Very nice build, and I like the "garage"... Does the garage hold the engine well enough, without it banging around inside to be used for transportation? Very well done
Hello John, the box is tight enough to hold the base quite well. However, daddy used some heavy weight foam custom cut to make a packing insert (which does not show on the picture, sorry) to make sure that it does not bang.
I probably would not ship it through mail overseas .... but it is fairly secure.
Greetings, the photos are great of your delightful model. I would love to build the Stirling but need to know where to source the test tube and if you made any changes to the plans etc Thank you Ron
Greetings, the photos are great of your delightful model. I would love to build the Stirling but need to know where to source the test tube and if you made any changes to the plans etc Thank you Ron
Hello RonP, dad built this engine almiost to the drawings. The trick with engines built around test tubes is to get the tube BEFORE starting to build the parts that fit with them. There are multiple brands / models of tubes so better get them beforehand and measure them exactly before cutting metal.
As for sources for test tubes Ebay turns out to be a good source.
The critical dimensions with sterling engines are fits where leaks can occur. Sterling engine is like a refrigerator, it is a closed loop system. Air heated expands to build slight pressure inside and contracts to create a lower pressure allowing outsie pressure to push piston back in. Because of that, friction is the first enemy , leakage is the second one and heat transfer between the hot and cold side the last one.
Beware that you need to get tubes meant to be heated. Borosilicate or pyrex seem to be fine whereas standard culture tubes are not. They will break easily when heated.
If you have a local store which sells scientific material or school material for chemistry classes, you can then get them in small quantities.