Synopses & Reviews
Steam engines burn the fuel externally and use steam to transfer heat energy into the engine where it can do work. Robert Stirling designed his engine to burn fuel externally, but to use air rather than steam to transport the energy.
Using a small metal lathe and simple tools you can build an impressive small scale model of his unique engine, an original design by the author based upon Stirling's design principles.
Stirling's heat engines have been improved by increasing the number of cylinders, adding heat exchangers, and developing regenerators, but the heat engine has never received the attention given the internal combustion engine and the steam engine. Much development work remains to be done, and many improvements are yet to be designed.
Even if you're only a novice machinist, this is a project that you can build and enjoy: a project that you'll be proud to display. Your friends will be amazed at its performance. And you'll learn important new metal working skills that will push you on to bigger and better projects.
a Stirling-cycle engine is unusual, fun-to-build, and runs on all types of fuel. It is definitely an engine worth building. So get started!