Stirling-Steele Engine

[xjs]

Anyone ever built a Stirling-Steele hot air engine? It seems a challenging build, but with some very interesting features. I'd greatly appreciate hearing from anyone with experience at tackling one of these.

xjs

 

[drysdam]

Did you ever build the Stirling Steele? I've been looking at it too, but I can't find many people online who've built it. I don't know if that's expense, difficulty or just nobody wants a low-to-medium power stirling engine?

 

[jwcnc1911]

I've been looking at it myself. I'm also considdering the ST05G out of Germany.

Cost coupled with never seeing them any where but the factory website are the reasons I'm holding back.

 

[drysdam]

The ST05G looks interesting, but I think the site is abandonded or something. The front page says the plans are a free download but when you click through they are $100 or more. The forum is nearly empty.

Also, they say it "can be built in any up to date workshop with 3- or 5-axis machining centre". Not me, needless to say.

The Steele is only $25 for plans and says you can build it with a 6" lathe and a small mill. That's more my speed, but as a beginner-to-intermediate I'm wondering about difficulty level.

 

[xjs]

Hi Drysdam --

It's great to see some interest in the Stirling-Steele. I was beginning to think I'd imagined the whole thing. I did begin construction of it, and got about 75% done (as my first machining exercise, actually, a bit bold perhaps...) when a sudden bout of surgery put me out of action for a while.

When I finally got back to the shop I kinda wanted a clean slate kind of project, and began an Edwards Radial Five, with which I'm still very much involved. I will get back to finishing the SS, which I think is a most entertaining exercise in machining, and I really like the theory behind it, but it'll have to wait until the Edwards comes alive, which is at least three months away. I did take a few pics of the SS project, though, and finally got around to unearthing a few of them today. Here's a sample of the pistons, conrods, bearings, teflon bushings, and wotnot...

and the machining of the fins on the Displacer/Regenerator section...

...and the completed section looking quite bored in all its grand finnery...

Then a blurry take on the shaft gears and such (all bevel gears unashamedly purchased, not fabricated, though they had to be cut about a bit to fit)...

...and then the same gears enclosed by the crankcase, as seen through the transparent plastic cover so thoughtfully spec'd by Mr. Steele.

The intermediate plate, the Displacer Piston Assemblies, and the Cold Sleeves are all done and accounted for...the latter the trickiest part of all. The Hot Caps are really the only serious pieces of machining left to do.

Just FYI I'm using a 9x20 Grizzly G4000 lathe, and a bench mill-drill. Also a slowly-expanding set of hand tools, home-built jigs and fixtures, and autodidactic expertise. If you're "beginning to intermediate" you're way ahead.

I must say the drawings have been pretty much spot-on so far, as they would have had to be for a first-engine-attempt project. I'll see if I can find (or even take) some more up-to-date pics if there is any interest. Certainly, I'm motivated to finish this beastie as soon as the calendar clears, and I'd be even more so if I had some company. Any takers?

Aloha, and thanks again for the interest in this intriguing motor.

 

[drysdam]

This looks incredible for a first machining exercise.

I'm also working on something right now (Elmer's #24), but I was thinking of doing the SS next. Maybe I'll be able to catch up to you before you start again. Probably not, as I'm more of a "set up and drill a couple holes per night"-speed worker.

Also, the crankcase and cylinder block look pretty large. I might be too nervous of an expensive "oops" to try this for a while.

 

[purpleknif]

I built the LMS stirling from their kit. I've been a machinist for 30 years so it wasn't too dificult. Damn thing won't run! No friction,no leaks. It will only sorta run if I heat it with a torch to the point where the manifold and bas get very warm. Kinda soured me on stirlings. :wall:

 

[xjs]

Sorry, Drysdam, didn't mean to imply this was my first machining project, just my first engine. I spent a little time around tool rooms long ago, but then didn't touch a machine after that for over fifty years.

This project was about trying to find if I had any machining chops left at all. That said (and my current infatuation with the Edwards Radial notwithstanding) I still think this a very worthy little motor. My eventual intent is to power it with a solar collector and see how much juice it could generate through a dynamo. I have a hunch it could be more efficient than PVs. Next year, maybe.

Good luck with whatever your next project turns out to be.

Best,