Stirlingengineforum.com

I once had a displacer burst as a result of heat. The solution for me is a vent hole in the displacer. It does not need to be a sealed unit. I would think that aluminum would work better than stainless because it is lighter and to conducts heat faster. An aluminum displacer will act as a Stirling Re...

I'm looking for a design that is doable without a machine shop or soldering iron, and using materials readily available at local hardware stores for under $25 or so. I think I have just what you need! Check out these engines running on Solar Power: http://www.youtube.com/16strings They are built fr...

There are many variables to consider in answering your question. The amount of air that is displaced in the pressure chamber will have an impact on the displacement needed for your power cylinder. And this figure will vary depending on the temperature differential of your engine. The higher the diff...

You might find some helpful information at http://StirlingBuilder.com. There are some free designs there using everyday stuff. One is made from items found at a thrift store. Another is made form a paint can. And if you want to go for "heat of the hand" you can always order a copy of the b...

I have not researched it personally, but it has been the topic of conversation in the Hot Air Engine Society in Yahoo Groups. You might find some references to it if you search through their archives. It might also just be a legend! :) http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/HotAirEngineSociety/msearch?q...

Then you don't want to use iron or steel. If you want high efficiency you want to use copper.

You want the lightest (least dense) gas available. Lighter gasses expand and contract more with temperature changes. Heavier gasses do not work as well. That is why we put helium or hydrogen in our motors. If you find water and electricity on Mars you will be able to make hydrogen.

NASA gets Stirlings to work on satellites, so I am guessing Mars would be easy.

I learned this week that there are two websites for the SFA Stirling Engine Project. The one Google takes you to is the old one that is no longer maintained and has some dead links in it. The current updated site is at this URL: http://astro.sfasu.edu/courses/egr112/StirlingEngine/stirling.html We s...

Your design looks good. You have done well to add the glass bead bearings and put some spring in your connecting rods. It took me a long time to figure out those tricks.

Jim
http://StirlingBuilder.com

I just posted a new video of one of my engines running on the heat of my hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNd__MceM_s

Jim Larsen
http://stirlingbuilder.com

I love it! I like the way it rotates.

Tell me your secret to how you get 5000 views of your YouTube videos in one day. That is awesome too.

Today the book made it up to 60,122 on the Amazon best sellers ranking! Amazon still has it on sale for about $8 off.

Jim Larsen
http://StirlingBuilder.com

I have some videos of solar powered Stirling Engines posted here: http://www.youtube.com/16strings If you are interested in building them, the plans are available here: http://www.amazon.com/Three-Stirling-Engines-Without-Machine/dp/1452806578/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278481559&sr...

That is an awesome demonstration of a Stirling generator. Very nice!

Jim Larsen
Http:StirlingBuilder.com