Rena Stirling Engine

[WXYZCIENCE]

This project has been held-up for a while and with all the Stirling Engine stuff that has been posted last couple of weeks, figure I will join in. The project is a Rena style Stirling Engine. A four cylinder medium temperature engine. I have gathered together most of the parts. This is the first part :


The Flywheel







The center spokes were cut from 1/4" aluminum plate, the hub from brass and the rim is made from bronze. The outside diameter of this flywheel is ten inches and it weights twenty pounds. It will be static balanced and tested to 3600 rpm. The maximum that it will run will be only be around 1500 rpm. Next the crank shaft and main bearings. This should keep me busy for the next couple of days.
Joseph.

[windstuffnow]

Sweet!   Anything to do with flywheels... I'm all in!  I've backed off for a bit on the large one, started building smaller models that can be changed easily to try different ideas.   So far I've found the tube idea, even in miniature scale, don't do well... if it runs.   All the ones I've put a piston and cylinder to it runs fine but the tube simply absorbs the energy.

I'll get back into the large one when I've completed the third small engine.  

Wait'n for the next installment of the Rena

.

[stop4stuff]

I didn't find any info about 'Rena' style stirlings, do you have a link?

Nice work with the flywheel tho... looks very professional.

I'm working on my own unique design of heat difference engine (not a stirling)... that was until the transformer for my generic dremmel type tool blew earlier today, i rigged a fix & tomorrow will see progress... i'm aiming for 15-25% conversion from direct sunlight to electrical energy & if all works well the cost will be a fraction of solar panels

on with the fun,

paul

[WXYZCIENCE]

Paul, I think they also call this one a beta with wobble yoke. I am using a crank shaft. Others use a swash plate because of it's ability to produce smoother action. The pistons that I am using are double ended and the four are connected 90 degrees out of phase. The pistons are from an aircraft auto-pilot. I will be posting some more pictures next couple of days.


I don't think those die grinders are continuous duty :>)
Joseph.

[windstuffnow]

  I couldn't find anything on the Rena either, are you talking about the Steele engine?   It's a small 4cyl built in a tube.   I believe he uses miter gears though.   Seen some videos of the engine... pretty slick but it seems noisy.   I've seen some with the swash plates run, quite smooth overall but difficult to balance if your only running a single cylinder.

  What is the bore and stroke going to be on the unit?

.

[Stonebrain]

Hi joe,

Butifull as usual,

make me ask myself how it you assembled it.

Think of photos of the parts before you put them together

One question:howdo you make those bronze rings.

cast? machine from a huge chunk of bronze?

Thanks ffor the pics anyway

cheers,

stonebrain

[WXYZCIENCE]

Stonebrain, the bronze is bushing stock cutoffs. I bought them from a metal scrap dealer years ago. This one had flywheel written all over it. Two bucks a pound but I love the shine of gold colored things.
Joseph.