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My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 10:09 am
by Chris_74_fr
Hello,

I present to you my last realisation. A alpha Stirling engine. He is not finished yet. I want to add two or four cylinder more and to pressurize it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB-OwTMzXhc


Bye the way, i didn't found if it is possible to show the direct video on the topic. Someone can help me about this?

Bye.

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:56 am
by Aviator168
That's a great looking engine. RPM is a little low for an alpha.

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 1:03 pm
by Chris_74_fr
Yes, it's true. On the video, it turn at about 900 RPM. It has turned at a bit more than 1100. But you have to consider the mode of heating. (alcool 90°). It is possible to turn at 2000 RPM with gas heating, i think. I don't have try yet. For the moment i'm working to increase the rpm with the alcool heating. I just back of my workshop. I have increased the diameter of the pipe wich joint the both cylinders because i think the air had difficulties to pass inside when the speed increased. And i have made a new cooler. I will try it after the diner.

Sorry for my English, i'm French.

Bye

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:14 pm
by Aviator168
Take a look at this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXSoz9JT ... re=related He's got smaller diameter of the connecting pipe and the pipe is longer as well. Yet he managed to get it up to 1500 rpm.

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 5:55 pm
by Junkie
It's great, I love the sound !

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 7:01 pm
by vile_fly
Very pretty engine. good workmanship. The fly approves. I definitely have got to see the multi-cylinder version.

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 8:39 pm
by Longboy
Aviator168 wrote:Take a look at this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXSoz9JT ... re=related He's got smaller diameter of the connecting pipe and the pipe is longer as well. Yet he managed to get it up to 1500 rpm.
.......He also is running a "Gamma" engine here. Chris-74 your Alpha is a well made design and I have only seen one other like it on YouTube. I'll have to do a build of it sometime. :mrgreen:

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 8:44 am
by Aviator168
He also is running a "Gamma" engine here.
No. It is alpha. That "displacer" in the hot cylinder is actually a piston.

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 4:36 pm
by Longboy
I've read your comments and you didn't even believe it!... :idea: ...Look again and then read some more comments in the video. Its a displacer. The clue is the location of the air line in hot cylinder and a glass test tube piston in a glass syringe on hot side just doesn't work except as a displacer. The Profesors explaination still doesn't make sense to me. :mrgreen:

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 5:50 pm
by Aviator168
Longboy wrote:I've read your comments and you didn't even believe it!... :idea: ...Look again and then read some more comments in the video. Its a displacer. The clue is the location of the air line in hot cylinder and a glass test tube piston in a glass syringe on hot side just doesn't work except as a displacer. The Profesors explaination still doesn't make sense to me. :mrgreen:
True. I didn't think it was alpha in the beginning. When I took a closer look, it is indeed an alpha engine. Here is a similar type of alpha. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pdqDQwehlk

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:32 pm
by Longboy
......well then "stand back" and take a look! Doesn't the location of the air tube in the hot cyl tell you something? :smile: Tell me what changed your mind!

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 8:53 pm
by Aviator168
Longboy wrote: Tell me what changed your mind!
The piston in the hot cylinder does not displace air from one side of the cylinder to the other side of the same cylinder, rather, it pushes air to the cold cylinder. Also, the piston in the hot cylinder delivers power; but the displacer in a gamma type engine does not.

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 11:00 am
by Longboy
......Hot cylinder never delivers power. That is not Stirling principle. Since an Alpha has two sealed pistons moving air between cylinders and the air transfer tubes have to be located above the piston crown, how do you reconcile the location of the air tube below or to the side of the piston skirt as being Alpha?

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 11:35 am
by Aviator168
So the cylinders have to connected by something that's round and long and anything does not look like that makes the engine non-alpha. This is so text bookish. I concede defeat on the connecting issue.

Just enlighten me. Can you tell me if this an alpha and if the hot piston delivers power?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9i9j7RRZn4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nPZjj3C ... re=related

Re: My alpha Stirling engine.

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:56 pm
by Longboy
Textbook savy would allow you to know what to look for in the various Stirling types. Plenty of descriptions of Stirling type on the web. And Alpha is specificly defined. This 15 CC "Alpha" is "not" by definition but is a "GAMMA" by definition. This engine has a displacer. The fact that his air tranfer passage is other than a tube connecting both cylinders is not the telling reason of its type. Stirling principle and thermodynamic law also tells you that the power stroke occurs in the cold cylinder and the reasons why. :mrgreen: