MORE
ENGINES
FROM
DEAN'S MACHINES
On the first page you
saw some of the engines I built.
They were made without
the use of
printed plans from
someone else.
Once I had an idea worked out, either from
seeing a picture of
an engine or from some other basic
concept, I drew up
plans and went to work. Featured on
this page
are engines I made from
plans that are available
through
various sources.
This
is a type of Stirling engine called an LTD
(Low
Temperature Differential)
It
is designed to operate on the heat of a cup of very hot water
(about
180 degrees). Setting it on top of the hot water
causes
a different temp between the bottom plate and
the
top plate. This is enough to power a tiny piston up
and
down which turns the flywheel (the Auto CAD
disc).
I spent a lot of time on this thing trying to get
it
to run! Friction is a major concern, since there is
so
little power to begin with. One evening (morning?) around
1
am I finally got it to run. I sat and watched it run, smooth
and
silently, for about an hour before finally hitting the sack.
Plans
for engines like it are available in Stirling-topic books,
or
you may find them on the web.
This
little engine is a Rudy Kouhoupt design. I bought his tape
and
plans so I could see how someone else did things. I have
been
reading his articles in The Home Shop Machinist for
years,
and I just wanted to see how he does things in his
own
shop. The tape and plans cost around $64.00 and I consider
them
well worth it for anyone starting in this small engine
hobby.
It is a single acting engine, and will run on an
aquarium
pump. On steam it goes like crazy.
This
neat little engine is sold as castings in a kit with
plans
and most everything needed to build it. I don't mean it is a kit
that
you just bolt together. You have to machine each casting and
many
pieces of bar stock before you have the parts to assemble
a
running engine. The only things that are pre manufactured are
the
head screws and cross head screws. All of the castings are
aluminum,
with many of the smaller parts being brass. This is a double acting
engine,
(two power strokes per revolution) that runs very
smoothly
for having such a light flywheel. I have run it on steam
and
it will go quite fast. Usually I use an aquarium pump for
demonstration,
though.
For those wondering, all
my steam engines except one will run on
a single aquarium
pump. The pump I use is an Apollo model AM-5.
They are available
at Wal Mart, and of course, pet stores.
Interestingly, the
smallest engine of the bunch is very picky,
and sometimes refuses
to run on just one pump. For this one,
(it's the Pee Wee
oscillator on the first page) I use two pumps.
The twin cylinder
on the first page uses one pump for each
cylinder, but if I
disconnect one pump the other cylinder will run
the engine by itself,
even though it has to make the dead cylinder
reciprocate.
This page will be revised
sporadically, so
check back every so
often for more new items.
For
More Info On Plans And Materials (page 3)
GO
HERE
For
Shop Projects Go Here
Links
Questions or Comments?
deanw@valint.net
Back
to Page 1
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