Stirling Engine Construction Videos

[jimlarsen]

Greetings!

The Quick and Easy Stirling Engine is now being built in classrooms in Texas and in New York. I have recorded a few short videos for the students to show the key steps for constructing the engine. These are intended to supplement the information available in the book, so they are not comprehensive. By looking at these you may be able to pick up a few ideas for your next pop can Stirling engine. You will find links to the videos on this page:

http://sites.google.com/site/stirlingbu ... ing-engine

Thanks!

[theropod2]

Greetings!

The Quick and Easy Stirling Engine is now being built in classrooms in Texas and in New York. I have recorded a few short videos for the students to show the key steps for constructing the engine. These are intended to supplement the information available in the book, so they are not comprehensive. By looking at these you may be able to pick up a few ideas for your next pop can Stirling engine. You will find links to the videos on this page:

http://sites.google.com/site/stirlingbu ... ing-engine

Thanks!

No, Jim, thank you. Those videos are very instructive. I watched every one. Nice.

I see what you mean about floral foam. It took seeing the video to close a gap in my visualization of how these engines work using that type displacer. I just looked at some in Wally World and they had some, but not the right sizes I need. What glues can that stuff withstand? You say it'll withstand higher tempt than most foams?

Basically that coke can engine has a mix of technology usually seen in LTD's. I like it.

How well do you think you could get one to run if it had machined/squared and super smooth bearing surfaces, heat rejection a really well balanced flywheel and a few tweaks? At what point must we abandon the diaphragm and build a cylinder/piston? Do they make high temp yet flexible membranes this thin? With cooling do you think the balloon membrane would withstand more heat input? With a higher heat input do you think the plastic elbow could be replaced with copper.

I assume you're mating all the surfaces with air tight joints with high temp red silicone sealer?

I'd like to see someone find a way to use a little stainless cup for a hot end, sortta like old stainless Thermos® bottles cap. Attach the cylindrical clear glass (Pyrex®) globe from a Coleman® lantern by some means like long bolts, and to that and then build a copper cooling/gland plate to cap the cool end. Use the long bolts to pull the displacer chamber tight. Maybe use a "banjo" clamp and loose the bolts. Shouldn't the glass reject the heat fairly well? Besides, it would be cool to have a high temp engine with a see through section.

Anyway, good work Jim!!

R

[Junkie]

Really good Jim. Nice and clear. The only thing I'd change is to number them so they can be watched in order