TRANSPARENT Stirling Engine (Laminar Flow)

This engine is made from glass bits that I had knocking about the workshop which just happened to fit together very nicely!

The piston is a 'sawn-off' test tube and the cylinder body and heating chamber are made from some odd looking 'blood' tubes (if anyone knows what these are supposed to be for I would love to know).

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• stirling
• engine
• laminar
• flow
• thermo
• acoustic
• thermoacoustic
• energy
• heat

[annihil8ted]

Can you please explain how this engine works. I understand how the flame heats the air which expands and piston but that where i'm confused. Seems to me as soon as max extension is reached, the engine would stop. Am i missing something here? Does air some how magically leak back out for the piston to go back?

[mowerofdoom]

Hi.

Air is heated in the heated side (!) and compressed slightly. Air expands, pushing the piston back. the hot air is then sucked into the cold side where it contracts (piston travelling away from heat source). Flywheel energy then continues to rotate due to inertia and pushes cold air back into hot side for re-heating. There is a slight lag between transferring air and heating/cooling so the engine continues to run. Hope this explains.... :-)

[richieT737]

Very nice looking engine. Are the O rings around the piston rubber. I am surprised that you can get the low friction required using O rings or perhaps they are graphite. Thanks for the video.

[mowerofdoom]

Hi. The piston is a glass test tube running in a glass bore. The piston rod is connected to the test tube with a perspex plug which is held inside the test tube by o-rings. Glass on glass appears to have quite low friction - not sure if there is an 'air bearing' type effect going on too. Thanks for the comment! Cheers, Geoff.

[ninnicuringa]

Hi, i would like to know something..

1)what kind of glass is used?

2)what kind of FIRE? (candel? oil?)

3)there is VACUM or AIR in the cilinder?

4)what is that black thing in the right of the instrument,inside it?it seems metal..

thank you

[mowerofdoom]

Hi.

1. Pyrex (borosilicate) glass

2. Methylated spirit

3. Air - which is heated and cooled in the different zones to expand and contract it.

4. Thin black things are o-rings to seal between the tubes. The big black thing inside the hot end is wire wool - this is the regenerator.

[jdflyback]

@28kingIV it would The best if it was air tight but if you look up on YouTube tin can stirling engine you can see how air tight they make there's and when it gets to a point to where it won't work. Hope this helps

[omagunna]

@annihil8ted im just as confused as you are mate wtf!

[dagoanmo]

what is the black thing at the right

[MilanKarakas]

WOW! The best Stirling engine I ever saw on the YouTube. Excellent work.

[MrSontaran]

Hi very nice. How is the flywheel bearing constructed

[MrSontaran]

Very Nice. How is the bearing on the flywheel constructed? Hard to see from the video

[ThePerrynator]

I'm amazed at how quiet it is.