Stirling Engine Thesis

[jcpeden]

Hi everyone,

I'm a fourth year mechanical engineering master's student at the University of Sheffield in the UK. My thesis consists of a year-long project; I've opted to look at stirling engines and have started a blog to document the project as it develops. My intention is to hopefully attract some comments and questions that will assist in my understanding of stirling engines and allow me to feed back fresh information into my work.

The project title is pretty vague at the moment but its looking like design optimisation and manufacture of a Wankel stirling engine. The aim is to create a low-cost device for domestic micro-CHP. I'll provide more information as it happens but if any of you could recommend stirling engine resources or refer me to any contacts you might have I'd be very appreciative!

I'm not intending to spam; if you want to take a look at my blog please do so through my website link.

Thanks

John

[jcpeden]

I met with my supervisor today. We have a Philips engine in the lab here at Uni which was designed to run on paraffin or kerosene. The throttle body is missing however and my supervisor suggested we get it running on propane instead. I have been asked to design a simple air/fuel mixer to install on the inlet manifold which we can then play about with.

[shanerm09]

I think you should include your blog here in order for us to read your thesis. Just believe in yourself and you can finish your thesis on time. Just make it sure that you will be doing all your best to come up with a very good thesis.

[Junkie]

Will you be showing us photo's of the construction process ? Is the engine going to pressurized with some exotic gas.
Were those Phillips engines pressurized ?

You can always have a look at my coke can Stirling engine generators if you're stuck for ideas

[Murph]

Yes, the Phillips Stirling engine was pressurized, had its own pump built in.

No thesis on Stirling engines is worth dick if you aren't referencing from "Stirling Engine Design Manual, 2nd Ed." by William Martini. There are copies in PDF format on the web, free, as the book was commissioned and published by NASA.

Without in, you may be just writing about re-inventing the 'effing wheel!

Murph