Build A Coke Can Stirling Engine

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Build a Coke Can Stirling Engine

by reukpower on March 23, 2010
Table of Contents
Author: reukpower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Intro: Build a Coke Can Stirling Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
step 1: Prepare 2 of the coke cans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
step 2: Make the diaphragm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
step 3: Cut and drill the bottle cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
step 4: Drill the bearing holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
step 5: Cut the viewing hole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
step 6: Separate some electrical connectors and drill them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
step 7: Make the cranks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
step 8: Drill the bearings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
step 9: FIt the cranks and bearings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
step 10: Make the displacer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
step 11: Make the pressure vessel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
step 12: Now make the push rods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
step 13: Making the flywheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
step 14: Attach the flywheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
step 15: Connecting it all together and counterbalancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
step 16: Make the fire box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
step 17: Make the trim to seal the sharp edges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
step 18: It's finished now! Testing and trouble shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
step 19: [Optional] Add a cooling jacket, and maybe a generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
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http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Coke-Can-Stirling-Engine/
Author: reukpower
Author: reukpower Junkie - Scrap to power

Always a brew in hand, while making something. Take a look at my site for more instrucables and info.
License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)
Intro: Build a Coke Can Stirling Engine

The Stirling engine is a heat engine invented by Robert Stirling in 1816, it's different from your car engine because the fuel is burned outside of the engine, which makes
it much easier to build. There are Stirling engines which will run on the heat of your hand, although they are a little harder to build. The Stirling engine makes a cool
addition to any hobbyists collection of "things I've built!"
How does it work ?
This engine uses air which is repeated heated and cooled. To allow the air to be heated and cooled the coke can contains a displacer which is like a loose piston that can
move up and down forcing the air around the engine. When the air is heated it expands pushing the diaphragm (balloon) outward which turns the cranks. When the
cranks turn they move the displacer down so that the air is near the top where it is cooled causing it to shrink and pull the cranks back, which of course moves the
displacer upwards allowing the air to be heated at the bottom, this repeats over and over!
What you need:
3 X Coke cans
1 X Balloon
2 X Spoke nipples
4 X 5A Electrical terminal blocks
Fine steel wire wool
1mm steel wire (about 30cm)
Thick (1.6mm) Copper wire or 1.6mm - 2mm steel wire
Plastic Drinks bottle cap.
1cm length of 20mm Dowel rod (you could carve this as you only need a tiny amount!)
Super Glue
30cm of Electrical wire (we want the outer insulation, so 3 core mains will be fine!)
Fishing line about 30cm long
Small scrap of inner tube rubber about 2cm square.
Small weights for balancing (5p 2p nickel etc)
3 CD's
A Lyles syrup tin or other tin for the firebox
Drawing pin
Super Glue
[optional]
Red temperature resistant silicone

Tuna can for a water Jacker
step 1: Prepare 2 of the coke cans
Next you need two coke cans with their inside of their tops cut off. Use the tin snips to cut them, this will leave a lethal jagged edge which you must clean up either
using a metal file or a small flap sander (could also use a Dremel)
Then cut the bottom off the cans using a Stanley knife. Try not to crease the metal as this will reduce the chances of it being airtight.
Image Notes
1. Trim the coke can with the scissors
step 2: Make the diaphragm

The diaphragm of this engine is made from a balloon (just an ordinary one, nothing special!). It's reinforced with a piece of inner tube in the centre First of all cut the neck
off a balloon and stretch the balloon end over the top of a can. Then cut a piece of inner-tube rubber about 1cm square and glue it in the centre of the balloon.
Once the glue is dry, you can use a drawing pin to pierce a hole in the centre of the diaphragm for the displacer wire. Leave the pin in the hole until your ready to fit the
displacer later.
Image Notes
1. Instructables orange is compulsory !
step 3: Cut and drill the bottle cap
Drill a 2mm hole in either side of the bottle cap for the crank pivot, and a hole in the centre for the displacer wire.
Then cut either side of the bottle cap into a curved shape, this is because sometimes the displacer wire holder flicks to the side a little and it may hit the cap - This is more
of an annoyance than a real problem, but you might as well prevent it if you can! Plus I think it looks better with the curves. I used tin snips here - they work well for
cutting this thick plastic.
Now remove the diaphragm from the coke can and flip it over so that the inner-tube is on the inside of the can. Glue the bottle cap to the side of the diaphragm that does
not have the inner-tube reinforcement. I sanded the bottle cap a little as I found that the glue doesn't like to stick to this plastic.
The pin is left in place to line up the holes for the wire.
Image Notes
1. The copper wire is just to show where the holes go
Image Notes
1. Pin still in place
step 4: Drill the bearing holes

I used a long 3.5mm drill bit to drill the bearing holes. I just drilled them by eye, no need to measure anything. They should be near the top of the can where it bevels in.
Make sure that they're roughly level.
step 5: Cut the viewing hole
Next, mark a circle roughly in the centre of the can, so that you can see the cranks/displacer wire etc. It doesn't have to be a circle, but that makes fitting the trim easier.
Image Notes
1. Viewing window
2. This connects to the pressure vessel aka coke can N.2
step 6: Separate some electrical connectors and drill them

Now you need to get some electrical terminal blocks and remove the plastic protection. The best way to get them out of their plastic blocks is to unscrew the screws as
much as you can, then twist the plastic off around the screw thread with pliers.
Now drill a 2mm hole straight through the end of each one, as shown. You need three of these drilled. To drill them I held them with pliers.
You also need two of these not drilled in any way.
Image Notes Image Notes

1. 2mm hole 1. Three drilled and you need two not drilled.
step 7: Make the cranks
For the cranks I used some 1.8mm (approx - I don't know the exact size) copper wire - you can use old spokes, or steel wire, if you don't have copper. I used copper
because it's easier to bend and I like copper. If you need to straighten the copper wire you can clamp it in a drill and hold the other end with some pliers - spinning the drill
should straighten the wire. Make sure you wear some decent safety gear though, in case the wire slips!
I've included photo's of every step of bending the cranks below. The displacer piece should protrude about 20mm and the other parts protrude about 5mm, no need to be
exact though. The displacer part is at 90 degrees to the push rods - this is the best angle for this engine.
The electrical blocks are fitted as you bend the cranks, be careful to make sure that they all point the same way, as you won't be able to access the screws from the
viewing window.
step 8: Drill the bearings
I used two spoke nipples for the bearings. You can get these at bike shops or scavenge them from old buckled/broken wheels.
Check your cranks before you drill them, they might fit without being drilled.
Like the terminal blocks, I drilled them out with a 2mm drill bit to remove the thread.
Image Notes
1. The bearings fit in the hole you drilled previously.
step 9: FIt the cranks and bearings
Now you can thread the cranks though. You can thread them through the viewing window at an angle. If you can't fit them through you can cut one end down a little until
they do. You need to leave one end of the cranks long for the flywheel attachment though. The bearings should be a tight fit in the holes but if they are loose you can glue
them in place.
Make sure that the screws point towards the viewing window so that you can tighten them.
Image Notes
1. The bearings fit in the hole you drilled previously.
step 10: Make the displacer

The displacer is made from steel wire wool wrapped around around a piece of steel wire. Bend a small hook in the end of the wire and begin rolling steel wool around
this. Once you get near the size of a coke can, cut the wool. Pull out the wire most of the way and cut the wool so that the displacer is around 2 inches high. On the other
end of the wire (not the hook end - bend a spiral, this is just to give the wire more surface area so it can't be pulled out. Finally trim a slight bevel around the top to match
the bevel on the coke can.
You can test the displacer in a coke can now - it needs to fall freely under it's own weight. You can spin the displacer inside of the can to smooth it out. Try and make the
spiral roughly into the shape of a coke can dome. Once your happy with the displacer movement you can tie about a foot of fishing wire onto the hook end of the
displacer. Apply some super glue to the knot so that it can't wriggle loose when the engine is running.
Now you can remove the pin from the diaphragm, so you can thread the loose end of the fishing wire through the diaphragm so that the inner-tube rubber will be on the
inside of the pressure vessel.
Image Notes
1. Make sure you pull the wire out, unless you want blunt scissors.
Image Notes
1. Big catch! Tasty wire wool.
step 11: Make the pressure vessel
Cut the bottom off a coke can leaving about an inch from the base. Put the displacer and balloon into the pressure vessel, then push this base into the end of the can.
Check that the displacer still moves freely.
Now fit the balloon over the top it should not be tight or loose - just tight enough not to sag.
Take an electrical connector that is not drilled and tie the fishing line through the screw hole about an inch above the bottom of the bottle cap - make sure that the
displacer is at the bottom of the pressure vessel by tapping it on the table. Glue the knot so that it can't come lose. Apply a drop of oil to the wire and check that the
displacer can be pulled easily and that it falls easily pulling the wire with it.
Image Notes
1. Looks like a few splinters escaped my sanding - make sure there are none as
the could puncture the diaphragm.
step 12: Now make the push rods

Now you can make the push rods that connect the diaphragm to the cranks. Begin by taking a piece of copper wire (about 15cm long), threading it through the two holes
in the side of the bottle cap. Then the push rods are bent inwards to match the distance of the cranks. You will need to cut the rods to length, they should just fit into the
terminal blocks when their respective crank arms are pointing downward. Make sure that the rods can pivot freely in the bottle cap.
step 13: Making the flywheel
To make the flywheel, I used a 1cm piece of 20mm wooden dowel as a centre for some old CD's . The dowel was about 0.5mm to big for the CD centres, so I had to
sand it down a bit. Drill a 2mm hole all the way through the centre of the dowel and another around 3mm from the outside, about 5mm deep. This is so the crank shaft
can be bent back on itself, to grip the flywheel. The CD's are just glued to this.
Image Notes
1. Glue CD's in place
step 14: Attach the flywheel

The flywheel is held on by bending a hook on the end of the crankshaft, this fits into the extra hole that you drilled into the dowel.
Image Notes
1. This isn't supposed to be here yet, counterbalancing is in the next step but I
took this flywheel from another broken engine which already had the weight on...
Image Notes
1. Glue CD's in place
step 15: Connecting it all together and counterbalancing

Now you can connect all the parts together. The can with the cranks is pushed onto the top of the pressure vessel, don't push the can from the very top at the front
as this will crush the viewing window, instead push it from the bottom edge of the viewing window. You need to push it down about 4mm.
The first thing to do is connect the displacer and balance it. I cut a small piece of copper wire (about 30mm) to connect the displacer wire terminal, to the one on the
cranks, the reason for this is so that the lower terminal block can be slid up and down, to adjust the displacer to stop it hitting the top or bottom of the pressure vessel.
With the displacer connected, you can add a counterbalancing weight to the side of the flywheel opposite the direction that the displacer crank is pointing. The counter
weight should pull the displacer crank part roughly horizontal, adjust the weight to get this right. I used tape whilst testing but glued it in place when I found the correct
weight. I found a 5p coin to be about right for my engine.
The push rods are screwed into the outside terminal blocks, put the cranks in there lowest position and fit the rods into the terminal blocks. Tighten them up all up.
Image Notes
1. Small piece of copper wire about 30mm to connect the two.
2. Sssshhh, I did not set fire to my flywheel by accident!
step 16: Make the fire box.

For the fire box I used a Lyles golden syrup tin, which has a lip around the top that is a perfect for the base of the pressure vessel.
Cut an arch out of the front and drill about eight 8mm holes around the top for vents.
As an alternative to the Lyles tin, you can cut a hole in the top of an ordinary tin can that is a tight fit for the coke can.
step 17: Make the trim to seal the sharp edges.
To save anyone from getting cut on the sharp edges of the cans, I made a trim out of electric wire outer sheath. I cut the sheath down the centre so that it can be fitted
over the edges of the metal. Cut it to size and glue it in place.
Image Notes
1. This is from a different engine but shows how to fit the trim.

1. This is from a different engine but shows how to fit the trim. 1. This is from a different engine but shows how to fit the trim.
step 18: It's finished now! Testing and trouble shooting
Now you can test the engine (at last!) . Light some candles and test! Hopefully it'll work first time, but if not heres some tips that might help. Don't forget to oil all the
moving parts so it runs smooth particularly the fishing line.
Air Leaks: If you suspect an air leak, you can submerge the whole thing under HOT water and any leaks should be obvious. Hot water is important as it causes the air
inside to expand forcing it out making any leaks obvious. Dry the area of the leak ASAP as the air will cool down sucking the water inside of the engine which will create
steam when you try to run the engine, this will potentially blow the coke cans apart.
Too much friction: Does the engine turn reasonably freely? There will always be some resistance from the balloon stretching a little, but it should spin once or twice on
it's own if you give the flywheels a quick flick.
Engine is "too" air tight: If the engine is perfectly air tight then the air in the dead space will expand causing pressure in the engine which the normal movement can't
overcome. The symptom of this is that the balloon just bulges out no matter where the displacer is. The solution to this problem is to fit a small piece of fishing line under
the edge of the diaphragm, this creates a tiny leak which lets the excess pressure out. Over time the displacer wire seal will wear down a little and you should be able to
remove the artificial leak. You cant fill the space between the top of the cans if you have done this as the water will seep in.

1. It's gonna blow captain! 1. The solution - create a small air leak.
step 19: [Optional] Add a cooling jacket, and maybe a generator
You can make your engine run better by adding a cooling jacket to help increase the temperature difference. For this you will need a tin can a little bit bigger than a coke
can.
Mark around the can on the bottom of the tin so that you can cut the shape out with tin snips. You might need to file/sand the edges a little to get the tin to fit well. Push
the tin in place near the top of the pressure vessel and seal around the bottom with RTV heat resistant silicone.
You could try adding a generator too, depending on how well your engine turns you might be able to get a little power from it: Theres more photos of the Stirling generator
on my website here
The engine needs to be built perfectly to be able to drive a generator.
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generator Stirling engine Stirling engine Stirling Engine Stirling Engine
powering radio generator, (video) by fan by reukpower (video) by Free electricity
demonstration. produces reukpower Profanisaurus !!! Free energy
(video) by around 50mw !!! Any source
reukpower (video) by of heat !!! Better
reukpower than Stirling
Engine !!!
(video) by
mieszalniapasz
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 148 comments
flybynightenterprises says: May 16, 2010. 6:30 AM REPLY

This is the coolest engine and I really want to build one but frankly I can't follow the instructions. I would probably understand if I had ever build one before.
Is there a diagram somewhere for this design? For instance, does the balloon go on one of the cans that were modified in step one? Which end? Where is
the third Coke can?
reukpower says: May 17, 2010. 9:22 AM REPLY

I drew a diagram for you, I think it should be easier to follow the instructions once you have the parts in front of you
flybynightenterprises says: May 18, 2010. 3:29 PM REPLY

Your sketch is very much appreciated, I should be able to figure it out now. Time to start rounding up materials
cayson says: Jun 5, 2010. 1:35 PM REPLY

hey i had the same problem and thanks for drawing that out!!!
DieCastoms says: Jun 16, 2010. 8:46 AM REPLY

I think you should maybe re-draw this diagram on the computer (not that it doesn't look pretty darn good the way it is) and include it in your 'Ible. The
directions make a lot more sense with the drawing.
reukpower says: Jun 16, 2010. 9:18 AM REPLY

Thanks for your comments! I'll try and do that when I get time.
killersquirel11 says: Jun 16, 2010. 10:25 AM REPLY

Looks like a beta sterling engine, unless I'm mistaken. This picture from the wikipedia article might help
flybynightenterprises says: Jun 19, 2010. 5:09 AM REPLY
The animation is very cool and helpful also!
killersquirel11 says: Jun 19, 2010. 11:11 AM REPLY

Yeah... I've done a fair amount of research on these, even made one in Autodesk Inventor as a final project in a high school class, but
never actually got around to making one...
marteloficina says: Aug 21, 2010. 3:42 PM REPLY

this motor rotates with a constant speed or you can speed up and down?
reukpower says: Aug 22, 2010. 4:29 AM REPLY

The speed is not governed in any way, it depends on the temperature difference.
marteloficina says: Aug 21, 2010. 7:26 PM REPLY

and the circuit as you have mounted after the stepper motor? I saw on your site and do not get it right.
ciscu92 says: Aug 19, 2010. 2:35 AM REPLY

very, very, very nice! I searched all over the net before finding a guide so well done. :-D
derekk says: Aug 15, 2010. 5:21 PM REPLY

what do you mean when you say, "they should just fit into the terminal blocks when their respective crank arms are pointing downward"? does this mean
when the wire that protrudes and holds the outer two terminal blocks is facing down, or does it mean how they are down in the fourth picture you have on this
step (the picture farthest to the right)?

It means that the push rods should only be long enough to reach the terminal blocks when the terminal blocks are at the lowest crank position.
Chowmix12 says: Aug 8, 2010. 8:42 AM REPLY

Is that another computer fan generator on the back of the flywheel?
shadow4742 says: Aug 7, 2010. 1:22 PM REPLY

what is the displacer for?
derekk says: Aug 6, 2010. 9:53 AM REPLY

how do you start it up or make it turn on?

You just turn it with you're hand to get it going. You could add a starter motor though if you want :D
instead of inner tube, i used a few pieces of duct tape stacked on top of each other and that seemed to work just as well.
derekk says: Aug 4, 2010. 7:17 PM REPLY

i have another question: my engine seems to lock up on the top position of the crank when i test it without the dowel and cds attached, and occasionally with
the dowel and cds. why isn't it working?

It sound's as if the cranks are pulling the displacer up slightly too high, try lowering the terminal block that the fishing line is attached to

ok, thank you kind sir

what are they called in the united states? i'm having a hard time finding them.

They are called the same thing, terminal blocks, screw blocks, electrical connectors. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103986
billythebobby says: Aug 1, 2010. 6:53 PM REPLY

what do the electrical terminal blocks even do

They are to connect all of the parts together, so you don't have to make silly little loops in the wire.

o nevermind i read the thing

where did the 1 cm rubber thing go on the 4 pic
20shadee says: Jul 20, 2010. 4:40 AM REPLY

how can i prove that it makes electricity? where can i attach the thing the measures electricity it produce?
reukpower says: Jul 20, 2010. 5:54 AM REPLY

To the output of your generator, whatever that may be. What kind of generator did you attach ?

i still doesnt have any generatior. what kind will be preferably used? im looking forward to this to be my science project. Will i buy a generator? If so,
what kind na where?

I used a stepper motor out of an old printer, sorry I don't know any kind that you can buy that will definitely work. You could use a small motor out
of a cd drive with a belt to gear it up, that will almost certainly work. Have you built your engine, if so, could you share some photo's ?

can i use the little "engines?" that the Tamiya Racing toys have? the miniture one. i havent started it yet. but i would share some photos

They'd probably need to run a little fast to make any useful voltage. I'd recommend trying to get hold of an old DVD/CD drive motor like
this: http://www.instructables.com/answers/Electrical-requirements-of-a-DVD-drive-motor/ You'll get a belt and pulley too :) You will need
to use a belt and pulley if using a DC motor as they need higher RPM's than a stepper motor.
This guy uses one on his Stirling engine: seems to work well although his engine runs insanely fast!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1BpGswGbRs

Oh, one other thing, since you haven't started building yet I'd recommend using the bearings that I used in my Stirling engine fan
rather than the spoke nipples as the ones in the fan are simpler and work better :)
n33r says: Jul 14, 2010. 12:17 AM REPLY

Is there ne other altenative then baloon ?

No, not really. Balloons aren't hard to get though....
Fenryx says: Jun 23, 2010. 6:45 AM REPLY

What kind of electrical terminal blocks did you use?

Just ordinary 5a blocks.
Fenryx says: Jun 24, 2010. 8:22 AM REPLY

I'm rather horribly useless at electricity. Is there something more you can let me know about them, or perhaps a picture and/or link to something more
descriptive? Thanks. Or any ideas for substitutes, I'm struggling to come up with one.

These are what I'm talking about : here and here. Hope this helps.
m_b_r_o_o_k_s says: Jun 26, 2010. 3:29 PM REPLY

I live in the U.S. anyone know here to get these? i am haveing the hardest time finding them.
cdousley says: Jul 13, 2010. 3:50 PM REPLY

Radioshack
henrib736 says: Jul 7, 2010. 4:50 AM REPLY

After each time I use the engine, the diaphram becomes looser and looser. Will I ever have to replace it or could I just put it on tighter?

Did you put an elastic band around it ? If not, that will stop it coming lose.
electronics guy says: Jun 29, 2010. 1:02 PM REPLY

Can I use something other than innertube to reinforce the diaphragm?
reukpower says: Jun 29, 2010. 3:23 PM REPLY

You can use any kind of thin rubber. Inner tubes are about 1mm thick, so any rubber around that thickness will do
merseyless says: Jun 26, 2010. 12:47 AM REPLY

having problems with the baloon setup, i cant make the hole big enough for it to let the displacer fall under it's own weight, what would you suggest?

Assuming it's been oiled. you can try a bigger pin. You can try putting some steel wire through the hole and wiggling it about to widen the hole. Also
leaving the pin in the hole for several hours can help.
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Build A Coke Can Stirling Engine

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Build A Coke Can Stirling Engine

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Build a Coke Can Stirling Engine

License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Intro: Build a Coke Can Stirling Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 1: Prepare 2 of the coke cans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 2: Make the diaphragm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

step 3: Cut and drill the bottle cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

step 4: Drill the bearing holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

step 5: Cut the viewing hole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

step 6: Separate some electrical connectors and drill them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

step 7: Make the cranks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

step 8: Drill the bearings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

step 9: FIt the cranks and bearings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

step 10: Make the displacer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

step 11: Make the pressure vessel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

step 12: Now make the push rods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

step 13: Making the flywheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

step 14: Attach the flywheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

step 15: Connecting it all together and counterbalancing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

step 16: Make the fire box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

step 17: Make the trim to seal the sharp edges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

step 18: It's finished now! Testing and trouble shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

step 19: [Optional] Add a cooling jacket, and maybe a generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Author: reukpower Junkie - Scrap to power

License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)

Intro: Build a Coke Can Stirling Engine

How does it work ?

What you need:

Red temperature resistant silicone

step 2: Make the diaphragm

step 4: Drill the bearing holes

step 6: Separate some electrical connectors and drill them

You also need two of these not drilled in any way.

Image Notes Image Notes

step 10: Make the displacer

step 12: Now make the push rods

step 14: Attach the flywheel

step 15: Connecting it all together and counterbalancing

step 16: Make the fire box.

Image Notes Image Notes

Image Notes Image Notes

The engine needs to be built perfectly to be able to drive a generator.

Stirling My second Coke Can An easy to build My first working

flybynightenterprises says: May 16, 2010. 6:30 AM REPLY

reukpower says: May 17, 2010. 9:22 AM REPLY

flybynightenterprises says: May 18, 2010. 3:29 PM REPLY

cayson says: Jun 5, 2010. 1:35 PM REPLY

DieCastoms says: Jun 16, 2010. 8:46 AM REPLY

reukpower says: Jun 16, 2010. 9:18 AM REPLY

killersquirel11 says: Jun 16, 2010. 10:25 AM REPLY

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marteloficina says: Aug 21, 2010. 3:42 PM REPLY

reukpower says: Aug 22, 2010. 4:29 AM REPLY

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ciscu92 says: Aug 19, 2010. 2:35 AM REPLY

derekk says: Aug 15, 2010. 5:21 PM REPLY

reukpower says: Aug 16, 2010. 1:07 AM REPLY

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derekk says: Aug 6, 2010. 9:53 AM REPLY

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derekk says: Aug 4, 2010. 7:17 PM REPLY