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Stirling engines for beginners The Stirling engine's structure and history are examined in this session.
View of model Stirling engines In this session, I am introducing some model Stirling engines.
Let's build model Stirling engines On this page I offer plans for some easy to build Stirling engines.
Gallery of Stirling engines On this page I offer pictures of many types of Stirling engines.
Other Stirling engine web sites Links to other Stirling engine web sites.
Stirling Engine Home Page Academic edition This web site offers academic information for the Stirling engine.
Here is information about me and an easy questionaire. Please help me make my web site better.
Stirling Engine Q&A If you have any questions, opinions or comments about Stirling engines, please come here.
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The author has published a web site rerated metal workings. Please come to my web site! Elementary Knowledge of Metal Workings
WebRing is a means of linking web pages with similar content. You may click on the items below and jump to other Stirling sites.
This Stirling and Hot Air Engine Ring site owned by Koichi Hirata. [ Previous 5 Sites | Previous | Next | Next 5 Sites | Random Site | List Sites ]
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Today we have ecology problems and energy problems. The world needs a clean and environmental power source. Stirling engines are able to use many kinds of fuel and achieve a high theoretical efficiency.
Step 2 What is a displacer piston? Next, let's put in a piston into the can like Figure 4. A diameter of the piston must be somewhat smaller than that of the can, because the piston works to move (displace) the air up and down in the can. And, please heat the bottom side of the can and cool the upper side of the can. After it has enough temperature difference, move the piston up and down by your hand. When the piston is moved up, the rubber expands because there is a lot of hot air in the can (Figure 5). It corresponds to Figure 2. When the piston is moved down, the rubber contracts because there is a lot of cold air in the can. It corresponds to Figure 3. In the case of the Stirling engine, this piston, which moves (displaces) the air and make the pressure changes is called a displacer piston.
Step 3 Crank mechanism ~ from piston motion to rotation ~ Do you understand about the characteristics of the air and the work of the displacer piston? They are very important to understand how does the Stirling engine work. First, connect from the piston and a bent wire with a thread like Figure 6. When the bent wire is rotated, the piston is moved up and down. This is called a crank mechanism. Please heat the bottom side of the can and cool the upper side of the can, similar to above description. When your hand rotates the bent wire, the piston is moved up and down, and the rubber expands and contracts repeatedly (Figure 7).
Step 4 Power piston ~ function of the rubber ~ The Stirling engine converts from the motion of the rubber to the rotation of the bent wire. Please connect from the rubber to the bent wire with a rod. In this time, a force of the rubber (expansion and contraction) has to be the direction, which rotates the bent wire. In short, you must bend the bent wire the just right angle (90
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Step 5 Flywheel ~ for the smooth rotation ~ This engine has not worked yet. If you try to work this engine (Figure 8 and 9), the rubber keeps the most expansion or contraction. In order to rotate smoothly and repeatedly, you must fit a rotated mass with the bent wire. It is called a flywheel. Generally, the flywheel is circular like Figure 10. But at this point, please bend the end of the bent wire, and fit a mass at the edge of the wire like Figure 11. The mass works as the flywheel and to be balanced to the weight of the piston. So, you must fit the mass against the piston.
Step 6 It is the Stirling engine Finally, the Stirling engine is completed. Do you understand how does the Stirling engine work? Yes. No. I have known the principles before seeing this page. Do you think that above description is easy to understand? Yes, it is easy. No, it is not easy. If you have any suggestion about this page, please tell me it.
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P.S.: When the Stirling engine is understood, it is important that the knowledge of the characteristics of air (Thermodynamics), the crank mechanism and the flywheel (Mechanics and Mechanical Vibrations). I have tried to explain about them as simply as possible. Please contact me if you find incomprehensible contents or any errors, and have any your opinions. I hope that this description becomes more suitable for every young student. Permission is hereby granted, by author, to print and distribute this description. Thank you. Koichi Hirata (khirata@gem.bekkoame.ne.jp)
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Stirling engines have two pistons that create a 90 degree phase angle and two different temperature spaces. The working gas in the engine is perfectly sealed, and doesn't go in and out to the atmosphere. Stirling engines can be classified as two pistons type Stirling engines and displacer type Stirling engines. The two pistons type Stirling engine consists of two power pistons. The displacer type Stirling engine consists of one power piston and a displacer piston.
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Gas expands when heated, and contracts when cooled. Stirling engines move the gas from the hot side of the engine, where it expands, to the cold side, where it contracts.
HEATING Let's start from a top dead center of a hot piston. The hot piston moves to the upper part of the cylinder and a cold piston moves to the lower part of the cylinder during first 90 degree revolution. The working air is moved from cold space to hot space. And the pressure in the engine is inclused. EXPANSION Next 90 degree revolution, the two pistons move both lower part accepting the air pressure. The engine is gotten the power of the operation. COOLING The crank shaft is revoluted by saved power in a flywheel next 90 degree. The hot piston moves to the
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lower part and the cold piston moves to the upper part. The air is moved from the hot space to the cold space. And the pressure in the engine is decreased. COMPRESSION The two pistons are moved to upper part by the compression of the air during next 90 degree. The engine is gotten the power of the operation in this time. The two pistons type Stirling engine operates to repeat these distances.
Have you understood the principles of the two pistons type Stirling engines? Yes, very well! Yes. No. No, at all! I have known the principles before seeing this page. If you can, please tell me your name, e-mail address and country. Name: Country: E-mail address:
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The Stirling engine was invented by Robert Stirling in 1816. He was a Scottish minister. At that time, Stirling engines were recognized as a safe engine that could not explode like steam engines of that era often did.
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Since then, many kind of Stirling engines were manufactured with a view to increasing the output and the efficiency. But the engine had been made a poor production, in the back of Otto engine and Diesel engine. Because Otto engine invented by N. Otto on 1877 and Diesel engine invented by R. Diesel on 1893 were higher capacity than Stirling engine in those days.
Stirling Engine in the early days I took this picture in 6th International Stirling Engine Conference, Eindhoven (the Netherlands) on 1993.
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Stirling Engine was taken notice again, when PHILIPS Corporation started to research on Stirling engine as the power source of portable generator in about 1940. A 200 W Class Stirling engine was completed in about 1950. But the engine was not spread, because the transistor that can work at low power was invented.
I took this picture in 6th International Stirling Engine Conference, Eindhoven (the Netherlands) on 1993.
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Since then, Stirling engine had been studied in Europe and America. The engine had been started to develop rapidly with effect of oil-shock in 1973. In Japan, the engine was started to research later than Europe and America about 20 years.
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Now, Stirling engine is studying lively in the world. For examples, Solar Stirling engine, hot spring Stirling engine, underwater Stirling engine, air-conditioning Stirling system, Stirling refrigerator and .....
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LSE-01
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This engine is a two piston type Stirling engine with a cap type heater made of stainless steel and it does not have a regenerator. Its cooling system is a natural convection cooling by air. The pistons and cylinders use medical syringes made of glass, so the engine has few leakage of the working gas and small friction. To minimize the friction loss, at most of drive parts are used ball bearings. This engine has high speed performance. It can rotate about 3000 rpm.
LSE-01
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Following picture is a model boat with MSE-01. Ship type is named Short Water Area Twin Hal (SWATH).
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Model Stirling Engine "MSE-01" had been loaded some type model boats.
The boat was installed with the floats on front and side, but it overturned too.
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This amphibian ship is powered by the 5W class Stirling Engine "MSE-02". Running Speed of this ship is about 2 km/hour on the land and on the water.
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This model boat is powered by the MSE-05. The engine is compact and light weight.