Just playing
- Thread starter Rickharris
- Start date
inglewoodpete
Senior Member
Rick: What a classic piece of machinery (or art).
Is that a Stirling engine?
I'm fascinated by them. From the very moment I figured out how they work, I have insisted that they should be used more widely for all kinds of power solutions. I believe NASA have used them in space. I wonder if they have tried nano-engineering a bunch of Stirling engines onto a silicon wafer.
Just a test:
I'm fascinated by them. From the very moment I figured out how they work, I have insisted that they should be used more widely for all kinds of power solutions. I believe NASA have used them in space. I wonder if they have tried nano-engineering a bunch of Stirling engines onto a silicon wafer.
Just a test:
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demonicpicaxeguy
Senior Member
yes ye old stirling engine is a facinating piece of machinery,
it's used for suppling power in some of te third world countries as they can pretty much use any type of fuel short of explosive,
it's a pretty good school project to do
i remember a couple of years back a bloke used one to charge a battery bank using heat from a solar heater on a roof with engine oil being circulated
it's used for suppling power in some of te third world countries as they can pretty much use any type of fuel short of explosive,
it's a pretty good school project to do
i remember a couple of years back a bloke used one to charge a battery bank using heat from a solar heater on a roof with engine oil being circulated
inglewoodpete
Senior Member
However, before you get too carried away with Stirling engines, the picture seems to be of a simple oscillating steam engine. (Very pretty, though)
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I think you'll find it's a stirling engine
inglewoodpete
Senior Member
The (conventional) oscillating steam engine can be purchased through the website below (for a small fee!!): http://www.newenergyshop.com/ Its not all that easy to find on the website, though ;o)
The glass bulb above the burner is a boiler (for water)
The glass bulb above the burner is a boiler (for water)
Stirling engines are beautiful things. I've got one and I run it from time to time. They certainly spin very nicely from a small burner or even the heat of a computer monitor. It is a real pity that they are not going to 'save the world' as they are not as efficient as internal combustion engines, in terms of $/watt and watts/Kg of engine and watts/Kg of fuel burnt. Also, they don't have much in common with the Carnot cycle even though descriptions of Stirling engines usually start off with a description of the Carnot cycle. The Diesel cycle is more efficient, though not nearly so mechanically beautiful.
For anyone curious how they work, get one and have a play. And then get out a physics book and study the thermodynamics as it is an absolutely fascinating subject.
One day I am going to try to build a Carnot engine - mainly because the physics books say it can't be done. It would need complex microcontroller control which very neatly makes this thread *picaxe related*!
For anyone curious how they work, get one and have a play. And then get out a physics book and study the thermodynamics as it is an absolutely fascinating subject.
One day I am going to try to build a Carnot engine - mainly because the physics books say it can't be done. It would need complex microcontroller control which very neatly makes this thread *picaxe related*!
Rickharris
Senior Member
It's a steam engine the attached however is a stirling engine as I also have a bit of a thing about them. It seems several car manufacturers including Volvo and Ford have invested much mony in research but as yet no production models.
To make this a Picaxe thread - before Dippy thrown it out [
] I have an idea for a boat engine on the stirling principle but using water as the piston so there are no seal issues and driving the displacer with a motor controlled by picaxe. the intention there is the picaxe provided speed control of the main motor and the stirling part drives a sort of water ram jet to power the boat.
Seems it might just work.
To make this a Picaxe thread - before Dippy thrown it out [
] I have an idea for a boat engine on the stirling principle but using water as the piston so there are no seal issues and driving the displacer with a motor controlled by picaxe. the intention there is the picaxe provided speed control of the main motor and the stirling part drives a sort of water ram jet to power the boat.Seems it might just work.
