Free piston Stirling Engine made with no lathe

This is a model free piston Stirling engine made from glass cyringes, tubing, cans, J-B Weld epoxy resin, some metal cuttings, wood blocks, plumbing pipe joint, old CPU heatsink, Neodymium magnets, repair washers and some assorted o-rings. The only power tool used was an electric drill. With it I drilled holes, cut glass (with a circular diamond cutter) and approximated work that is normally done by a milling machine.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• free
• piston
• stirling
• engine
• hot-air
• free-piston
• model
• hot
• air

[ChristianSarbu]

Why don't you use another set of magnets on the top of the washer and your limiter so it wont fly off into the atmosphere like you said and it wont loose friction touching the limiter \

[blg53]

@ChristianSarbu The idea occured to me at the time and I even tried it. It acted as a spring from above which was surprisingly difficult to tune. Also a limiter was a simpler solution. In any case, once I put a load on it (check my next video) in the shape of an electric generator connected to a bulb, there was no need for any limiter altogether as the load naturally restricted the amplitude of the piston movement.

[josephdupont]

WHAT AN AMAZING MACHINE...

[blg53]

@josephdupont Thanks mate.

[orsiswed]

Excellent video and explanation. Can I ask you if the magnets in the virtual string itself can be used at the same time to generate electricity and whether additon of another "virtual spring" as an upper limit instead of the rubber stopper might not perhaps improve efficiency and even add further to the generation of electricity?

Thank you once again. Very stimulating.

[blg53]

@orsiswed Thanks ! Indeed the magnets can be used both to generate electricity and to provide the upper 'choke' to the piston. Check my latest video, there are comments on the both subjects you raised here.

[ollieoniel]

nice

[panoarturo1]

coool

[blg53]

I am trying ... :o) Not sure when the next video will be posted. I am yet to design the linear alternator, let alone make it. And without it there is no point posting another video, it'll just be a repetition of the previous one.

[roidroid]

your videos are very interesting, i look forward to the next