Development of Stirling Engine that

Converts Heat Energy into Motion

Inexpensively

Authors
Garrett Fagundus
Sara Sohmer
Thatcher Stevens
Lunet Yifru

Submitted To
Alicia Anderson
Engineering 101- H06
Freshman Engineering
Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV

December 3, 2017

Signatures: By signing this we agree that we have not committed any academic dishonesty or
received outside help in any aspect of completing this project. We have each read and edited this
report.

Garrett Fagundus: Was a part of writing the following sections- Background, Conclusion, Future
Works
______________________________________________

Sara Sohmer: Was a part of writing the following sections- Abstract, Introduction, Background,
Methods and Materials, Results, Discussion
______________________________________________

Thatcher Stevens: Was a part of writing the following sections- Background, Methods and
Materials
______________________________________________

Lunet Yifru: Was a part of writing the following sections- Background, Problem Statement
______________________________________________
Abstract

The​ ​purpose​ ​of​ ​creating​ ​two​ ​stirling​ ​engines​ ​was​ ​to​ ​explore​ ​a​ ​more​ ​efficient​ ​alternative​ ​to

traditional​ ​generators​ ​that​ ​may​ ​be​ ​used​ ​in​ ​the​ ​home​ ​during​ ​a​ ​natural​ ​disaster.​ ​ ​The​ ​two​ ​designs

for​ ​the​ ​stirling​ ​engines​ ​were​ ​simple​ ​enough​ ​for​ ​families​ ​affected​ ​by​ ​natural​ ​disaster​ ​to​ ​create​ ​at

home.​ ​ ​The​ ​designs​ ​were​ ​tested​ ​by​ ​counting​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of​ ​rotations​ ​of​ ​the​ ​flywheels​ ​per​ ​minute

and​ ​taking​ ​the​ ​average​ ​of​ ​ten​ ​trials.​ ​ ​The​ ​power​ ​was​ ​then​ ​able​ ​to​ ​be​ ​calculated​ ​from​ ​the​ ​rotations

per​ ​minute​ ​and​ ​dimensions​ ​of​ ​the​ ​flywheel.​ ​ ​The​ ​power​ ​was​ ​then​ ​divided​ ​by​ ​the​ ​cost​ ​of

purchased​ ​materials,​ ​weight​ ​of​ ​design,​ ​and​ ​volume​ ​of​ ​the​ ​cylinder.​ ​ ​This​ ​number​ ​was​ ​the​ ​project

efficiency,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​first​ ​model’s​ ​efficiency​ ​was​ ​compared​ ​to​ ​the​ ​final​ ​model’s​ ​efficiency.​ ​ ​The

results​ ​were​ ​that​ ​the​ ​first​ ​model’s​ ​project​ ​efficiency​ ​was​ ​18.2,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​second​ ​model’s​ ​project

efficiency​ ​was​ ​48.1.​ ​ ​It​ ​was​ ​concluded​ ​that​ ​the​ ​second​ ​model​ ​performed​ ​more​ ​efficiently​ ​due​ ​to

multiple​ ​design​ ​changes​ ​between​ ​iterations.

ii
Contents

Abstract…….……….……….………...……….……….……….……….……….……….ii

List of Figures……….……….…….….……….……….……….………....………....…...v

1 Introduction………….……….………..……….……….……….……….……..…....….1

1.1 Problem Statement….……….………….….……….……….……….………….....….1

1.2 Background………..……….……….………..……….……….……….………......….1

1.2.1 Stirling Engines…..……….……….……….……….……….……….……….....…..1

1.2.2 Crankshaft…………………………………………………….……………………..2

1.2.3 Displacer…………………………………………………………………………….3

1.2.4 Rotation used to generate electricity………………………………………………...4

1.2.5 Physics-Rotational Motion…………………………………………………………..4

1.2.6 Challenges when making a stirling engine………………………………………….5

1.2.7 Test Plan………………………………………………………….………………….5

2 Methods and Materials………………………………………………………………….8

2.1 Materials………………………………………………………………………………8

2.1.1 First Model Materials……………………………………………………………….8

2.1.2 Second Model Materials…………………………………………………………….8

2.2 Methods……………………………………………………………………………….8

2.2.1 First Model Methods……………………………………………………………….8

2.2.1 a Cylinder Tower…………………………………………………………………...8

2.2.1 b Displacer…………………………………………………………………...…….10

2.2.1 c Crankshaft and Flywheel……………………………………………………..….10

2.2.1 d Diaphragm and Connector Rod……………………………………………...…..11

iii
2.2.1 e Assembly…………………………………………………...…………………….11

2.2.2 Second Model Methods………………………………………………….………...12

2.2.2 a Cylinder Tower………………………………………………………………......12

2.2.2 b Displacer…………………………………………………………...…………….14

2.2.2 c Crankshaft and Flywheel……………………………………...………………….15

2.2.2 d Diaphragm and Connector Rod……………………………………………….....16

2.2.2 e Assembly……………………………………………………………………...….17

3 Results……………………………………………………………………………….....20

4 Discussion……………………………………………………………………………...21

5 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………..22

5.1 Future Work………………………………………………………………………….22

6 References……………………………………………………………………………..24

iv
List​ ​of​ ​Figures

Figure​ ​1…….……….……….………...……….……….……….……….……….……….9

Figure​ ​2……….……….……….…….….……….……….……….……….………....….13

Figure​ ​3……….……….……….………..……….……….……….……….………....….14

Figure​ ​4……….……….………….………..…….……….……….……….………....….16

Figure​ ​5……….……….……….……….………..……….……….……….………....….16

Figure​ ​6……….………..……….……….……….……….……….……….………....….18

v
1 Introduction

One of the main concerns during a natural disaster is the ability to have

electricity. During a natural disaster, it is common for power lines to go down and for plants to

be temporarily shut down. One solution for this is to have an at-home generator at the ready, but

many of them require gasoline or propane to run. If one’s supply gasoline or propane is ruined

by natural disaster or the supply is completely used, a stirling engine can run on more easily

obtained material and with higher efficiency.

1.1 Problem Statement

The objective of this project was to design, construct, and test two iterations of a sterno

powered stirling engine using only a sterno type can as a fuel. This stirling engine was to be able

to be used effectively after a natural disaster as part of the relief effort because they are more

efficient than traditional generators. The design was to be made principally using recycled

materials with the purchased material cost falling under $20.

1.2 Background

1.2.1 Stirling Engines

The stirling engine was invented and patented in 1816 by Reverend Robert

Stirling in Scotland. Today, stirling engines are being looked at as an alternative to

polluting internal combustion engines. Stirling engines can be powered by clean energy

and if fully implemented could create a good alternative to other designs for this like

powering a home or running a well. They could also be used for disaster relief in places

that have lost electricity and unlike traditional generators, a stirling engine can be

1
designed to run indefinitely if a renewable power source is used, like solar energy for

example (Thombare 1).

A stirling engine consists of four dominant sections; the external heat source, a

cold section, a hot section, and a crank shaft all in the interest of creating some electrical

output to do work (Church). Research shows that there are three typical flavors of

stirling engine, each with its own benefits and complexity. Alpha engines use two

separate sections, one hot and one cold to exploit air as a liquid and move pistons back

and forth and crank a flywheel (“Chapter 2a – Alpha Stirling Engines”). Beta stirling

engines propel a singular cylinder’s displacer/sealer that isn’t as tightly fit to its cylinder,

thereby allowing the gas exchange to happen along the sealer’s periphery, rather than two

separate cylinders (“Chapter 2b - Beta Type Stirling Engines”). Gamma stirling engines

employ a larger volume cylinder to create more pressure in a smaller piston and also have

a displacer in limbo between two cylinders doing the work (“Chapter 2c - Gamma Type

Stirling Engines”).

1.2.2 Crankshaft

The crankshaft is one of the most integral parts of most stirling engine as it allows

one-dimensional motion to be converted into rotational motion that can be applied to

generators to do work or store electricity. The shape and layout of a crankshaft should

alter depending upon the application. For the parameters of a small stirling engine, a

thick-wired crank shaft made of a recycled metal is sufficient. The shape of the pivot

points, where the piston's motion meets the shaft, the “U” shaped combination of ninety-

degree angle bends translates the straight-line motion of the rod into a rotary motion. It

does so by allowing the interface between the two objects to slip whilst the piston

2
connector’s arm maintains a body wrapped around the crank shaft, pushing that interface

in a circle and thereby the entire crank shaft in a two-dimensional circle of motion. To

put several pistons in a series, all doing work on the same crankshaft, several

combinations of linkages are possible. Some series put alternating linkages in the crank

shaft, where one piston connects above the axis of rotation, and the following piston

connects below. Another technique is to place the first piston in a series above or below

and the last one in the same orientation, whilst those pistons between are mirrored

opposite above or below. For example, if a series of five pistons all worked on the same

crank shaft, the first would be interfaced above, the second third, and fourth below, and

the fifth meeting the crank above. This format is kept in order to provide even forces on

the crankshaft and give a more even rotational motion, and not put too much stress on the

crank in and one direction at any one point (Simple Machines, Mechanisms, and

Techniques).

1.2.3 Displacer

A displacer is a material that is put in the cylinder to insulate heat and create a

temperature difference between the upper and lower displacer spaces. When there is a

temperature difference between upper displacer space and lower displacer space, the

engine pressure is changed by the up and down movement of the displacer (“Displacer

Type Stirling Engine”). Pressure increases when the displacer is located on the upper part

of the cylinder and decreases when it falls back down. The displacer and the crankshaft

are connected by a connecting rod, and the movement of the displacer follows the

rotation of the crank shaft. The effectiveness of a displacer is measured by its ability to

insulate heat and ease of movement up and down the space of the cylinder. Research

3
shows one of the best materials that can be used for a displacer is a steel wool, for its

light weight, as compared to other similarly effective materials such as a copper pipe, and

its ability to insulate heat and maintain a temperature gradient between the upper and

lower sections of the cylinder (“Displacer Type Stirling Engine”).

The main role of the displacer was to dynamically move air through the middle

cylinder of the central engine column via a solid lightweight tube that leaves a small

enough area between its own circumference and the inner circumference of its housing

cylinder to create pressure while allowing some air particles to move fluidly between the

top/cold and bottom/hot ends of the stirling’s piston (“Displacer Type Stirling Engine”).

1.2.4 Rotation used to generate electricity

Generators can be created using either the motion of a wire in the presence of a

magnet or the motion of a magnet in the presence of a wire. Generally, the wire is

wrapped in a coil either surrounding the magnet or is surrounded by magnets. The

positive and negative ends of the magnets, or the poles, are what cause the kinetic energy

of the rotation to be transformed into electrical energy of the moving electrons in the wire

(Hare).

1.2.5 Physics-Rotational Motion

Recording the time it will take to impart a calorie of energy into water will only

be an accurate measurement if a very similar testing environment is used. From the

energy received to the system, measured in the water-testing case, time is used to find a

rate at which energy is imparted in joules per second, or watts (Nave). The final kinetic

energy output in watts of a stirling engine subtracted from the measured calculated input

4
gives the change in energy over a time interval. From such an efficiency rating can be

developed (Young).

1.2.6 Challenges when making a stirling engine

The greatest challenge when creating a stirling engine is to overcome the friction

of the parts in motion. The joints must not be so tight as to cause more friction than

necessary and not so loose as to make the joint break apart. Testing the tightness of the

joints and using a light oil, such as WD40 will help combat the friction (Boyd).

Another minor challenge associated with stirling engines is that the piston rod, the

piece connecting the piston to the crankshaft, can become misshapen from the rotating

motion of the crank shaft and the linear motion of the piston. One solution for this

problem is to not fix the piston rod to the crank shaft but to create a “walking arm” that

uses a joint to change the vertical motion of the piston to rotational motion of the

crankshaft on a different axis (Boyd). Instead of the piston bending under the competing

forces, it can move around a joint on the crank shaft while being fixed to the piston

(Boyd).

1.2.7 Test Plan

Table 1. List of variables used to calculate efficiency of stirling engine.

RMP Average flywheel rotations per minute R1 Radius of cylinder (m)

C Cost of purchased materials ($) R2 Radius of flywheel (m)

I Moment of inertia for a cylinder (kgm ) !

2
Angular velocity (m/s)

V Volume of Cylinder (m ) 3
D 2 Diameter of Flywheel (mm)

H 1 Height of Cylinder (m) M 1 mass of engine (kg)

H 2 Height of Flywheel (m) M 2 mass of flywheel (kg)

5
P Power output (Watts)

Testing

Place the engine in a stable, climate controlled environment and perform the following

tests:

a) Activate a sterno canister and place it under the engine. Place a small mark on

one section of the flywheel and wait ten seconds for the engine to reach a stable

number of RPM; manually count how many times the mark makes it all the way

around the flywheel’s area of rotation in one minute. Do this ten separate times to

establish an average and record in the data table. Record the resulting data in the

table.

b) Weigh the engine and record its weight in kilogramss in the data table.

Measurements

1. Record the height of the chamber of cylinder in meters and record.

2. Record the diameter of the cylinder in meters and record.

3. Tally the total cost of the engine, excluding any recycled materials and record.

Calculations

Output Power=12I2second (Equation 1)

The equation above is used for finding the power of the stirling engine by finding

the rotational kinetic energy per second. I is the variable used to represent the moment of

inertia for the flywheel, which is calculated using Equation 2. ! is the variable used to

represent the radial velocity, which is calculated using Equation 3.

I=½(M2)(R2)2 (Equation 2)

6
 The equation above is used for determining the moment of inertia of a cylinder, or

in this case a flywheel. M2 is the variable used to represent the mass of the flywheel, and

R2 is the variable used to represent the radius of the flywheel.

! =2π(RPM)60s (Equation 3)

The equation above is used for determining the radial velocity of the

flywheel. RPM is the variable used to represent rotations per minute. Because there are

2π radians in a rotation and 60 seconds in a minute, the rotations per minute is multiplied

by 2π and divided by 60.

V ="H1(R1)2 (Equation 4)

The equation above is used to determine the volume of the cylinder. H1 is the

variable used to represent the height of the cylinder, and R1 is used to represent the radius

of the cylinder.

Project Efficiency =(P)(C)(M1)(V) (Equation 5)

The above equation is used to determine the project efficiency. P is the variable

used to represent the power, which can be calculated using Equation 1. C is the variable

used to represent the cost of materials purchased for the stirling engine. M is the variable
1

used to represent the mass of the stirling engine. V is the variable used to represent the

volume of the cylinder, which can be determined using Equation 4.

7
2 Methods and Materials

2.1 Materials

2.1.1 First Model Materials

The materials used for the first model were 2 empty Pepsi cans, stainless

steel wire, aluminum wire, a coat hanger, hot glue, a balloon, a PVC connector, an

S.O.S. pad, a paint can lid, a straw, and gorilla tape.

2.1.2 Second Model Materials

A majority of the materials sourced for the second model were

recycled. The materials used in construction that formed a majority of the

engineer were three Pepsi soda cans and one Monster Energy Drink can and a

standard 65 x 98 mm tin can. In total, 300 mm of nickel-chromium resistance

wire, and 313 mm of 12-gauge steel wire were used. One sheet of 8.5 x11 inch

cardstock was used for patterns; one pad of “0000” fine steel wool, a 2L soda cap,

A blank CD, and a one inch PVC pipe elbow, 3 staples and a standard standard

latex balloon were all used in construction. A ¾ x ¾ inch bolt, 2 ¾ inch washers

and one ¾ inch nut were used in the diaphragm. 3600 mm of 3 mm double-sided
2

foam tape was used as an adhesive throughout the engine.

2.2 Methods

2.2.1 First Model Methods

2.2.1 a Cylinder Tower

The central column of the engine was made from a recycled soda can, fit

snug into the top of another soda can using gorilla tape. The top soda can acted as

8
the crank shaft housing. The top of the soda can was removed using scissors so

that the hole was large enough to toy with the crank shaft. Using a screwdriver,

two holes were punctured in the top soda can, 3 mm from the top of the can, so

that the crankshaft could be held in them. Perpendicular to the two holes, a large

hole was cut from the side of the top soda can using scissors as shown in Figure

1. The bottom center of the can was then pierced with a large screwdriver to

create a whole for the wire that connects the displacer to the crank shaft. A straw

was placed into the hole and glued in place using hot glue.

The bottom soda can housed the displacer. In order to create a condensed

area for air to act in and push a diaphragm and spin a crankshaft, a 1.0 inch PVC

elbow was dremeled to have a concave rounded edge. This was attached to the

side of the can using tape, and a hole was then poked from the inside of the can

into the PVC elbow using a large screwdriver. The top of the can was then cut off

using scissors about 50 mm from the top of the can.

Figure 1. Photograph of Model 1.

9
 A wire rack was created to surround the bottom soda can to hold the

stirling engine over the sterno. To create this, about half of a meter of stainless

steel wire was required. The wire was wrapped three times around the bottom

soda can with excess on each side, and legs were formed by cutting one of the

loops and twisting the legs to tighten the loops.

2.2.1 b Displacer

The displacer was created by obtaining an S.O.S. pad and cutting it to fit

inside the can and to be less massive. The S.O.S. pad was cut to a diameter of 66

mm and a depth of 20 mm. 100 mm of aluminum wire was inserted into the

displacer and stuck out of the displacer perpendicular to the displacer when laid

flat.

2.2.1 c Crankshaft and Flywheel

The crankshaft was made using a coat hanger. It was bent by hand using

two pairs of pliers; bent at 90 degrees downward from 30mm from the left, bent at

90 degrees upward 50 mm from the left, bent 90 degrees downward 15mm from

that bend, and bent 90 degrees downward once more 15 mm more down its

length, resulting in a lopsided “U” shape. Continuing down its shaft 30 mm more,

a 90-degree bend was made. Another bend was made 5 mm further down the

wire at 90 degrees downward. The flywheel was a recycled paint can lid.

10
2.2.1 d Diaphragm and Connector Rod

A diaphragm was made to create an airtight seal and an interface between

the displacer and the crankshaft. The seal was made by cutting off the neck of a

latex balloon. The balloon was loosely placed over the upward facing opening of

the PVC connector. A small piece of aluminum wire was wrapped around the

PVC connector close to the opening and the ends of the wire were twisted to

make sure the balloon was secured tightly.

The connector rod was made by gluing a straightened piece of steel wire

to the center of the balloon wrapped over the PVC connector. Then, the wire was

cut to the height necessary to attach it to the crankshaft with a little excess wire to

wrap around it.

2.2.1 e Assembly

To assemble the displacer and the main cylindrical tower, the displacer

was placed into the bottom can and its aluminum wire was fed through the straw

that ran through the bottom of the top can. Then, the top can was carefully fit into

the bottom can so that it was snug. The two cans were then hot glued together

followed by wrapping a layer of gorilla tape around the seam.

To assemble the crankshaft to the main cylindrical tower, the crankshaft

was fed through the holes opposite each other on the top soda can. The crankshaft

was fed through the holes and allowed to exit and reenter the large holes of the

can so as not to cause any unwanted bending in the crankshaft. Once the

crankshaft was threaded through the can, the flywheel was attached. Using the

11
 leftmost bend in the crank shaft, the paint can lid was hot glued to the crankshaft

so that the crankshaft stuck out perpendicularly from it.

The connector rod was attached to the crankshaft by wrapping the loose

end of the aluminum wire around the crankshaft. The wire was not wrapped

tightly so as not to cause unnecessary friction. Then, two lead fishing sinkers

were pinched onto the crankshaft on either side of the connector rod so that it

would not slip.

2.2.2 Second Model Methods

2.2.2 a Cylinder Tower

The central column of the engine was made from a recycled soda can, fit

snug into the top of another soda can and pressed onto the top of a emptied,

65x98mm and cleaned tin can via 3mm foam tape. The top can acted as the crank

shaft housing. It had its lid removed with a standard can opener and then had a

circular template whose radius is 30 mm, and whose center was placed 60 mm

from the top rim of the can and taped there. Using two thumbtacks, puncture two

holes one quarter of the circumference of the can in either direction from the

template center, 3 mm from the top of the can. The area the template covered was

then cut out of the can and left a large ellipse in the face of the can. The bottom

center of the can was then pierced with a thumbtack to create a whole for the wire

that connects the displacer to the crank shaft.

The middle soda can in the column housed the displacer and required two

modifications. In order to create a condensed area for air to act in and push a

12
diaphragm and spin a crankshaft, a one inch PVC elbow was sanded against a

piece of sandpaper, wrapped tightly around a spare soda can and shaved until the

PVC piece fit tightly against the can’s surface. The top of the can was cut off by

the top rim and the shaved one inch PVC elbow was attached to a 53x60 mm

rectangle of 3mm double sided foam tape in its horizontal center and 2 mm from

its top. The tape’s top face was then adhered to the side of the can 2mm from the

top rim of the can. The can was then cut out on the inside 4 mm from the top of

the can in the same location in a circumference of .5 inches. When the crankshaft

housing was mounted into the top of the piston, the thumbtack-pressed holes in

the top of the housing was parallel to the PVC pipe jutting from the side of the

piston.

The bottom section of the engine column was created from a 75x110mm tin can

with the top and bottom cut away with a can opener as shown in

Figure 2. Three trapezoids with a top base of 30 mm, a bottom base of 20 mm,

and 30 mm tall were cut and centered every 78.5 mm around the lower end of the

Figure 2. Photograph of Base of Model 2.

13
can, resulting in three equidistant trapezoids. The middle displacer housing was

then pressed into the bottom section using the remaining exposed 3mm double

side foam tape from the elbow mounting.

2.2.2 b Displacer

The displacer was created by cutting out a 195x44mm paper pattern and wrapping

and taping it around an emptied and cleaned Monster energy drink. The pattern

did not stretch around the entirety of the can and was about 20 mm short of the

full circumference, in order to leave the necessary gap between its own

circumference and the inner circumference of its housing cylinder. The strip of

aluminum was then cut away from its can and refolded into a circle so that its two

ends met; at this point it was stapled end-to-end three times and packed with one

standard pad of “0000” fine steel wool as shown in Figure 3. At three equidistant

points around the circumference of the newly formed disk tabs were cut into the

edge of the rim of the disk and folded inward to keep the steel wool in place. This

was performed on both the top and bottom. A small loop of 80 mm of nickel-

chromium resistance wire was shoved through the disk and folded over itself to

create a loop of the top 20 mm, and the rest was bent in a spiral shape to hold the

bottom of the disk up. This construct formed the displacer.

Figure 3. Photograph of Model 2 Displacer.

14
 The dimensions of the displacer were determined by its need to take up a

large volume of the internal space of the piston, yet not be too heavy for a small

amount of pressure to rapidly move. The circumference of the displacer was made

to be just barely smaller than that of its container, thus it was made to have the

can’s circumference, but had 10 mm of material cut away. The most effective

ratio of displacer height to cylinder height was a about ⅓ . Thus, the displacer was

44 mm tall compared to the piston housing which was 122 mm tall.

2.2.2 c Crankshaft and Flywheel

The crankshaft was crafted from 208 mm of 5 gauge hard steel wire. It

was bent by hand using two pairs of pliers; bent at 90 degrees upward 40 mm

from the left, bent 90 degrees downward 15mm from that bend, and bent 90

degrees downward once more 15 mm more down its length, resulting in a

lopsided “U” shape. Continuing down its shaft 28 mm more, a 90 degree bend

was made. One final bend was made 5 mm further down the wire at 90 degrees

downward.

The flywheel was made from a recycled CD and a 2 Liter bottle cap. A

53x60 mm long square of 3mm two-sided foam tape was adhered to the cap on its

top and trimmed to fit just around its top surface area. That tape-cap combination

was then adhered in the geometric center of CD as shown in Figure 4.

15
 Figure 4. Photograph of Flywheel to Crankshaft Interface.

2.2.2 d Diaphragm and Connector Rod

A diaphragm was made to create an airtight seal and an interface between

the displacer and the crankshaft as shown in Figure 5. The seal was crafted by

cutting off the neck (area of constant width) of a latex balloon and setting aside

Figure 5. Labelled Diagram of Model 2.

16
the rubber ring at the opening of the balloon. A ¾x¾ inch bolt had a ¾ inch

washer placed on it, then was pushed through the center of the cut balloon top and

had another ¾ inch washer pressed over top and sealed with a ¾ inch bolt nut

screwed on the end of the bolt tight.

The connector rod was made by wrapping 110 mm of nickel-chromium

wire tightly around the end of the diaphragm's central bolt and then was shaped

into a loop with the top 40 mm of wire.

2.2.2 e Assembly

In order to finalize the cylinder tower, 70 mm of 12lb fishing line was tied

onto the loop jutting out of the top of the displacer, and then the displacer was slid

into the soda can housing, and completing the piston. The remaining fishing line

was threaded through the hole in the bottom of the crankshaft housing, then the

crankshaft housing was pressed into the top of the piston. The crankshaft was

mounted in its housing atop the cylinder column by sliding the longer end of the

crankshaft (that became the interface between the connector rod and the

crankshaft) into the side of the housing above the PVC pipe. Then the shorter end

was slid through the hole on the direct opposite side of the housing. A 110mm

piece of nickel-chromium resistance wire was attached to the center loop of the

crankshaft and looped at the bottom in in a circle whose diameter was 4mm. The

remaining fishing line was threaded through the wire loop hanging from the

center of the crank shaft and pulled tight so that the displacer sat 25mm off of the

17
bottom of its housing when the crankshaft was at the bottom of its rotation

arc. The fishing line was tied in this position and the excess was cut off.

The center of the flywheel was pressed through the short end of the

crankshaft 20 mm in with the cap end of the flywheel facing out. The remaining

20 mm was bet upwards at a 90-degree angle and the flywheel’s cap was taped

overtop of where the new bend met the cap as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. Front View Technical Drawing of Model 2.

With the crankshaft and flywheel mounted, the diaphragm was pulled over

the exposed and open face of the PVC pipe and had the extracted rubber ring from

the balloon pulled over the end of the PVC and the balloon top, creating a tight fit

with enough room for the diaphragm to move the connector rod up and

down. The connector rod was pulled to meet the crankshaft above it at a

perpendicular angle and bent to create a loose look 4 mm in diameter. Then, on

both sides of the interface a small strip of 3mm foam tape was placed 6 mm away

18
from the connection in order to prevent much slipping and sliding as the engine’s

crankshaft rotated.

19
3 Results

Table 2. Results and characteristics of the two iterations.

Model 1st Iteration 2nd Iteration

Cost ($) $6.02 $2.35

Mass Stirling Engine (kg) 0.47 kg 0.56 kg

Volume Cylinder (m ) 3
.000713 m 3
0.00107 m 3

Moment of Inertia of Flywheel (kgm ) 2

.00031 kgm 2
.00019 kgm 2

Average Rotations per Minute 146.8 rpm 255.1 rpm

Power (watts) .0368 watts .0677 watts

Project Efficiency 18.2 48.1

For the first iteration using the first model, the entire cost of the materials purchased to

build the engine were $6.02. The entire engine weighed 0.47 kg, and the volume of its hot

cylinder was .000713 m . The moment of inertia of the flywheel was .00031 kgm , and the
3 2

average rotations per minute was 146.8 rpm, resulting in a power of .0368 watts and a project

efficiency of 18.2.

For the second iteration using the second model, the entire cost of the materials

purchased to build the engine was $2.35. The entire engine weighed 0.56 kg, and the volume of

its hot cylinder was .001107 m . The moment of inertia of the flywheel was .00019 kgm , and the
3 2

average rotations per minute was 255.1 rpm, resulting in a power of .0677 watts and a project

efficiency of 48.1.

The second model’s cost $3.67 less than the first model to make, and produced more than

double the power of the first model. The second model was 0.09 kg heavier than the first model

and had a cylinder that was larger by .000394 m . These differences resulted in the second model
3

having a 164% greater efficiency than the first model.

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4 Discussion

Some changes made between the first and second iteration include not using WD-40 or

hot glue on the second stirling engine, creating a more sturdy base for the stirling engine to stand

on, using steel wool rather than an S.O.S. pad, and increasing the volume of the hot

cylinder. Each of these changes was an improvement on the first iteration and had an impact on

increasing the project efficiency.

By not using WD-40, the second iteration was able to save $3.77. For every stick of hot

glue that the second model did not use, $0.04 was saved. Despite the nickel-chromium

resistance wire costing an extra $0.18, the second model still cost less than the first model. This

allowed for a decrease in the denominator of the project efficiency, which increased the project

efficiency.

By creating a sturdier base for the second iteration, less of the kinetic energy was lost due

to wobbling. Because of the sturdier base, more of the vertical motion energy was able to be

directly transformed into rotational kinetic energy, which made the numerator of the efficiency

equation larger. Using steel wool rather than the S.O.S. pad had a similar effect on the efficiency

of the engine. Because the S.O.S. pad had soap embedded in it, it was heavier and therefore

displaced less easily. By having a lighter displacer, the second model was able to have faster

rotations.

Increasing the volume of the hot cylinder allowed more air to be pushed toward the

diaphragm by the displacer, so it was easier for the interface between the diaphragm and

crankshaft to convert the vertical motion into rotational motion. This increased the rotations per

minute, so the numerator of the project efficiency equation was increased.

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5 Conclusion

The two iterations built met all the constraints that were established at the beginning of

the project. They were built out of recycled materials such as balloons, aluminum cans, a CD and

tin cans to simulate a disaster relief scenario. Each engine was powered by a sterno can

underneath the main chamber. Neither iteration exceeded the maximum material cost of $20.00.

These iterations were tested and their revolutions per minute was recorded. This tested value was

then used to calculate the other results.

The first stirling engine built had a lower moment of inertia, average rotations per minute

and overall efficiency. The second iteration was an improvement on the first because of

adjustments that were made to the design. These adjustments included creating a sturdier base

and increasing the volume of the cylinder. These changes helped increase the rotations per

minute and the overall efficiency of the stirling engine. While this was an improvement, in the

future further adjustments can be made to increase the efficiency of the stirling engine.

5.1 Future Work and Recommendations

In the future, this engine could be scaled up to produce a larger power output while

maintaining a high efficiency. This could be done by using 20-gallon aluminum trash can instead

of small aluminum cans and proportionally scaling up the other components, like using a

campfire to heat up the cylinder instead of a sterno can. It would be important to keep efficiency

high as the engine will be primarily utilized as a tool for disaster relief. This engine design could

be very useful for disaster relief as it is made out of easily obtainable materials and is fairly

simple to construct. This makes the stirling engine design adaptable and practical. A design like

this could be used to power houses or hospitals. It could also be slightly altered so that it could

22
be used as a heat pump. The cost of this new engine would greatly increase however, due to the

increased material cost. This design can still be improved, however.

One change that can be made is to add a cold-water basin which would create a more

efficient engine design. The volume of the cylinder could also be further increased which may

lead to a higher power output from the engine design. A change to the experiment could hooking

it up to a device which would directly measure the produced power. This would eliminate human

mistakes from the experiment and make it more accurate.

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6 References

Boyd, Darryl. “Stirling Engines and Plans.” Boydhouse.com. boydhouse.com/stirling/.

Accessed 27 Oct 2017.

Church, Alex, et al. Stirling Engine Fabrication and Design. WPI.

“Chapter 2a – Alpha Stirling Engines.” Alpha Type Stirling Engines - Updated 3/30/2013. Ohio

State University. www.ohio.edu/mechanical/stirling/engines/engines.html.

“Chapter 2b - Beta Type Stirling Engines.” Beta Type Stirling Engines - Updated 12/30/2011.

Ohio State University. www.ohio.edu/mechanical/stirling/engines/beta.html.

“Chapter 2c - Gamma Type Stirling Engines.” Gamma Type Stirling Engines - Updated

12/26/2011. Ohio State University www.ohio.edu/mechanical/stirling/engines/

gamma.html.

“Displacer Type Stirling Engine.” American Stirling Company, www.stirlingengine.com/

displacer-anim/. Accessed 28 Oct 2017.

Hare, Johnathan. “Making an Electrical Generator.” The Creative Science Centre.

www.creative-science.org.uk/gen1.html. Accessed 24 Oct 2017.

Nave, R. “Rotational Kinetic Energy.” Rotational Kinetic Energy, hyperphysics.phy-

astr.gsu.edu/hbase/rke.html.

Silverman, Dennis. “Energy Units and Conversions.” Energy Units and Conversions, U. C.

Irvine, Physics and Astronomy. www.physics.uci.edu/~silverma/units.html.

Thiele, Timothy. “Sizing Electrical Wire for Underground Circuit Cables.” The Spruce. 12 Oct

2017. https://www.thespruce.com/wire-size-underground-circuit-cable-length-1152899.

Accessed 24 Oct 2017.

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Thombare, D.G., and S.K. Verma. “Technological development in the Stirling cycle engines”

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. January 2008.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/ science/article/pii/S1364032106000906.

Young, Hugh D., et al. “Chapter 9 Rotation of Rigid Bodies.” University Physics. Vol. 1.,

Addison-Wesley, 1996. Accessed 28 Oct 2017.

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