating weight. RTV is drying now. Will install stainless steel scrubby inside pipe about half way tomorrow and light the fire. Cross your phalanges.j

Im anticipating having to modify the choke hole, both in size and streamlining the flow. Also the tuna can may need to be shortened.
We'll see.

I also am going the free piston way, don't know if it will be a piston, or diaphragm, but it will be inverted from your sketch. I'll do as I did with my free piston GAMA Stirling Engine, and fit a magnet on the piston, and under that, another magnet, and put like poles toward each other so the repel, this way is far better than a spring, and a heavy piston uses gravity to restrict the height it goes.
Ian S C

Test #1 = fail
No indication of running or what needs to be done next. All guess work. Working blind.
Making choke bigger.