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Alpha Stirling Engine
By QUAZ HOLT, Section Mechanical Posted on Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 01:24:27 AM MST
My First Successful Dual Piston.

Christmas came and went and I did not get what I asked for again. So I decided to get back to work.
Here is my first project of 2008. I call it, the [ Omega One ].

It's really clipping along.

This is the hot diaphragm piston made from silicone rubber and has been tested to over 500 degrees F. It runs on top of a wood stove and has been running successfully for over two weeks. The flywheel is made from hard drive platens and the connecting rods are made from old T.V. antenna. The copper pipe connects the cold diaphragm to the hot chamber. It also serves as a regenerater.

The red piston is connected to the crankshaft 185 degrees leading the hot piston.

There is heat sink from an old stereo amp that cools the upper piston and allows the first law of thermal dynamics to work. The unit has achieved eight rps or 480 rpm. In the future I will be testing the unit with other gasses.
Bill.

Alpha Stirling Engine | 11 comments (11 topical)

Re: Alpha Stirling Engine (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by thirteen on Sun Jan 13, 2008 at 09:34:35 PM MST

will it start on it's own? What is your goal going to be? If you could get a minature altinator off of an model airplane you could light a bulb or two. would be fun to try.

Re: Alpha Stirling Engine (3.00 / 0) (#6)
by QUAZ HOLT on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 10:13:44 AM MST

13
This engine needs a spin to get it started and is slow moving. It has some power and a small alternator could be added. This type of engine may pump water. Bill
"Careful with that knife"
[ Parent ]

Re: Alpha Stirling Engine (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by Norm on Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 06:15:59 AM MST

I didn't get all that I wanted for Christmas
either....Awww !

How fast can it lift a 1 lb. weight?
Looks nice.
Where did you get the silicone rubber?
Oven ware?

( :>) Norm

Re: Alpha Stirling Engine (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by QUAZ HOLT on Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 04:15:39 PM MST

Norm
The engine has surprised me that it has quite a lot of power. I will test it further.
I took your idea of the cook-ware, went to dollar store and bought out the silicone rubber stuff. Will post some pictures of them. Thanks, Bill
"Careful with that knife"
[ Parent ]

Re: Alpha Stirling Engine (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by QUAZ HOLT on Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 08:38:38 PM MST

Here is extra.

This is a new diaphragm piston that will be used on the next engine. This one is using normal rubber.

These are a few of the silicone rubber cook-ware bought at the dollar store. I had one stretched to see how strong it was and could not break it.

This is the original silicone rubber diaphragm from an automobile pcv valve. It is the type used in the engine Omega One.

The last pictures are oval shaped hot spoon holders at a dollar each. The idea of making them with a tube of silicone at 14 dollars does not make much cents. Bill
"Careful with that knife"
[ Parent ]

Re: Alpha Stirling Engine (3.00 / 0) (#5)
by Norm on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 08:25:01 AM MST

You're welcome.
BTW You seem to do such nice work...do you have
regular machine working tools or are they DIY
tools also?
( :>) Norm
[ Parent ]

Re: Alpha Stirling Engine (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by QUAZ HOLT on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 10:27:06 AM MST

Norm, The tools that I started with was a wooden hammer, stone wheel and teeth to gnaw stuff out. All the tools were made by what ever I could get my hands on. Electronics helped I must say. The CNC machine does help a lot. DIY all the way. Bill
"Careful with that knife"
[ Parent ]

Re: Alpha Stirling Engine (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by veewee77 on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 08:03:29 PM MST

I noted in your post that you said the one leads the other by 185 degrees. . . didn't you mean 85 degrees? A stirling engine with two pistons at 185 degrees won't run at all. . .They must be around 90 degrees apart. Just checking . . .The ones I have made required 90 degrees (or thereabouts)to run. . .

For reference, you can see my engines running in the gallery at:
http://www.anotherpower.com/albums/dougs-place/1_G_001.mov
or
http://www.anotherpower.com/albums/dougs-place/3_G_001.mov
or
http://www.anotherpower.com/albums/dougs-place/4_G_001.mov

These are 4MB each for those on limited bandwidth. . .

Those were fun to make and watch run!

Absolutely no machining (can you tell?)

Doug

Re: Alpha Stirling Engine (3.00 / 0) (#11)
by QUAZ HOLT on Thu Jan 17, 2008 at 12:26:59 PM MST

Doug
This engine is running and it is at 185 degrees. What I found out is that the model does not have the strength in the shafts and other brackets to compress the air to that degree. The displacement of the diaphragms is high and at 90 degrees it can not even be turned over. As for your engines my dialup is 180 degrees out of phase and it will take 30 miniutes to donload each one. Have to got pictures of them. Bill
"Careful with that knife"
[ Parent ]

Re: Alpha Stirling Engine (3.00 / 0) (#9)
by MVIDSMITH on Thu Jan 17, 2008 at 05:45:53 AM MST

I've always been fascinated by stirling engines. I was wondering

I have springs running out of the side of my hill all over the place. The temp is pretty constant(Cold) The air is very rarely the same temp. Since stirlings run off difference(my limited understanding of it anyways) can a stirling run with any power of a spring(as in water out of the ground not coiled metal)

Mark
II Peter 1:2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. For His divine power has given us everything required

Re: Alpha Stirling Engine (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by QUAZ HOLT on Thu Jan 17, 2008 at 12:17:40 PM MST

MVIDSMITH
To get small scale models of these units working is no easy task. To get a larger one working only gets harder. There are many variables when the sizes change. I have made a few large stirling engines that were not so successful. These things have been around for lots of years pumping water. I will keep working on them because to see one run after you make it is quite amazing. Bill
"Careful with that knife"
[ Parent ]

Alpha Stirling Engine | 11 comments (11 topical)

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