Search found 66 matches

by SScandizzo
Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:33 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: Need some advice!
Replies: 7
Views: 10394

I'd suggest using aluminum from soda cans as your displacer. Very light and easy to work with. Use something like JB Weld as the glue and it should be airtight. Take a closer look at the link DB posted. If you follow that design correctly, you should have no worries.

-Stefan
by SScandizzo
Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:49 pm
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: my second engine "walking beam"
Replies: 1
Views: 4823

Awsome, Antidartan! That "tincan" displacer cylinder looks familiar! Replicating the first run's success can always be a challenge. Be prepared to tear down the whole engine, clean, dry, and lubricate where necessary. Depending upon what you used to assemble the displacer and chamber, heat...
by SScandizzo
Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:30 pm
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: Need some advice!
Replies: 7
Views: 10394

Hi Canuck! Welcome to the forum. The two cranks should be 90 degrees (or 1/4 rotation) offset from each other as you suggested. If you use a balloon as your power diaphragm, it will be easiest if you set it first, when cold, at the 6 o'clock position. Then adjust the crank length for the displacer s...
by SScandizzo
Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:15 pm
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: getting it going
Replies: 2
Views: 5731

Hi Julian, The biggest issue I can gleen from your post is that the two cylinders are not correctly timed. If you design moves one piston to the top of its cylinder while the other piston is at the bottom of its cylinder, your system is out of phase. That is: one piston should be half way up its cyl...
by SScandizzo
Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:08 pm
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: DISPASER QUESTION
Replies: 5
Views: 8154

Hi Antidartan, The displacer moves air back and forth between the hot and cold ends of the displacer cylinder. The material it is made from should be as light as possible for two reasons: first, thinner material conducts heat less than thicker material and second, a lighter displacer requires less w...
by SScandizzo
Sun Sep 23, 2007 10:06 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: would a block of ice work
Replies: 5
Views: 8936

One other tip,

be sure to build your tolerances with the engine's application in mind. Cold causes metal to contract, heat causes metal to expand; and different materials and thickness are affected differently!

-Stefan
by SScandizzo
Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:55 pm
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: DISPASER QUESTION
Replies: 5
Views: 8154

Hi Antidartan, Welcome to the world of Stirling engines! The displacer should travel the entire length of the displacer cylinder so that at either end of the cycle it is either almost touching the top or bottom of the cylinder. The location of the hole to the power cylinder is of little consequence ...
by SScandizzo
Wed Aug 22, 2007 4:47 pm
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: Automotive Energy Recovery
Replies: 2
Views: 5921

Hi Adam, Take a look at this article from a couple of years back: http://www.gizmag.com/go/4936/ . It looks like reusing engine heat has been around for a while. There are two things you need to keep in mind about a Stirling engine's design (in this particular case an alpha configuration). First, th...
by SScandizzo
Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:54 pm
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: tincan stirling gramophone
Replies: 7
Views: 12004

I've actually used a paper cone and a sewing needle on a turntable and could hear the recording. Not exactly good for the record, but it sure was fun!

-Stefan
by SScandizzo
Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:52 pm
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: Stirling engine go-kart?
Replies: 12
Views: 26796

I really don't know much about pressure values, so I will leave that information to someone else more qualified. What I can comment about is the steam versus Sterling issues. Two of the reasons that hot air engines "lost" the battle with steam engines was their size and the materials requi...
by SScandizzo
Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:17 pm
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: Help with aluminum piston
Replies: 11
Views: 15274

Hi Guys, I'd actually believe the notion that the displacer piston is functionally part of the flywheel - most of the time. Darryl is right to say that it interferes with the motion of the flywheel at the extremes. But, during the rest of the cycle, the mass of the piston is following the law of con...
by SScandizzo
Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:59 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: Stirling engine go-kart?
Replies: 12
Views: 26796

Hi Xaero_Vincent, Take a look at this image: http://www.stirlingengine.com/product-file/84/howi84/product.jpg . It's the cover of a book that describes the process of building a 5hp Stirling Engine in Bangladesh. It's a water-cooled 10 foot long behemoth. There are two significant disadvatages in us...
by SScandizzo
Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:41 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: tincan stirling gramophone
Replies: 7
Views: 12004

Hi Charlie, I've built this particular engine and it ran the first time I fired it up. There are a couple of things to consider if you wanted to turn it on its side. First, it is designed to have the heat source below the displacer cylinder. It might still run if the heat came from the side of the c...
by SScandizzo
Fri Feb 09, 2007 11:40 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: It will not run.
Replies: 9
Views: 13170

TJ, When sealed, the engine should "bounce" back when you try to spin the fan/flywheel. Does it do this? If so, does this bounce become less pronounced when you light the burner? If that "bounce" is diminishing, it means that the engine wants to run, but may need more heat/better...
by SScandizzo
Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:28 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: piston weight
Replies: 2
Views: 6775

Hi Joe, Two very interesting questions. As far a weight goes, you can theoretically counter balance the mass of the piston with a mass on the flywheel. The final product should have a free spinning flywheel that shows no preference in terms of the piston's position. (Without a counter balance, the p...