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Advice for beginners.
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 12:53 pm
by Hairyloon
What's the best way to start building a Stirling engine of a useable size?
I was thinking to start with an infernal construction engine: that provides a robust crank and airtight piston, which seem to me to be the main engineering problem.
Not sure where to go next...
Re: Advice for beginners.
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 1:50 pm
by Fool
Re: Advice for beginners.
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:51 pm
by Hairyloon
Fool wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2024 1:50 pm
.
Thank you.
I was looking at that one earlier. Seems dear, and doesn't look like it's got a particularly high standard of build. Maybe the pictures are deceptive?
All look very interesting, and plenty of food for thought, but I haven't yet found any clues as to what I see as the next problem: designing the displacer: how big should it be compared to the power piston?
Re: Advice for beginners.
Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2024 12:49 am
by Jack
Swept volume you mean? The bigger the displacer is compared to the piston, the lower your temperature delta can be. It goes from 1:1 up to however much you want. In theory.
Re: Advice for beginners.
Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2024 6:38 am
by Hairyloon
Jack wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2024 12:49 am
Swept volume you mean? The bigger the displacer is compared to the piston, the lower your temperature delta can be. It goes from 1:1 up to however much you want. In theory.
I was thinking of a gas burner at one end and a water cooler at the other.
Is the theory set out in numbers somewhere? So I can try to do the sums...
Or can the voice of experience make some suggestions?
Re: Advice for beginners.
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 4:09 pm
by Jack
I've never built one, but researched a lot.
I guess you're going for an alpha style. Those are 1:1 I think.
There are some guys on YouTube that built nice ones. Chris workshop for example.
You'll probably find all the info you need there.
This forum is slowly degrading as there's no moderator anymore, and the discussions nowadays are more about the theory behind it. Also about who believes what hehe.
Re: Advice for beginners.
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 6:01 am
by Hairyloon
Jack wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2024 4:09 pm
I've never built one, but researched a lot.
I guess you're going for an alpha style. Those are 1:1 I think.
Gamma, I think. Not quite like this one, but it's the closest one I could find. My power piston will be in line with the crank.
I'm open to suggestions though: my build has only got as far as pulling apart an old strimmer that didn't work.
I was thinking to block off the exhaust and transfer ports and take a pipe from the spark plug hole, but I can't help thinking there is something cleverer to do with the two stroke mechanism, I just can't figure out what it is.
The crankcase is another swept volume: can't we use it?
There are some guys on YouTube that built nice ones. Chris workshop for example.
You'll probably find all the info you need there.
I've not yet found anyone start with an old two stroke. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough yet?