[chbot] Test Tubes for Stirling Engine

[Charles Manning]

I have two stirling engines (from kit) which I should bring to a meeting as 
there are some interested folk.

I have bought stuff from lab warehouse in the past and they provided good 
service. I considered using a beaker as a cylinder to give a big see-through 
chamber.

Richard: If you send me your snail mail address, I'll loan you a book I have 
with quite a few designs - simple and complex.

The Chch library has two or three workshop manuals with stirling engine 
designs from small to engines that can actually do useful work (substantial 
fraction of a HP or more).

Toy designs are often quite finicky. One of mine will do 1000RPM when properly 
lubricated, but if you put a single drop of oil in the wrong place it will 
not reach 500RPM or might not even go at all.

-- Charles


On Tuesday 30 November 2010 08:47:03 Chris Hellyar wrote:
> http://www.globalscience.co.nz/ - local chch office.
> or: http://www.labwarehouse.co.nz/
>
> And as for larger Stirling engines...  The only tricky bit with classical
> designs I found was the graphite piston material (Assuming you have access
> to a lathe, which would be a show stopper for most designs I've seen).
>
> I think you'll find the easiest way is to find a design for which you can
> buy all the bits locally. What design are you thinking about?
>
> I've got a friend who went through 5 or 6 designs trying to make his own
> version of the whisper gen sets.  I got to watch vicariously as he did so
> as he was using my lathe to make some of the bits. He got bored in the end
> and changed to using a radial layout oscilating steam engine.
>
> Stirling engines are very cool. :-)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Richard Jones" <rjtp at ihug.co.nz>
> Sent: Tuesday, 30 November, 2010 08:26
> To: "Christchurch Robotics" <chchrobotics at lists.linuxnut.co.nz>
> Subject: [chbot] Test Tubes for Stirling Engine
>
> I would like to build the student Stirling engine described here :
>
> [http://www.mech.canterbury.ac.nz/research/stirlingcycle.shtml]
> http://www.mech.canterbury.ac.nz/research/stirlingcycle.shtml
>
> Anyone know where I could buy a test tube?
>
> Or for that matter get hold of parts to build a much larger Stirling
> engine?
>
> Richard