Papercraft Stirling Engine that runs on Coffee...

[Sal]

(or any heated liquid in a cup)

I'm a total nut for things like this:

First posted on BoingBoing (http://www.boingboing.net/2007/08/10/papercraft_stirling_.html)

The original German Page (http://www.astromedia.de/shop/csc_fullview.php?Artikelnummer=228.STM&VID=qK6TlQZxaOfDDOSY).

The Translated German Site (http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.astromedia.de%2Fshop% 2Fcsc_fullview.php%3FArtikelnummer%3D228.STM%26VID %3DqK6TlQZxaOfDDOSY&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools).

-Sal

[pam]

Fascinating. So, are you going to get one? I wonder what's happening with Dean's stirling engine. Wonder if it could be used to power a home...

Pam

[hellphish]

nice find!

[bystander]

Fascinating. So, are you going to get one? I wonder what's happening with Dean's stirling engine. Wonder if it could be used to power a home...

PamIn the news recently:

http://forums.segwaychat.com/showthread.php?t=16119

http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/2-1&fd=R&url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2007/08/01/100138830/&cid=1118720139&ei=XWivRvPAMpKE0gHn_fC9Bg

http://i.cnn.net/money/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2007/08/01/100138830/kamen_220.jpg

By the way, the article that Sal links to is not about a stirling made entirely from paper. There are metal plates, clear plastic, styrofoam, and other misc. hardware bits involved. Those little details may have been mixed-up in the translation.

And I must point out that this (engine) is an energy converter, not an energy source. You need a large temperature difference to really make it go. A stirling (non-paper) big enough to run a house may be practical some day, but the house is going to have to be sitting on a hot spring or geothermal vent to provide the power to let the stirling work.

P.S. Sal, you may want to edit your post, it looks like you are saying the engine runs on beer (headed liquids), rather than heated liquids. -LOL

[GadgetmanKen]

Wow that looks like the Stirling that the black scientist/service garage mechanic on the Eureka series put in a black car he was repairing in the series two weeks ago. Same size and look to it. Makes you wonder?

[quade]

P.S. Sal, you may want to edit your post, it looks like you are saying the engine runs on beer (headed liquids), rather than heated liquids. -LOL

What if we used a ice cold (US) beer and a room temerature (English) beer?

I mean, all that really matters is that there is a temperature difference; right? :D

[bystander]

What if we used a ice cold (US) beer and a room temperature (English) beer?

I mean, all that really matters is that there is a temperature difference; right? :DIn theory, yes. But a 25°C difference (ice vs. room temp) won't be as effective as a 70° difference (room temp vs. near boiling). In practice, a toy such as this may not work well below a certain temperature difference.

I've a bit of experience in this area, having built one of these toy stirlings from a kit a few years ago. To make it work at a narrower temperature differential, one must pay particular attention to close tolerances and low friction.

[quade]

Yeah, I think there's at least one company out there making kits that will run with as low as a 7°C temperature difference.

Edited to add; Scratch that! How about 4°C (http://www.stirlingengine.com/)!

(Admittedly, at that low of a difference you're not going to get it to do anything but turn over, but still!)

[SegWayne]

What if we used a ice cold (US) beer and a room temerature (English) beer?

I mean, all that really matters is that there is a temperature difference; right? :D

I know beer drinkers on both sides of the pond, and none them are going to use them for anything except drinking !!
Now maybe hot tea and ice tea ...... not so much of a sacrifice (to some) ....