Building a Stirling Engine that is Wood Fired - Part 6 - First Test : ( Take 1)

[@williamwitter3783]

Well Neighbor, it is a learning experience for all of us. That is a beautiful machine. If it was easy, we would all have one chugging away in our own backyards. Anxiously awaiting your next video. I am confident you are so close to success. Thanks for what you are doing.

[@lollipop1234561000]

Brother I m from Manipur India, a tiny state. I've been watchin ur works for a long time now and I wish u all the best. I m also building an alpha engine here at my home for the last couple of months. And have reached the crankshaft and flywheel phase. I'm hoping, the day u post the working of this engine, I'll also post the working of my engine. So. Yeah. Best of luck.

[@ShanePomeroy]

I've just subscribed to your channel. I wish you well and hope to see your successful engine soon. I think your probably have yours done by the time I get this working : ) All the best

[@lollipop1234561000]

@@ShanePomeroy actually my cold side cylinder is giving a lot of air leaks.😂

[@ShanePomeroy]

@@lollipop1234561000 What kind of seal are you using? These engines will put up with a fair amount of leakage before it really starts to effect things (As long as the lost air is replenished each stroke)

[@lollipop1234561000]

@@ShanePomeroy won't it work without a seal?.😅

[@wayoutwest-workshopstuff6299]

Well done, Shane. So good that you include the failures as well - it'll make the success all the sweeter...

[@wideyxyz2271]

Hello Tim!

[@silverclouds3725]

Wow!! That's a view into the real world of hands-on experimentation. The whole process is a hard won battle, but this guy's going to prevail!!

[@kbjerke]

You've almost *got* it!! Just a little more heat! I'm rooting for you!

[@MadeleineTakam_Info_on_Profile]

Really pleased this showed up on my start page. Really impressed with your Engineering skills. I was a bit worried when you were trying to turn it over. I thought, if this chap has made a really efficient Stirling Engine, he could lose some fingers here. Flywheel Sir, you can pick a good one up from a gym shop, a couple of 25kg plates combined with a pedal cycle ratchet system, should take you a weekend and more importantly, should make your fingers safer.

[@ShanePomeroy]

Hi Madeleine, I was slightly worried turning it over! The eventual plan was to have the starting mechanism on whatever I will drive (maybe even electric start). Using parts if a bike is actually a great idea! I've even got an old bike! Thanks for thinking of my fingers! All the best

[@MadeleineTakam_Info_on_Profile]

@@ShanePomeroy I’ve had a better thought. A half inch rachet, weld on a handle, then you can go either way. Use an old half inch socket you weld on to flywheel. quick easy and adds some safety, handle can be removed even when running because of rachet mech.

[@IronGoober]

@@MadeleineTakam_Info_on_Profile I like your thinking....

[@franciscoanconia2334]

Keeep it up!... cheering for you!

[@IronGoober]

Your compression ratio is very large! Larger temperature differences are needed for larger compression ratios. Sorry if I'm preaching to the choir here... But can you lower your stroke (and add something on the end of the piston to take up the dead space)? that might get you started! It's so close! This is exactly the kind of project channel I've been looking for! Glad I found it! Wonderful work!

[@ShanePomeroy]

Hiya, compression ratio is a huge question mark for this build! I designed it as 2:1 but this is quite a beast to turn over. I've rearranged the furnace to be more effective and am increasing the flywheel size substantially to hopefully capture more energy on the power stroke. I'll be trying it out again in a few weeks time to see. I've always built stuff and I thought I might as well start publishing it! All the best

[@IronGoober]

@@ShanePomeroy Excited to see the results. This is one of the most interesting builds I've seen. I think it's rather incredible that the leather seals are working as well as they are at such high compression ratios.

[@ronnwalk9597]

Great try and so glad you showed us. I believe your stack is in wrong spot but your 80% there so it's great

[@---kk7yw]

Don’t give up! Waiting for the next video

[@PALM311]

You’ll get it Shane. Compression is awesome! I don’t know what you’re burning for wood but hickory is one of the hottest burning woods you can get. I think Osage Orange (Hedge Apple) is the hottest I believe with hickory being the second. I thing bigger flywheels would be better because of the inertia required to spin that engine over. You really did an awesome job on building it! Hang in there man it’s looking great!~Paul

[@ShanePomeroy]

Thankyou for the encouragement. Think I need to look closer at what I'm burning for maximum heat. I'm hoping when I connect an output drive to generator / pump to add a bit of inertia that way. Cheers

[@PALM311]

@@ShanePomeroy maybe you should make some kind of a an attachment for a blower just to get the heat really flowing up through there. then once the thing is hot, you can remove the blower may speed things up a little bit for you.

[@TheBaconWizard]

You'll get there! Correct me if I am wrong, but it seemed to me that after you eased the angle a bit, you were still trying to turn it the wrong way...

[@ShanePomeroy]

LOL, I think things got a bit chaotic during this test. The flywheel kept slipping as well and changed the phase angle. All fixed now. I'm building a simple firebox closer to the heat exchanger and trying that. Cheers

[@proln]

Great job, I enjoyed watching your video. The problem seems to be that the second cylinder should be offset from the first by 90 degrees, but in the video it appears to be 180 degrees, and the diameter of the second cylinder is usually chosen to be smaller. However, I don't think this is the main issue; the problem lies with the incorrect cycle caused by the passing angle. Overall, the work is done very well, and I'm confident everything will be working soon!

[@ShanePomeroy]

Hi, Thanks for watching! Yes, you are correct about the angle. I noticed afterwards that one of the locking elements was slipping but it's solved now. Cheers

[@jimmyboy163]

Looking forward to seeing it run, keep up the great work! There's a stirling engine manufacturer here in the states (sefton motors) but the engine is the 'in line' type and very long, almost 3 meters!! They make a jr. Model that I was considering but I'm not impressed with the quality of the build.....everything seems very poor construction (welds mostly)

[@ShanePomeroy]

I've come across those sefton motors, yes , quality does look dubious but I bet their the cheapest full size engine available! I'm contemplating my next steps, this engine was meant to be an attack on cheap affordable engines. I'll get it going first and see how it performs...

[@jimmyboy163]

@@ShanePomeroy looking forward to seeing your progress!!

[@fly_away_haha]

thank you for sharing, you make great job, keep going

[@ShanePomeroy]

Cheers! I just tried to wipe that fly off my screen! Very good

[@aneavil]

Well you're definitely ahead of me on the Stirling front, but my thoughts: 1. more flywheel seems appropriate. 2. Could you put a valve on the flapper valve(in series) and close it while starting. Open the vent to get about half the air in it, then when running, let the flapper open. I think this would make it easier to crank, but might reduce power too. Appreciate the video. We're rooting for you.

[@ShanePomeroy]

Hi Andrew. Yes your right, a bigger flywheel! I'm hoping when I connect an output drive to generator / pump to add a bit of inertia. The valve before the flapper valve is worth a try. I don't think it will reduce power as long as it's big enough to stop pressure drop. Many thanks

[@BigRedRocketScience]

I believe the one-way valve is your problem. Sure, higher pressure working gas is supposed to be more efficient, but it's still supposed to be a closed system. I think the air moves to you cold side, the one way valve pulls in more air, and now you've built so much pressure the pistons can't move up again. Plug that valve and try again. Half your power should be from the vacuum caused when the air moves to the cool side and contracts, but the vacuum can only draw in air right now. * 100% of my experience comes from a soda can model with a CD for a flywheel, so more of a comments section expert than a practical one. If it runs without the one-way, you can always figure out presurizing later.

[@ShanePomeroy]

Ifs worth a shot! I'm currently sorting out a bigger flywheel and different furnace, cheers

[@BigRedRocketScience]

@@ShanePomeroy more inertia can't hurt either. I see the 4cyl had the 1-way valves too, but I expect they were balanced by being 180 degrees out of phase in that engine? Good luck, it's a very interesting project!

[@davesden]

I'm afraid with a stroke length of your pistons your flywheel is in adequate. You need a wheel much bigger to provide more momentum. You could also try reduce the stroke length. Hope this is helpful and you can try.

[@ShanePomeroy]

Your probably right. Given another chance I would have added something bigger. I'm going to pursue with this arrangement for a bit and then upgrade! I've built up a collection of various spare flywheels. Many thanks

[@davesden]

Definitely keep it going. You are doing great work. Probably easier to shorten the stroke first then later increase the flywheel size. I am amazed at the compression you have managed to achieve. I cannot wait to see the machine run.

[@averyanderson8402]

Put a damper on the stove pipe this will help control how much heat is lost alowing a hotter stove.

[@rohaterdogan9675]

Maybe heat source is too far away, adding some extension to heat exchanger hot side till rocket stove burning chamber may be cheapest and fasted fix if i may propose

[@ShanePomeroy]

Hi, I think your right ! Currently making a wood burner out of an old gas cylinder to mount directly to heat exchanger. Watch this space, thanks

[@tristantilbury3870]

For your firebox, fill the top hatch with wood like you were and open the bottom one. Air flow should pass underneath the fuel. Once you get that 'rocket sound' your heat will sky rocket 😉

[@LeoLeoJR]

I think there two major issues. First: I think the hot side cyllinder shoud be insulated to prevent dissipating heat. Second in my opinion is that the heating region is small in comparison to whole hot volume of the engine and it needs some time to propafgate and create approriate temperatures where it's needed. So engine needs to be rotated by external device for a while to achieve this goal. Anyway Ilike your desigm and I think it *should* just work. Very nice engine. And it looks like there are no leaks and it's in my opinion one of the most important things in case of Stirling engines. I don't think the flywheel is too small, what I said above it's just possible it needs to be run for a while. Imade this kind of observation in case of small toy engines. Maybe it's the case here.

[@ShanePomeroy]

I totally agree with you. I think you were right about the flywheel and am in the progress of creating more rotating inertia. I actually think a bigger flywheel will keep the engine in the heating period for longer. I think I will probably add insulation to the hot cylinder

[@peterhoulihan9766]

Just a thought, did you check the cool side to make sure heat wasn't bleeding across somehow?

[@ShanePomeroy]

I didn't actually check the temp 🤔. Maybe I'll do that next time. I'm working on a simpler firebox that will hopefully provide more heat to heater. Watch this space! Cheers

[@peterhoulihan9766]

@@ShanePomeroy Will do!

[@albertorossetti5375]

Some trouble can appen, do you have solve the issue?

[@ShanePomeroy]

I've got some things to try : ), just struggling for spare time at the moment! Should be testing within next two weeks

[@albertorossetti5375]

@@ShanePomeroy could be timing, and/or reciprocating displacements 🤔 (i love your modular design)

[@sniperkroz2204]

I wonder of the exhaust will be enough to spin a small turbocharger to push fresh air back into the firebox. Will need an external oil supply to it permanently but for a short test to see if it spins should be fine with just an oilcan to feed it.

[@crapthisisalongusern]

Thats cool!

[@crapthisisalongusern]

You will need to build a forced air blower and a direct flame to hot piston should do the trick. With the set up you have you will need about 400 to 450 C to get it to start and run. The greater the temperature difference the better.

[@TheEcono]

Ladies and gentlemen introducing the world's first model t Sterling engine 🤣 Seriously though A for effort ⭐

[@aidenjohns8248]

Hi Bud great engine! i ve built a rocket stove, and moving towards production! think of a rocket stove, like a ram jet! , air and fuel are compressed and ignited at the smaller end of the engine!.. the combustion of the wood, with naturally draw in the air it needs to burn, if you reduce the size either just before, or just after, that air then has to squeeze though a smaller gap, thus created either a jet of cold inlet air, or a jet of exhaust gases, you won't need the fan, it will create a jet or rocket.. i found after works better, i used a stainless plate, with a dimpled 60mm hole! this centers the flame, and no need for brick's, it also look's amazing!.. hope this info helps, have a look at this clip i made, does show much of rocket stove, but you will see what i mean.. good luck.. just one last thing, on your 3rd try, didnt you spin it the same way as you first did?... any how hope this helps from a fellow Cornish inventor/ crack pot lol.. respect to sir! kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2iYpqqAjq6qZ9E

[@ShanePomeroy]

That stove of yours looks great, I wish you every success with the design. Thankyou for your advice, it is very valuable. I'm currently making a simple wood burner out of a gas cylinder that bolts horizontally to the heat exchanger. I'll leave the exit fully open for the test run but would like to try your stainless plate idea which I could insert easily afterwoods. In the end I was trying anything to get it to run. Forwards / backwards! Turns out the crank phase angle was slipping but all sorted now, ready for next test run Regards, over enthusiastic cornish inventor

[@aidenjohns8248]

@@ShanePomeroy looking forward to your next test, that's exactly how i built the stove! 3 years of trial and error! then it just works every time all the time! as im sure you engine will. thanks for looking at video, the actual fire in the stove is about the size of a tennis ball... and produces around 4.5 kw for a litre of pellets an hour!... keep going bud it's looking great, well done.

[@The-Stirling-Power-Project]

As others have said, the crank phase is off, fix that and she'll pop off....but get a pull start on that thing so you don't lose an arm !

[@153SCORN]

I don't think heat is the issue... I would have tunned the hose off opened the valve and spun it. While its being spun I would slowly close the valve.

[@ShanePomeroy]

I think your right on the money! The solution eventually was to reduce the compression ratio. I've made substantial changes since to get it running much better. Cheers

[@mikeptag]

You mentioned in part 1 that you're using insulating fire brick. Good. So this shouldn't be the same as what is used in pizza ovens. Pizza oven bricks would absorb, robbing from the heat exchanger. IFB insulating brick refects heat back. Im also wondering, what if, instead of the flue gasses going straight through the heat exchanger and up and out the chimney, the exit from the exchanger goes down a bit before going up, so the heat exchanger is at the top so it's a part of the riser.

[@ShanePomeroy]

The fire bricks are the vermiculite type. I'm wondering now if the ceramic one's would be better. As you said, I think the heat exchanger needs to be closer to the fire. I may eventually put a damper in the flue. I'm going to make a simple furnace that bolts straight onto the heat exchanger to try and get it running! Many thanks

[@beezybstick]

You will get it running soon!

[@ReviewThisTestThat]

That’s not a rocket stove you seem to have blocked the air flow a bit you also need to insulate the burn chamber my rocket stove bbq gets the 1/4 inch thick 6 inch square pipe red hot. If the piston was siting inside the burn chamber and that chamber has adequate volume for the air to freely move, open out the chimney, the harder it burns, the more air should feed itself. My stove makes that rocket air roaring sound but I don’t have any sharp bends. I have it setup as a bbq and I just trap the heat under a lid and cook on it. The temperature gauge only reaches to 600f and got stuck and the paint blistered. I can not wait to see this work I want to see someone build one like nasa did in the 60s the one they put in a van and drove it around for a year. I was think about using a Peltier powered sterling engine. Could you do the opposite and vacuum down your pistons to get it started and pressure it up as it gets to temp?

[@ShanePomeroy]

Hi, I think the heat exchanger probably slowed the gas flow up a bit. It seemed to burn pretty good with no smoke. I'm in the process of putting a conventional type stove and a flywheel to teet it. If it does work a go-kart would be fun: ). Vacuum would certainly reduce the compression ratio, thanks for the idea. Cheers

[@yanikivanov]

Very nice project...very sad it didnt start from beginning...maybe thats why steam turbines are brobably the future energy source but not from coal or nuke ...imagine field of wheat as solar panel...cut wheat and use straw for fuel to use in steam turbine plant

[@user-fv3uf9kz2t]

Release the compression get the crank up to speed then shut the compresson valve.

[@aleixc6695]

Is this a beta stirling engine?

[@ShanePomeroy]

It is the Alpha type

[@Lechoslowianin]

I'm afraid there's a design flaw. You should analyze everything calmly. It's a pity that you didn't mount a pressure gauge in the working cylinder. Maybe he could explain something. Beginnings are hard, I'm a good thought

[@1fryderyk]

First, such small flywheels are not noticeable at all with these large cylinders.

[@Lechoslowianin]

@@1fryderyk These engines do not require a large flywheel. The piston pulls both ways. There are almost no blind spots

[@1fryderyk]

@@Lechoslowianin With all due respect, I'll stick to my theory.

[@davesden]

The stroke length doesn't match the flywheel. Especially with that compression

[@ShanePomeroy]

Hi, Hope all's well. My analyse is that I designed it to run on 600C and I'm only seeing roughly 300C max. Next cause of action is to make a simple firebox that bolts directly to heat exchanger. We shall continue, all the best

[@Skoda130]

This one might actually need an electric starter.

[@salinora0]

charcoal burns hotter than wood doesnt it? maybe if u burn charcoal in it

[@pigqik9532]

it hardly can work if you don't heat the cylinder itself

[@ShanePomeroy]

Could be a very relevant point! I'll continue as it is for a bit and go from there. Cheers

[@1fryderyk]

You probably have too light flywheels. Way too light. Such light wheels, as if they were not there at all.

[@ShanePomeroy]

Hi, The flywheel idea was to try and incorporate a crank / flywheel using laser cut materials. A proper flywheel would absolutely be better. One thing I will say, As the engine warms up, the high compression stroke diminishes to the point I could turn it over (I think because the heating / cooling action starts to work in favour)

[@anythingoldmechanical]

Im loving your Channel Shane. What you need is to redesign the engine, to an 'upside down' format, leaving plenty of room for a 4ft heavy spoked flywheel, and the crankshaft at a more comfortable height. A large spoked 4ft flywheel can be obtained rather easily, from an old agricultural hand turned mill, which are still plentiful around Farm sales, or even eBay. . Here's a smaller one that I had, around 20years ago. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJ-wfGyba79_fq8 I'm so looking forward to the next upload, Its great!

[@ShanePomeroy]

Hi Gary, very nice engine you had there. I do love a decent cast iron flywheel . The main problem is keeping the lubricant out the engine as much as possible. I'm sure I'll build another one at some point! I was even thinking horizontal as well? Where see, All the best

[@woutervanduijn4331]

There must be easier ways to lose your fingers..

[@ShanePomeroy]

LOL, not that I've found! It's taken 3 months of work to build this 😁

[@brucebaxter6923]

Yea sure the words Stirling engine get views but you are misleading a whole shitload of people and adding to society’s demise. At least the turbo burn barrels harness a noticeable percentage of the available energy. You would do far far better by building it as a closed cycle steam engine with condenser and cooling tower.

[@PixlRainbow]

I don't understand why you're so mad at him. He is just a guy trying to build a stirling engine because he feels like it. He has made no claims on its superiority.

[@brucebaxter6923]

@@PixlRainbow Click bait bullshit. As bad as the Tesla cult.

[@PixlRainbow]

@@brucebaxter6923 How else do you want him to title the video? It is an incomplete stirling engine, and it is part 6 of the build process.

[@brucebaxter6923]

@@PixlRainbow Does it matter how you title shit? It’s still just shit! All he is doing is profiting from perpetuating a falsehood.

[@PixlRainbow]

@@brucebaxter6923 you said it was "clickbait", which implies that the issue was that it attracted you to click on it and it turned out to be something else?