Search found 2219 matches

by Ian S C
Fri Mar 08, 2019 3:01 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: My First Rhombic Drive Engine
Replies: 8
Views: 12939

Re: My First Rhombic Drive Engine

Hi Vjdeep, looks good, you have put in a lot of work on your motor. What is the power piston, and cylinder liner made of? The motor seems to have quite a bit of friction when it is turned in the video. The bearing surfaces in the linkage are aluminium on steel pins, this tends toward high friction, ...
by Ian S C
Tue Mar 05, 2019 2:53 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: New Members PLEASE read! - OR, having problems registering, being deactivated
Replies: 511
Views: 493697

Re: "Hi...We are new here!" First posts here (or anywhere is OK)

50hp is a bit optimistic, you will need a good machine shop, and deep pockets, A good start is to aim for a few hundred Watts. A least with a presurised motor, and modern materials the size comes down, in the old days it was thought that 1 ton per horse power was good going. I assume that you built ...
by Ian S C
Sun Mar 03, 2019 1:49 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: Stirling engine won't run
Replies: 10
Views: 14521

Re: Stirling engine won't run

First thing I see is the main bearings, or lack of. The crankshaft appears to be just using the ?wood as the bearing, and one of the most important things with Stirling Engines is reducing friction to the absolute minimum. One way to do it would be to get some tin (from a tin can, get a bit of steel...
by Ian S C
Thu Feb 28, 2019 1:52 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: Is it possible to build 1MWt Stirling engine?
Replies: 2
Views: 5844

Re: Is it possible to build 1MWt Stirling engine?

Nothing is impossible, but I think cost of building and running, and the size might just rule the Stirling Engine out. But as a power supply in space ie the moon or mars the Stirling Engine with a Nuclear heat pack would be the way to go.

Ian S C
by Ian S C
Fri Feb 22, 2019 1:49 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: Whispergen mk4
Replies: 22
Views: 23124

Re: Whispergen mk4

Another site, and someone that probably knows more about the Whispergen than anyone. www.peterlynnhimself.com/About_Stirling_Engines.php Peter lives about 80k south of me at Ashburton in Canterbury new Zealand. Have a look at his site on Google, and maybe get in touch with him. Just type in Peter Ly...
by Ian S C
Thu Feb 21, 2019 1:50 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: What type of Stirling Engine
Replies: 7
Views: 8123

Re: What type of Stirling Engine

The use of solar heat depends a lot on geography, the nearer the equator the better, so it will work in the temperate regions. one important thing with any hot air motor is cooling.

Ian S C
by Ian S C
Tue Feb 12, 2019 3:21 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: New Members PLEASE read! - OR, having problems registering, being deactivated
Replies: 511
Views: 493697

Re: "Hi...We are new here!" First posts here (or anywhere is OK)

Hi Vandee, +30*C here today. I have only built two free piston motors, the first a BETA type didn't work too well, I found later that it was all my fault, too much steel around the magnets I had on the piston to generate power. The second one , a GAMMA motor goes quite well, plenty of aluminium, and...
by Ian S C
Tue Feb 05, 2019 1:15 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: Whispergen mk4
Replies: 22
Views: 23124

Re: Whispergen mk4

You can soak some cloth in vinegar, and mask off the cast iron with some grease.

Ian S C
by Ian S C
Mon Feb 04, 2019 2:59 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: Whispergen mk4
Replies: 22
Views: 23124

Re: Whispergen mk4

Vinegar, then a bristle brush, don't use a steel wire brush or steel wool, the aluminium will go rusty! There are aluminium treatment schemes used by the aviation industry. A system similar to sand blasting that uses crushed walnut shells called prunus blasting is what we used for cleaning carbon of...
by Ian S C
Sat Feb 02, 2019 2:39 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: cold acceptor in cold head for cryocooler
Replies: 3
Views: 11195

Re: cold acceptor in cold head for cryocooler

Trev, Back in the 1990s there was a bit in Model Engineer very similar problem with the gas container on a STIRLING ENGINE freezing, also the cooling system was not quite keeping up. The cure was to part submerge the gas tank in the cooling water, then getting the balance between hot and cold, the w...
by Ian S C
Thu Jan 31, 2019 3:24 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: What type of Stirling Engine
Replies: 7
Views: 8123

Re: What type of Stirling Engine

I think the ALPHA type STIRLING engine is the most efficient. The TMG ( Thermo Mechanical Generator) Might be suitable. You will waste a lot of energy by heating another medium rather than heating the engine directly. I have used solar heating on a motor that normally is heated with LPG, and got mor...
by Ian S C
Wed Jan 30, 2019 2:22 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: cold acceptor in cold head for cryocooler
Replies: 3
Views: 11195

Re: cold acceptor in cold head for cryocooler

The coldest part is the area that in a hot air engine would be the heated part, you need to take care of the cooling area too, because this gets quite hot. Good luck, it's fun trying.
Ian S C
by Ian S C
Tue Jan 29, 2019 2:38 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: My stirling engine school project
Replies: 28
Views: 30548

Re: My stirling engine school project

The V motor is more simple to build as you only need one pin on the crankshaft without extra links. I have only built one ALPHA motor, the one in the photos with the Ross Yoke, one advantage this type has is the elimination of side thrust on the pistons, this gets rid of a source of friction. Ian S C
by Ian S C
Sat Jan 26, 2019 2:58 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: New Members PLEASE read! - OR, having problems registering, being deactivated
Replies: 511
Views: 493697

Re: Registering, and Deactivated...PLEASE READ!

Welcome to the gang Ron. These motors tend to be a bit addictive, and when you make them (the way I do) they get better(usually) with each new one. I'v been building since about 1990, have not done much except modify old ones for the last couple of years.

Ian S C
by Ian S C
Sat Jan 26, 2019 2:45 am
Forum: Stirling and "Hot Air" Engine Forum
Topic: Oddball theoretical question - ammonia absorption
Replies: 14
Views: 19434

Re: Oddball theoretical question - ammonia absorption

After I built my Ross Yoke ALPHA motor, I coupled it to my horizontal BETA motor via belt and pulleys, and after 20 minutes the temperature of the hot cap on the ALPHA motor dropped 40*C, from + 20*C to - 20*C, the motor driving produces about 5 Watts at the crankshaft. If a jacket of some sort was ...