Stirling engines rank among the most easily constructed engines that one can find in a particular household. A home made Stirling engine has the ability to rotate at a 3000 rpm, which is its maximum.
Using scrap materials, you can be able to come with a good Stirling engine. Some of the useful materials include coke and red bull tins, a balloon, high temperature glue, silicon gasket, bolt, straight pins, coat hanger, PVC balloon and washer.
After the materials have been gathered the Stirling engine can now be made using a few simple steps.
- Firstly a ring stand has to be made and one will need to take a coke tin and make it hallow for this.
- After making it hallow it should then be cut into 2 halves.
- Of the two halves, the bottom one’s sides should be cut open using a base ring and made into three legged ring.
- Cut and bend the can’s side to make a ring stand
- Making of the engine’s pressure level is the next step. This is done by taking another coke can and scraping off the sides and cutting off the top portion. This is the pressure vessel’s bottom part. For the top part get a coke tin and cut it about two inches from its bottom. Using a pin make a hole in the bottom piece’s center. Inside the pressure vessel’s center, glue a rectangular, small steel plate and the bolt to prevent leakage.
- Make a displacer in the same manner using a red bull tin and fit it in the earlier made pressure vessel.
- Make a crankshaft from a cut coat hanger. All the support needed by a crank will be provided by two cut red bull tins that have holes.
- Fixing the crank onto the material made for support is the next step and it should rotate smoothly within them.
- After ensuring that both the support and the crank are ready place them onto the pressure vessel.
- Cut a balloon into a disc shape to be used like a diaphragm. The latter is tasked with connecting the disc and the crank.
To make the engine run, heat the pressure vessel’s bottom part and after 20 to 30 seconds push the engine’s fly wheel gently and it will start rotating. Since the pressure vessel could get overheated, it should be constantly cooled. This can be done by placing ice atop the vessel.
