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From: makemagazine
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  • epic fail

    

  • it'd be much easier if you used fire instead of water, candles seem to work pretty well and a lot faster

  • If you add pen filings to the crank the joits wont fiddle around that much. see my videos. And it looks like your displacer is way too small, it should almost touch the cylinder walls. but keep up the good work!

  • thats what i call a retro CD player !  :D

  • how important is it to make the dimensions of the crankshaft accurate

  • y isn't it KipKay??

  • This is a pretty big fail.

  • Awesome video, Cool , great Job!!

  • I don't think everyone understands, its the physics involved here that is incredible.

    Yes of course is slow...have you seen what is running it?! Hot water...in terms of engines, VERY basic!

  • Dats slower than an atheast snail at church

  • fail

  • Mi nombre es Gustavo y estoy en Argentina todo esta bien explicado pero lo que te falto es decir que material es desplasador y que medidas ,te felicito muy lindo diceño si me mandas el plano puedo hacer uno igual al tuyo, mi mail sagusoft@live.com

  • y is there a cd on it?

  • DAMN THATS SLOW

  • im glad we changed from steam engines to combustible ones. Alot more efficient.

  • @dyl1828

    The Stirling engine is BY FAR more efficient than any internal combustion engine.

    The reason we don't use Stirling engines is because they're too efficient -it's hard to draw the same power from a Stirling engine. You waste a lot of energy with a combustion engine, but you can release a lot of energy very quickly.

  • BORING!

  • Kipkay make magazine vids are better..

  • If you used a coil of enameled wire where the copper pipe is and a neodymium magnet for the small piston, you'd have the basics for a generator!

  • not rely "how-to"

  • @meilute03 its a "demo", a demonstration. The "how-to" is linked to in the description.

  • not rely "how-to"

  • FAIL , u used strings

  • At first, it looked like a hand powered stirling engine -.-

  • the fly wheel is too light, i built the same basic setup, but longer stroke and found that the heavyer the fly wheel the smoother it ran

  • this is stupid, the best stirling engines could be used as sawblades

  • fail malaka

  • Sorry for the double post, but i just read your article and it says you used Aluminum. :-) Cant wait to make mine!

  • Did you use Stainless steel for the two round plates as well? That could easily be part of your problem. Stainless Steel doesnt transfer heat very well (over 20x less than copper) as compared to other metals. Aluminum plates might help. Im planning on building one of these within the next few weeks and that is probably what I'll use. (Im a design student btw) Awesome Project!

  • too big dvd :)

  • what is that 20 rpm

  • Rpm means rotations per minute.

    :)

  • i know exactly

    did you see how slow it was spinning iv seen some Stirling engines get up to 1000+ rpm's

  • Revolutions, but you were close enough.

  • How did you make de piston?

  • stupid.>:3

  • ignorant

  • The only thing wrong with it is you put oil in the piston cylindar. stirling engines run dry pistons due to 14Lbs pressure and vacuum are low power. and the oils create a resistance to moving fast due to having to move the layers of viscosity. if they had more torque it wouldnt matter much. looks like it could run fast and on low temp differential. good work. just dry the piston and sleeve. MUDD

  • They don't create a big resistance... at least my plastic power-piston runs faster with oil and it also fills the gap between the piston and the wall.

  • make a tighter fit. ive built over 30 and my first 3 didnt work but the rest haul A . even the ericson ryders , and robinson pattant used dry sleve pistons with leather washers. rev. dr. robert stirlings' was dry as well. and on the uss monitor.

    not trying to argue, just trying to help. check out mine. I made them out of trashy old junk from the garbage, not a machine shop and they still work well. my next one is a huge lamina flow from a drilling pipe with a truck wheel for flywheel.

    MUDD

  • Wow... very nice stuff. I'll try to make it work dry then.

  • thanks dude . sometimes i have a habit of pising people off , but its not intentional. but i will answer any Qs with pleasure. im trying to get 5 hp out of the accustic lamina. that will probably be in 6 months though.

    the pistons i used were brass tubings that slide inside each other barely. ace hardware , arts and crafts stores and hobby shops, flaring outwards on the outer tube and inward on the inner one.

    epoxy inside the piston with a oiece of wire. oil everything but the piston.

    mudd

  • Comment removed

  • HUH?

  • runs soooo slow

  • Not a bad looking engine!

    Now, a few tricks for more efficiency-

    -If you put some "washers" to keep the rods from sliding back and forth, you'll get more energy, and a better stroke.

    - Also, if the water/coffee/whatever is actually touching the bottom plate, the energy is transferred much more effectively.

    -Just a side note, I'm actually the guy who wrote the article. :) I'm glad other people are enjoying it!

  • The plans say the displacer is foam. What kind of foam? Couch cushion foam, insulation styrofoam?

  • basically closed cell, hard foam. Styrofoam, insulation foam (the pink or blue stuff at the hardware store) etc.

  • 3:10 / 3:17

  • I liked the edition in the magazine better, but I can't make something like this, so it's still good.

  • It does not work well because the movie you have on the DVD is too long, so it make the disk too havy ;o)

  • 123456798

    lkm

  • those are fun. lol

  • That is actually pretty cool.

    Wonder if we could build a larger scale version of it and see how much electricity can be gathered.

  • NO

    nothing like this has ever been thought of

  • The whole point of me saying that is how much energy could be gathered considering that you lose energy around the engine since you cannot gather all energy efficiently.

  • yeah thats cool

  • NICE LTD

  • I should hook one of these up to my Hemi for a little extra boost !!!

  • I lol'd

  • you can get a better "combustion" if  boil distilled water instead of tab water. because it wont boil and it can get really really hot.

  • that was really boring.

  • I'm impressed... Really. really impressed...Yawn...

  • what the hell is that for?

  • wow y was it soooooooooo slow

  • how the fuk could u it

  • pretty cool

  • well you shouldnt use How-To at the title :). its cool :) just need to make more diferances.

  • Comment removed

  • umm wtf, why would we ever use tht?

  • For example stirling motors are used in some smaller block heating stations. The heat from the heating system is used to heat the water but also runs a stirling motor which is connected to a generator to produce electric energy. I admit that this type of block heating station isn't widely spread but some companies - especially here in Europe offer these systems.

  • the more you knooooow

  • 0:01

  • wtf?

  • WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS CONTRAPTION

  • Yeah seriously, wtf does it do?

  • It's an engine design that's about 195 years old that can convert thermal energy into mechanical energy.

  • just shows thermal energy, it's just for fun and something cool to show kids.

  • could you use like, a flame or filimant to heat it up or something instead of water? then you can get a better temprature

  • xD the text on the oil tube is german ^^

  • i guess germans make high quality lube :P

  • lol, He spent more energy boiling the water.

  • your flywheel needs to store more inertia.. using a cd as a flywheel is retarded. At least glue something heavy around the rim of the cd..

  • whats it supposed to do

  • power your ipod, at starbucks.

  • hahaha, that's funny.

  • yeah

  • This could be the solution to the energy crisis...

    NOT!!

  • There's an energy crisis?

  • make sure your joints are smooth.

  • wat do u do with it? or is that all it does?

  • Drop that thing into my Tocoma...i wanna go 4 wheeling

  • wow renewable energy is coming a long way...lol

  • hmm. One Ice Cap and a boiling ocean might get it to run for 15 minutes non stop without the help of your fingers to push it along. Bravo!

  • you have no idea what a Stirling engine is do you?

  • no what is the use of the cd? pointless weight?

  • its called a flywheel it helps keep the crankshaft turning when it is running when it gets to the point of "no power"which is on the all up stroke and all down stroke therefore u need something to keep it turning

  • i see now... but what i dont see now is the point of it in this particular motor... its keeping the engine from running, and there is no need for it to keep running on its own. like with cars, they are used to keep the engine running when the accelorator is not in use... but with this it isnt a car and it doesnt need momentum for any reason at all.

  • Because it needs the momentum from the flywheel to carry it through to the next power cycle so it doesn't just stop when the piston reaches the top (or bottom, depending on the configuration)...The same as any piston engine does.

  • but it doesnt need momentum

  • a flywheel

  • lol, it barely worked

  • basuraa

  • can i use this to run my car?

  • lol

  • yeah man, at least you got that i was just making a joke, it seems like most people on youtube don't understand sarcasm and humor, i don't understand why we both got a thumbs down, but i countered yours for you, but whatever, at least someone has a brain. ahaha.

  • use a flame dude

  • that's great, but, WHY?

  • Can you post a video on how to make it?

  • I bet GM or Ford are knocking at your door just to get a look. The fun is in the tinkering although I prefer marble machines.

  • whats the point..most of these are supposed to be somewhat practical.. this does nothing but spin. in a very slow manner... couldn't use it at all... but still cool i guess.

  • Do think that the first guy to use steam started big and made a textile factory? No that would be absurd wouldn't it. All of the things that make your life easier were made using impractical ideas you would only look at in ignorance and doubt. If you would have paid attention in science class you would know that at a large scale this machine would have a great displacement of the main rod witch i can only dream of uses for.

  • yea but dude, its an old idea and theres been better ones since that may have been based on it, but they are better! so face it the next time u want some major rod displacement ur not gonna be building one of these. idiot!

  • Comment removed

  • neat

  • Shut up! You freaking losers sit at your dang computer all freaking day watching videos and posting rude, unnecessary, and uncalled-for comments that do nothing but make you look idiotic and immature. Until you can figure something out like this, don't say anything rude. Damn.

  • I agree, but aren't you doing the same by complaining?

  • cool

  • Told you it would work!

  • dude you should got to toyota corp and they will make a water powerd car

  • there are no plans on make magazine some one ad a link or something

  • Yes there are, it's in the post! I added a free link to the digital edition of MAKE Volume 17. Enjoy!

  • i ment a pdf

  • woah dude, now let me hook that up to my car

  • Sure, but it wouldn't even make the blinkers work!

  • I have to agree with somethingnotseen, but I'll stay on for a bit longer. there are so many interesting things you could make and so others how to make, but instead we get a so-so Stirling engine that needs a lot of performance tweaking. I suggest adjusting the piston length on the one to the left that you "wrapped so well" and checking your seals. something has to have a leak for it to be going so slow.

    the only reason I'm not unsubscribing is because I enjoy the make TV segments.

  • It would be great if you made one with those improvements and shared it with all of us. Send me an email and I will get it up on the blog too. Thanks!

  • challenge accepted, good sir! although the video quality my be a bit shoddy, as I'll have to use my web cam to record it. but I'll attempt to make one as a side project!

    just a disclaimer, it may take a long while as I have to finish a steampunk flash animation over the next couple months, I have a hand full of half finished beam bots, and some other steampunk projects. but a sterling engine is defiantly on my "To Do" list now more then ever :D!

  • show how to make it

  • Check out the 'more info' for a link to the post.

  • They shold make a cd-drive out of that idea, to help us save energi

    xD xD xD

  • Well that solves the oil crisis.

  • kewwlll

  • wow great. everyone else thinks it sucks but i think it is awesome! great build man! Really cool engine

  • Thanks. Keep in mind a lot of people like trolling the internet just to make anonymous negative comments. They aren't making anything, and certainly aren't sharing, or contributing anything. Just ignore them.

  • im a kiwi

  • ball bearings....

  • how does it work...

  • difference in temperature

  • wtf :/

  • ok, that's worth five stars but now put in to a car :D

  • The Gakken kit from the Maker Shed does just that! Check out the link and scroll down for a video.

  • ma spoon is too big

  • lolol

  • I AM A BANANA!

  • my spoon is too big

  • I am a BANANA

  • no.

  • hehe oh yeah that reminds me, dont jump too high or you will

  • lol

  • it is supposed to spirl a cd....

  • i have a dvd player for that :P

  • chi me lo spiega in italiano?

  • um... wow can u say most ineffective stirling engine ever?

  • whats the point of making it and whats it supposed to do

  • what is it good for?

  • Not much, but then again neither are any model cars, trains, etc. It was built for pure enjoyment of making something.

  • it is a bit slow

    but is looks nice

  • crap i don't like it

  • what is it supposed to be i dont get it please someone tell me

  • It is a steam engine

  • its an engine..

  • why don't you follow the instructions next time

  • Try adjusting the cam some more. From the look at the video you can see the the bronze tube rod slides on the cam meaning your losing power that force could be used to spin the cam.

  • Yes, I noticed that too.

  • Measure the distance both rods travel from top dead center to the bottom of stroke. Then make that same distance to the cam. Also, adjusting the timing of the offset of the cam to the other could increase power.

  • The CD is not centered good enough, that's why there was a "spot" in the mechanism

  • where can i buy ur magazines? not from the interent

  • Hastings

  • wats that?

  • Most major book stores carry it.

  • sweet

  • Is has like 0.000001 Horst Power..

  • whats the point of it?

  • i agree, what the hell is the point

  • Search youtube for stirling engines. Production models are used in solar condensers to generate electricity.