Looking for Suggestions

[bjhall06]

Hey everyone. I'm relatively new to stirling engines, but I have been researching them quite a bit over the last few months. To give a little background, I'm a graduate student working on my graduate project (not due until next May). For my project I have decided I want to build a solar powered stirling engine. I'm looking to have the engine be a direct drive to a small generator which is then wired to a household light bulb for demonstration. Then hopefully measure the energy input and energy output to determine how efficient the engine is.

I work in a CNC facility and have been programming CNC mills for over 5 years now. The plant manager and my engineering manager have agreed to allow me to use an available CNC after my shift is over for my project. So with that being said the only limits I really have would be the cost of materials and tooling. I'm thinking solid aluminum would be a good choice.

Anyways I stumbled across this forum and thought I might be able to get some beneficial input.

Thanks!

[Ian S C]

Aluminium will be OK for some parts at the cold end, the displacer and its cylinder should be stainless steel, The power cylinder might best be cast iron, or steel, and the power piston is best made of cast iron. To keep things a reasonable size, use steel or brass(metal with a bit of weight), to make the flywheel.
The engine listed as my second one in my album has been run with a large fresnel lens (lens was used to magnefy a TV, so quite big,22" I think), it had at least as much power as when it was run with LPG.Ian S C