Hi everyone,
I've been busy making this Stirling engine for my father's sixtieth birthday and completed it a few days ago.
As most of you will notice I've taken the design idea of the 'Hog' engine and started sketching.
The most challenging part came out to be the bearing for the displacer. I've used various combination of materials for the bearing and the rod, finally came with perlitic cast iron for the bearing and cold rolled steel for the rod.
Another struggle was to shorten the Pyrex test tube to length. Many shattered or were lost during the extensive testing period, where I had to take the engine apart more often then I considered amusing...
It turned out putting the glass in a collet in the lathe, spinning it slowly while rubbing it with a stone (used for sharpening cutters) was the only way I could get it cut. Upon the moment where the glass brakes, release pressure immediately or there's more clean up to do.
Currently I am making drawings of it which I will send free of charge upon request.
Here it is in motion:
That's it for now, I will notify the completion of the drawings here if there is some interest.
Greeting from Holland!
