Soda can Stirling engine - 860 rpm

[It's more interesting if you advance past the 2:00 minute mark] This is my second attempt at a simple soda can engine. It will run slowly on one or two tea candles, but on an alcohol flame, as I show in this video, it really flies and I've clocked it at 860 rpm!
The displacer is actually a moving regenerator, a single piece of steel wool trimmed and shaped to fit the soda can and held in place with perforated bottoms from other soda cans. The diaphragm is made of bicycle inner tube rubber, the bottom of a soda can, a bottle cap, and a 1.5" PVC cap trimmed down a bit. It's attached to the cylinder can with a 1/2" PVC elbow.
The crank is of 1/8" stainless steel rod, the flywheel is the lid from a paint can, counterweights are magnets from old hard drives. The smokestack is made from a rolled-up soda can. I used some aluminum foil tape to hold things together.
I found it a bit difficult to get the thing balanced and it's still not quite right, but at least it doesn't jump around too terribly even at high rpm's. A lot of fun to build and even more to run!

[@user-dn6hn8sc5w]

still more torque than a honda civic

[@hotgamerboy6240]

I'm a civic fan boy but, Well played

[@grantcombs6029]

True

[@user-cp2wj2ks2o]

ooooooooooooooh

[@berndhaft]

Bro this has to be by far the best can stirling engines on youtube, therefore a tutorial would be perfect. :(

[@Approtechie]

Bernd Haft Well, thank you. I may well have to build some more of these and do a tutorial video just to satisfy the many calls for it. They aren't particularly powerful but it's very gratifying to watch them run.

[@thesokable]

yes i would love for a tutorial to be shown that stirling engine is fast... well done good sir..

[@DorkSworder]

This is absolutely something I would love to build as a proof of concept and my fascinations with the Stirling.

[@teamfortresspewp6453]

Sunkist has excellent product placement.

[@Approtechie]

:-)

[@dylanboxler5784]

That thing was hauling ass for a moment there.

[@Approtechie]

Wow! Over 1 million views! I would never have thought it when I first posted this video, my first one on KZbin, back in 2009. Thanks for all the interest, comments, and thumbs-up, folks! Much appreciated!

[@SilentBiscuit333]

+approtechie Did you see the Video Bill Nye posted about engines like this?

[@patrickgreenwood3944]

you're a teacher, and you won't post your schematics because you don't like how the aluminum cans hold up? come on, other people like what you've got here. yea, there are plans all over for this model of the engine, but you've tweaked the engine to run exceptionally smooth and fast. the least you could do is make a video of how you did it. Based on your other videos of the different engines you've built, I can only assume that this particular iteration of the engine is super easy for you to make and explain your process of making it so efficient. Your videos of this engine have piqued my interest immensely, and I won't be satisfied until I get one running as smoothly and fast as yours. The less-serious hobbyists out there would greatly appreciate a detailed overview of the construction of this engine, even though it doesn't meet your standards of the engine in regards to the power, work, reliabilty, longevity, application, etc.

[@alibariskaplan]

+approtechie Actually no need for neither schematics nor any tutorial for this stirling project. it's obviously an analog common model of well known home-made beverage aluminium-sort stirlings. Secret is embedded at details. Fine work on details openly produce this result, so called 860 spin-roundpersecond (s-rpm: yes there is not any SeRaPhiM upon what you see here). Boy ApproT-echi-e will not give any tutorial and/or schema know-how table here, Cause he well knows that whole thing was basic and easy, no need for schema but care on details... By giving no tutorial he made the topic mystified, and perhabs he neurotically enjoy it, but let I DE-MYSTIFY his sacred blue-print abit: A). YAW CONTROL: you must seriously take vertical direction spin-movement of turner-BALANCE WHEEL into account. Here you see there almost no YAW on balance wheel plate. It turns and gets rounds smoothly with out any observable side-way YAW! To win this target (Yaw-control) You must take those parameters into account; i. Radii of BALANCE WHEEL, ii. Mass/thickness of CRANK MILL, iii. Metallic softness-hardness of CRANK MILL, in another telling type-of-metal, iv. Connection&Fixation ANGLE (Degree)/QUALITY between Balance Wheel and Crank Mill, Balance mill must be connected through its a very MASS-CENTER point to the crank mill at JUST "90 degree", and well "FINE Fixed" each other. On UPPER Carrier cann where CRANK MILL has TWO connection, here TAKE FRICTION INTO ACCOUNT AND USE SMALL TUBE BEARINGS AND USE GREASE TO DEGRADE FRICTION. INSIDE THE TUBE BEARINGS GIVE ATTENTION TO THE OSCILLATION/YAW RATE BETWEEN TUBE AND CRANK MILL. CRANK MILL INSIDE THE TUBE BEARINGS MUST BE SPINNED IN A TOLERANCE-ARRANGEMENT, BOTH SIDE RADIUS NOT GREATER THAN 0,1 MILLIMETER. Saying-half, inside radius of tube bearings must be not greater than 0,1 mm than crank radius, and must not be less than 0,60 mm than to crank radius. for example if the radius of crank mill is 2 mm, than tube bearing insider radius must be 2.1 mm but not must be less than 2,06 mm. LENGTH OF TUBE BEARING MUST BE NOT LONGER THAN 3 MM, TO AVOID MORE FRICTION SURFACE, SMALLER FRICTION SURFACE ADVANCE PERFORMANCE. by this radius tolerance arrange BALANCE WHEEL YAW will be controlled, greasing tube bearings will advance the performance and cause the engine gained more power and speed, and MAKES IT RUN SMOOTH. There is another coefficiency controll effect of this bearing tube/crank mill radius which is OSCILLATION&VIBRATION CONTROLL. B). VIBRATION/OSCILLATION CONTROL: Beside the FRICTIONS; OSCILLATIONS and VIBRATIONS together with balance wheel YAW, EXTREMELY EFFECT THE quality&quantity of POWER/TORQUE/SPEED/PERFORMANCE/LIFE OF THE ENGINE!!! i. as mentioned above using tube bearing in given radius tolerance rate and greasing tube bearings bed, just terminate almost most of the vibration and vertical/horizontal oscillations specially on crank mill and generally on balance wheel (yaw control) and on entire engine (vibration/oscillation). FOR VIBRATION/OSCILLATION/FRICTION/YAW CONTROL TAKE THOSE SPECIALLY INTO ACCOUNT(!): ii. Lenght, thickness and metallic type of crank mill. Specially the length of crank mill between bearings and piston arm connection points. if the distance on crank mill between piston arm connection points and two tube bearings beds on holder top cylinder is long, this will cause and/or amplify the vibrations and oscillations on crank mill. iii. Keep radius tolerance rate between tube bearings and crank mill no more 1 mm. Keep length of tube bearing no more than 3 mm. Keep tube bearing bed greased. Keep and fix the tube bearings at the top of holder cann 0 degree to the ground on two holes. the horizontal axis between two holes must be just look face to face with 0 degree to the ground and just must be 90 degree to the wall of holder top can. iv. keep piston arms as much longer as longer. keep the piston arms just 90 degree. fix and connect piston arms fine on to crank mill. Keep the piston arm connections on to the crank mill in a side movement tolerance no more than 1 mm at double side at connection point. to win this use carbon-grafit holders left and right side of connection point for each side max. 0.5 mm tolerance distant. v. lubricate/grease the piston arm connections on the crank mill vi. determine the length/radius/metallic type of piston arms. Hardness of piston arm is an important determinant, long but thinner piston arms GENERATES VIBRATIONS, OSCILLATIONS. This causes power/torque/speed/productivity-performance decay and looses on engine system, and produce asynchronic run table, and instabilities... vii. keep displacer cylinder piston arm as much longer as possible: shorter piston arms causes spin angle problems and this directly effects the gas escape problem on the piston hole radius on top of displacer cylinder. USING SINGLE SHAFT displacer piston arm is basic, simple and so advance the performance. But displacer piston arm can be divided into a pair to over come with the spin angle problem. lower part of the pair can be chosen steel or any heat-resistant thread to break the angle problem, but this selection effect first the speed/spin limit of the engine and degrades the power, speed, performance... also it increase the malfunction probabilities. viii. fix and connect to piston arms just at the mass center axis of displacer&power piston bodies. ix. if the virtual circle radii of displacer piston arm on crank is U, and if the virtual circle radii of the power piston arm on crank is J; the virtual radii rate between displacer and power piston arm connection points must be U/R=2,85 x. Mass weight of displacer piston body must be equal to the mass of Balance mill or less. Mass rate displacer piston to balance mill must be between 0,8-1,6. for example if the displacer piston body weight is 50 gr than the balance mill weight must be between 55-80 gr. xi. for no gas escape keep the power piston as a MEMBRANE sort. but this shortens the life of engine. because it will be needed to change the membrane periodically. so causes decompositions and service problems. xii. seal the connections and bypass bridge between displacer and power cylinders perfectly. there must be any gas escape/cease. xiii. Get the hot (displacer) cylinder TIN (iron) can. if it is aluminum made can, during the high heat direct flame posing it can be damaged, decayed, decomposed, melted.... iron/steel hot cylinders has lower heatconductivity this can help the engine keep run for awhile when the heat source is stopped or taken away off the machine. Get the cooler (power) cylinder made of aluminum can, aluminum can has high heat conductivity that helps high heat transfer and cools gases rapidly compared with iron(tin) sorts. xiv. IF THE MEMBRANE USED ON COOLER (POWER) PISTON: BE SURE THAT POWER PISTON ARM IS FIXED AND CONNECTED WITH THE MEMBRANE AT A VERY CENTER TOGETHER WITH (VIA) THE RIGIDITY DEVELOPER SURFACE ADAPTERS. RIGIDITY DEVELOPER HARD SURFACE ADAPTER BREAKS THE MEMBRANE'S ELASTICITY INSTABILITIES AND ADVANCES SMOOTH AND RAPID SUCKING AND PRESSURIZING PERIODS, AND HELPS GAS MOVE BETWEEN COOLER AND HOTTER CYLINDERS HOMOGEN&SMOOTH. XV. COOLER CYLINDER AT THE TOP OF DISPLACER CYLINDER MUST BE SEALED/ISOLATED PERFECTLY AMONG DISPLACER CYLINDER AND POWER CYLINDER TO BREAK THE HEAT TRANSFER VIA METAL BODIES INTERCONNECTED EACHOTHER. XVI. FOR COOLING WATER CAN BE USED, IF YOU USE WATER MIXED WITH ICE, PERFORMANCE WILL BE GREATER. GENERAL RULES: USE LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT GASES SUCH AS NITROGEN OR HYDROGEN, OXYGEN. BUT YOU CAN USE SUBLIMATION AND HIGH VOLATILITY MATERIALS SUCH AS BENZENE/DECHLORINED NAPHTALINE SLAKES IN THE TRANSFER BRIDGE BETWEEN DISPLACER&POWER CYLINDERS. NEVER USE EXPLOSIVE VOLATILE GASES SUCH AS BUTHANE, PROPYLENE, ETHANE.... KEEP THE STIRLING ENGINE AS MUCH AS BIG.... THESE ENGINES ARE NOT SPEED ENGINES, BUT WORKBENCHES!!! IF YOU USE FORMULA 1 ENGINE ON AN FERRY-BOAT, ENGINE WILL BE FIRED IN THE SAME DAY... STIRLING ENGINES JUST LIKE STEEM ENGINES ARE THE ENGINES FOR LOW RUN SPEEDS RELATIVELY HIGH POWER HIGH TORQUE..... SLOW BUT POWERFUL... THIS THE KEY!!! SO STIRLINGS ARE IDLE MACHINES... USEFULL ON SHIPS, IN FACTORIES, IN MANUFACTURER FIRMS, MILLS (TO POWDERIZING AGRICULTURAL SEEDS, SUCH AS CORN SEEDS).... NOT USEFULL FOR LOW MASS BUT HIGH POWER HIGH SPEED AREAS AND MACHINES JUST LIKE AT AUTOMOBILES AT AEROPLANES.... YOU SEE HERE APPROTECHIE HAS SELLECTED THICK, STRONG, SMOOTH AND LONG PISTON ARMS... HE ALSO USED ICE PIECES FOR COOLING.... HE GET THE POWER PISTON ARM CONNECTED WITH THE MEMRANE VIA RIGIDITY-REGULATOR-ADAPTER: WHICH IT HERE WAS SELECTED IN HOUSE ENVIRONMENT CONDITIONS AS A PLASTIC COVER OF A BOTTLE!!! KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE DETAILS.... I AM NOT SORRY FOR GETTING YOUR HOLY BASIC PROJECT TO BE DEMYSTFIED/CRASHED ON MY SCIENTIFIC WALL....

[@Approtechie]

+SilentBiscuit333 Yes, I have. A nice little LTD engine that he had running there.

[@daniellbondad6670]

Are you an amateur engineer or professional?Regardless,you can hook up your engine to a fan or even a generator.

[@wandelgartking5446]

Me at 1:00 >"It runs kinda slow, I wonder if that is its limit" *2:00* "Sweet Jesus Lord and Saviour"

[@AnimationsN1]

+Wandelgart King 3:00 is where the magic happens

[@n0anime342]

4:29 is insane

[@SraTacoMal]

Nick Langley He didn’t comment on 3:00 because he died at that point.

[@JotaroKujo-gw6ng]

This is your car on boost

[@InterestedGuy]

@@n0anime342 I fell for that

[@grangerousdesigns4678]

I would love to hear a tutorial on this model.

[@MrKDB001]

shane granger same here.

[@naeem6583]

Same here

[@abufarsakh9919]

Me too

[@WISHER0]

Same here

[@whitefox6143]

The same

[@ludicscience]

Nice little engine!

[@DapperJeff]

The engine was going so fast over the alcohol flame for the camera that it was in slooow moootion baby!

[@hedgeearthridge6807]

Gotta love the Wagon Wheel Effect! (Yes thats the name for it)

[@xNecromancerxxx]

You made a very good and sturdy engine there, my friend! Nice job! You can clearly tell that finesse was put into it!

[@parksparks5296]

Now make a V8

[@antonylee5089]

Ha funny

[@SraTacoMal]

Parks Parks [Makes another Stirling engine, but out of V8 cans]

[@Uber_Versace]

You know what i might actually do just that but i have 10 cans

[@user-cp2wj2ks2o]

@@SraTacoMal omfg

[@pford]

The stirling engine - the easiest, simplest, most genius way to do work! Great model!

[@radiowallofsound]

lovely sound

[@MisterMattyMo]

Seriously the coolest thing I have seen in awhile

[@grangerousdesigns4678]

I just finished building my own stirling engine and its almost as badass as yours.Im just doing some tweaks and fine tuning to get maximum performance. I am using a think balloon stretched out tight over a tuna can and it is pretty damn fast but I may try your idea as well. Thanks and again great job.

[@240SSONLY]

glad to see some people... are still innovative and respect the old style inventions...

[@lemonmazter7831]

Very impressive, this video makes me interested in how engines work

[@mangkoes]

VTEC kicks in Yo!

[@2tommyrad]

fantastic! it's amazing how smooth it runs at high speed.

[@graviler2514]

Beautiful! it works really smoothly.

[@acoti]

Incredible! I've been learning about stirling engines and this is awesome.

[@chucklucklt1]

Wow nice I just did my first engine and now looking to get something like yours good job !!

[@jefffelsch9233]

Man that thing is cranking... fastest can Stirling engine I've seen yet...

[@Jm42086]

Very nicely done. Great balance to hit those speeds.

[@vincentflores8533]

I love that sound,it's love one cylinder engine

[@impazzitoinvolo]

Amazing! Very simple but very efficient and fast! Congratulations!

[@Trademen100]

thats great, I'm more than a little surprised it help up so well.

[@OfficialVilky]

Something about that click is just so satisfying.

[@WorldStove]

DREAMY!!!! 5/5 and such a nice sound too

[@InvincibleExtremes]

Thats really cool

[@cammy729]

this is pretty ingenious

[@pockrock222]

That is freaking awsome, good job.

[@marcosvaleriociencia1021]

Very, very good, my brother!!!!

[@ClubbyGT]

Awesome !!! Well done,this is bloody fantastic. Keep us update .

[@StanceGaming]

2:10 sounding like a diesel truck ahha !

[@swiftyjim2]

that thing was humming! nice job! :)

[@IronGoober]

This is probably the fastest can engine I've ever seen. I imagine it would run faster if there wasn't the stuff hitting in the engine. Great work!

[@tomrmalcolm]

Totally cool, man!

[@oliverlovesgorts]

Beautiful. Can;t wait to get my how to book for these.

[@DragonTamer2345]

Wow... out of random household junk too... THAT is amazing 5/5

[@ryan1484]

When the engine starts scooting. The Flinstones vitamins kicked in

[@WORRO]

That is so cool! Thumb's up video!

[@carmelpule6954]

A very elegant little machine. It may look simple and made out of many readily available material, but it is well made and has all the right components working in harmony with each other to produce a good rhythm. It is doing well running at 860 rpm and it is a pity that the stroboscopic effect does not show the real think when running and so I had to judge it by the sound made. The transfer path to the power piston could have less volume, but it seems that it is doing very well at the high speed end where the transfer of air to and fro has to be very fast. Well done.

[@OldFartsTips]

Nice Job! ----Thanks for sharing!

[@pabloman65]

and there is the nobel prize winner for a machine that exerts more power than intakeing

[@DLPlanes]

Awesome, awesome job !!!

[@alidaghayeghi4769]

It's so good ! excelent !

[@drjimmysnervetonic]

Great Job!!

[@DaPulsar007]

please make a tutorial! this is by far the coolest one ive ever seen

[@suoppsdn9751]

Love this can you share the build video on this Soda can stirling engine? Thanks for sharing I love this

[@bradleythomsen3083]

Well done.

[@PresidentCamacho2024]

nice build

[@MyMPPM]

that was fantastic

[@linkdude64]

Very very nice!! TURBO! :D

[@TheMrmitch65]

can i say one thing. SEWING MACHINE!!!!!!!!

[@justinpierson2521]

wow that was cool that was pretty fast

[@mBuster96]

Just awesome!

[@JayJaytheminingguy]

And to think this would have once been the pinnacle of technology

[@iRoxproductions]

Nice! At 860rpm its starting to sound like a real engine!!

[@CheekyMonkey1776]

Very cool! I want one.

[@sp1nnak3r]

Wow this is really great! I have watched a couple of soda can stirling build vids and must say yours looks the best. In all the videos ppl are using steel wool as piston, what are you using?

[@Approtechie]

This also uses steel wool. And thank you!

[@nithinnitc]

Very nice video

[@shiftgood1]

I do believe in this ;person's, though it be in MY opinion a miracle from our Higher Power....to this person...., practical, electricity condusive, simple yet complete (with a few other principals) thanks for his idea. Very good, thank you. :).

[@BOBTUNNELTON]

THAT IS SO COOL.

[@yeomantrader9505]

I we'd all love to see a DIY video on how you build this little guy. :)

[@scabey]

way cool...congrads

[@zach_light7816]

Sounds good

[@Krispykashew]

Nice Prius!

[@firedingots9209]

So cool!

[@Tokatt]

that was the most awesome thing evar

[@MrBrentles]

You are a genius

[@MarekSHayward]

Looks like you've got some real power there! I've made a couple of stirlings out of cans and even Pringles tubes but so far only using basic hollow can or cardboard displacers. Do you think the steal wool really acts as a regenerator, producing a significant improvement in performance? I've seen it suggested in several places but never really took it seriously.

[@jopplehead]

AWESOME!

[@Approtechie]

I built this engine 4 years ago and it was taken apart long ago. Maybe someday when I'm looking for a fun project I'll build another one and video it.

[@TheAlienj]

Very interesting, being so brutal, but I love it.

[@BoughtNotBuilt]

Great job! What size terminal blocks did you use? I have 5A on 2 of my models and noticed they were sort of small and aren't very strong. I was thinking about trying 10A. Nicely done and keep up the good work!

[@johnnylawson1329]

nice job

[@darkscienceyt]

what did you use for the piston and how did you get it to move freely up and down in the cylinder???

[@Bistro999]

Thats pretty awesome do you have a video of how you made it?

[@tawbanasoha]

Thank U for sharing , I wish U explained more , how to bend cams and secure it, is the center cam attached to the piston rod ?

[@Toerme]

@approtechie Thanks for answering :D ..another thing I thought about, how would it work if I switched places between cooling and heating? Cooling the displacer cylinder from the bottom and provided heat from above? I thought because heat travels upwards? Never seen a stirling constructed that way..

[@yaser--]

hi ; Im a new subscriber of your cool videos. I made a sterling engine similar to yours but its not that fast and i need some help regarding improving the performance. I have questions about zise and dimentions of cans u used and the crank size, the displacer size and the position and diameter of the hole where the elbow is attached to the base can.

[@JuanDavidOrjuela]

Wow!!!! that's reaaally nice!! =D I need to do a very similar one and wanted to ask you something. I believe I see something like a seal where the piston comes out of the pressure vessel, am I right??? if so, how did you do it?? is to avoid pressure losses, right?? thanks very much for your help and congrats =)

[@ramicaza]

wow nice how did you seal the displacer rod? please respond im trying to build my own

[@kuldeepsinghbhatti4402]

@Tom Bruggeman Yes you can charge your phone with that only require a small generator and some electronics to regulate the voltage and current

[@thra5herxb12s]

I have a bigger version. It was made by Hayward Tyler in 1880. It has two 8" pistons and was used until 1930 to draw water from a 150 foot deep borehole. The engine weighs over half a ton.

[@raptor50trex]

looks like you got some valve float... lol good job that thing is cool

[@DoNotPushHere]

Good luck at it, sir. I'll follow everything you upload. The idea sounds good, but remember that in some moment that trapped air must go outside. Maybe it's better to just strenghten the can.

[@grangerousdesigns4678]

Awesome job man.What did you use for the power piston?Is that a balloon that its riding on or what?The black stretching material,what is it?

[@Approtechie]

That's a rubber disk made from a bicycle inner tube. Much more durable than the balloon. You have to make sure that you're not stretching the rubber since that will rob power from the engine.

[@NZHorizones]

Not to be rude but may I ask what is making the tapping in time to the rpm, is it the diaphragm or space in the links. I ask because this is how I get an idea of speed but your's also has a good tune and I wonder where from. Great engine inspired so many.

[@Ramiromasters]

Impressive!

[@SgXGamming]

I want one in my prius :D

[@snoooters]

thats sooo cool!!!!!

[@Wakiku]

nice....you sir ARE AWESOME :P

[@TheAussieincalgary]

Top stuff mate, I think the fairly long strokes of the dispacer and power diaphram and having a regenerator makes your engine as fast as it does, but if you tweak the balance and reduce causes of the noise then it will probably go even faster. :o)

[@tehcheeseitman]

you MUST create an instructional video or something because i have no idea what you are talking about in the description but i really want to make this! :D

[@gabrielpecson8549]

Damn if there was ever a zombie apocalypse i would team up with this guy

[@andrewkhchan]

Great 👍🏼 video...... show us the making process

[@TkMinecraft9999]

Wow, you had that thing going.

[@outofworkbum2324]

Great video you should do a complete build video for us newbies tks