lamina flow help required

[asimations]

I made a water piston lamina flow in glass test tube and that works but its working is not reproducible all the time . Some times it works easily and some time it doesn't. I have sealed the thing pretty well and heating near the generator. Attached a plastic tube containing water to the glass tube. Can some one guide me to remove those variables that I am missing so that it works all the time. You can understand the embarrassment when one tries to demonstrate and it will result in a failure. Thanks

[vile_fly]

A diagram would help us figure it out. One thing did come to mind....reid vapor pressure. The humidity and temperature in the room would determine the vapor pressure of the water piston. I recall a law of partial pressures existing, but I can't remember it for the moment. As we know, water vapor is very undesirable in a fluid that is carrying heat in a stirling engine. Try chilling the water and see if that helps.

[asimations]

you are right i did observe water vapour condensing in the plastic tube near the join with glass tube i will try some other liquid. What can be done to increase the power of this engine one is temp what other factors?

[vile_fly]

Well, the only other thing I can think of is using hydrogen or helium as the working gas. I have no diagram to go by, and have not built a lamina flow stirling engine before. I just don't trust water as a piston, but i have seen it work before.....for a little bit.

[Ian S C]

water works ok in the Fluidyne engine/ pump, it works as piston and displacer. Ian S C