Many Stirling engines have a gas pressure inside them that is nearly equal to the

outside atmospheric pressure. There is a fixed mass of gas, typically air, helium or
hydrogen. When you heat the outside of the engine the gas expands and pushes the
piston out. When you cool it, the gas compresses and the piston is pushed back in by
the outside atmospheric pressure. This converts heat energy into mechanical
energy or work.
But heating the entire engine then cooling it is not efficient. Because it would require
the heating and cooling source to move in and out of position over and over again.
So there needs to be a way to heat and cool the engine at the same time. This is
done by moving or cycling the gas inside the engine from the hot side to the cool
side.
A displacer mechanically moves the gas between a heated location and a cooled
location. The displacer is a light weight piston that does not come into contact with
the inside of the Stirling engine. The gas can move along the side of the displacer.
It moves back and forth taking up space inside the engine displacing the gas from
side to side.
When the displacer is on the cool side the gas is pushed to the hot side and it is
expanded. When the displacer is on the hot side the gas is pushed to the cool side
and it is compressed. This is a simplified explanation of the Stirling cycle which is a
type of thermodynamic cycle.
This cyclical action needs to be timed correctly. It can be mechanically timed in
many different ways. This is why there are so many types and configurations of heat
engines.








The parts of a heat engine
Here is a short description of the parts of a Stirling engine. To help you better
understand what goes into a DIY Stirling engine.
The Hot side heat exchanger:
This is the hot side of the engine that the outside heat source comes into contact
with. It is usually the outside wall of the expansion and compression chamber. Its
also the contact point for the cooled gas. Sometimes to collect as much heat as
possible the surface area is increased using internal and or external fins. This works
like a heat sink.
The Cold side heat exchanger:
This is the part of the engine that the heated gas comes into contact with. It
exchanges the heat in the gas to the outside air or cooling fluid. It may also have
fins to add to the efficiency. Depending on the engine configuration the cold side
heat exchanger can be on the opposite end of the same cylinder as the hot side heat
exchanger or on another part of the engine.
The Displacer:
This is the part of the engine that moves or displaces the gas (working fluid) from
the hot heat exchanger to the cold heat exchanger.
Heat sink:
Typically used on the cool side this can be as simple as the outside wall of the engine
contacting the ambient air temperature. Although adding fins is more efficient. Also,
a radiator can be added to involve water or a coolant.
Flywheel:
Relative to the engine the flywheel is a large heavy wheel. It is mechanically
connected to the piston(s) of the engine. Its job is to add to the momentum of the
machine and help carry the Stirling cycle all the way through. Most heat engines use
a flywheel.
The Piston:
The piston is typically the same as any other piston that slides inside a cylinder.
Although, there some Stirling engine designs that use a flexible membrane to act as
a power piston. The piston is pushed out when the working fluid (gas) is expanded
enough to exceed the outside atmospheric pressure. This action is often helped
along with the use of a flywheel.






How Stirling Engines Work

The pressure chamber contains a small amount of air that is held captive inside the
engine. One end of the engine is warm, and the other end is cool. The displacer
moves the air inside the engine back and forth repeatedly, from warm, to cold, and
to warm again.
The air inside the engine expands when it gets warm, and pushes outward on the
drive mechanism. When this same air is moved to the cool side of the engine, it
contracts. This pulls in on the drive mechanism.

The drive mechanism pushes and pulls on the crankshaft. This causes the
crankshaft and flywheel to rotate. The rotation of the crankshaft causes the
displacer to rise and fall inside the pressure chamber.

The crankshaft is fashioned so that the cycle will repeat. The air heats, expands,
and pushes the crankshaft through the expansion phase. This moves the displacer
and causes the air to enter the cool side of the engine. The air cools, contracts, and
pulls the crankshaft through the contraction phase. This starts the next expansion
phase and the pattern continues to repeat itself.

hen the engine is in the warming phase, the air is in the warm side of the engine.
This causes the air to expand, which pushes the drive mechanism upward.

When the engine is in the cooling phase, the air is on the cool side of the pressure
chamber. The air contracts as it cools. This pulls down on the drive mechanism.
The repeated pushing and pulling of the drive mechanism causes the crankshaft and
flywheel to rotate.

Problems
Temperature Differential
Do you have sufficient temperature differential? You do not need to overheat your engine to
get it to run. You need both hot and cold. Your heat source may be a candle or a cup of hot
water, depending on your engine design. Not every candle is hot enough. If it does not harm
your engine, try a candle with a larger flame, or perhaps more than one candle. An alcohol
lamp may provide even more heat than a candle. Never heat your engine above the operating
temperature it was designed for.
Keep the cool side as cool as possible. This usually means adding ice. Dont let the ice
interfere with the operation of the engine. And never let water get inside the engine. If ice
melts and the water runs in through the pressure chamber gland, you will have to disassemble
your engine and dry it out.
The key to the temperature differential is the DIFFERENCE in temperature between the warm
side and the cold side.
Engine Rotation
I have seen some people try to rotate their engine in the wrong direction! The rotation
direction is determined by the phase angle between the displacer and the drive
mechanism. In most small Stirling motors the section of the crankshaft with the drive
mechanism is following 90 degrees behind the rotation of the displacer piston. So, when the
displacer piston reaches the top, the drive piston is half way up. When the displacer piston
reaches the bottom, the drive piston is half way down.
If your displacer is not moving far enough, it may not be creating enough displacement to
move the air inside your engine.
Pressure Leaks
A teeny tiny pressure leak is usually a good thing. I have made several engines with air tight
pressure chambers, and they actually need to have vents added to them so that the pressures
can occasionally be equalized. However, it is very easy to get too much air leaking out. Since
there is barely enough power to move the flywheel, it doesnt take much of a leak to stop it.
One place pressure often leaks is around the drive piston (if you have one). If you use a
diaphragm drive, leaking is not a problem here. Sometimes a little oil will help to lubricate a
loose fitting piston while also slowing a leak.
If you are using a diaphragm drive, it must be set up so that it is not too loose. If the
diaphragm is too loose, it is the same as a leak. All your pressure changes will be consumed
in moving the loose fabric of the diaphragm, and the motion will not go to your flywheel. The
diaphragm has to be set just right, so that all the slack is gone at each end of the stroke. But
do not make it too tight, or the motor will have to fight against the fabric in order to rotate.
Friction
If the displacer is hitting, touching, or rubbing the inside of the pressure chamber, that is
increasing your friction. Minimize this the best that you can.
If your displacer is coming to rest against a flat surface, it is increasing the pull off friction by
creating a vacuum between the two flat surfaces. This is one reason why you want your
displacer to stop 1/16 to 1/8 before touching a flat surface.
If your displacer does not have enough clearance for air to pass around it, this is increasing
friction.
Every place where two moving parts touch has friction. You cannot eliminate friction, but you
must minimize the friction at every point where moving parts come together. If you can create
a design with fewer moving parts, you will also have fewer friction points.
Check the displacer motion and make sure it is not rubbing the inside of the engine. Make
sure it is not hitting the top or the bottom.
Check the motion of the displacer shaft through the gland. This is a common trouble spot for
both friction and leaking.
Check both ends of the connection between the displacer and the crank shaft. The direction of
push/pull must always be perpendicular to the axis of the drive shaft. If the connecting rods
are pushing at an angle other than 90 degrees, this will cause binding. Install keepers in
necessary to maintain the angle of the connecting rod.
Does your crankshaft and flywheel turn freely? If you disconnect the displacer and the drive
mechanism and spin the flywheel, how long will it coast? The pop can motor on my desk right
now will coast for 15 seconds with a flywheel made from two CDs. If yours spins for less than
5 seconds, you have a serious friction problem.
Check the connecting rod between the crank shaft and the drive mechanism. This connecting
rod must also always push and pull at 90 degrees to the crank shaft axis. If this is pushing to
the side, it will cause friction and bind. You may need to install a keeper of some sort to get it
to stay at the correct angle.
If you have a piston, make sure it does not bind. It must fit loose enough to fall through the
cylinder under its own weight when there is no air pressure holding it up. And it must fit tight
enough that it will not drop (or it will not drop quickly) when there is air pressure to cause
resistance. If it is a tight fit, you may need to make it looser by polishing. If it is a loose fit, you
may want to try oiling it.