Miser Low Temp
Stirling Cycle Engine
Plans |
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The
Miser engine type is the best
conversation piece ever
invented. It will run on
a cup of warm coffee, the
warmth of your hand, or even
an ice cream cone! Here
is an engine that you can
actually operate in bed with
no danger of setting the
sheets on fire!
This
modified
Heinrici stirling cycle engine
doesn't need a fire to operate
it. It has no valves, ignition
system, carburetor, or
exhaust. It will run on any
heat source such as on top of
a cup of warm water (coffee),
from the heat of a light bulb
if placed on top of a lamp
shade, in full sunlight, on a
TV, VCR, and a zillion other
sources. It runs at about 90
RPM when held in the palm of a
hand and much faster with the
other heat sources. It will
also operate in reverse from a
cold source such as ice or
snow. As can be seen, the
possibilities are almost
endless.
Folks
who
are not ordinarily interested
in engines of any kind are
always curious about this one.
Unlike other low temperature
engines, I designed Miser to
actually look like an engine!
Isn't that a novel idea! It is
not as hard to build as it may
look, but you can simplify the
styling if you are in a hurry
to get yours running.
Miser
is
built mostly from aluminum
alloy bar stock and plate,
while most of the smaller
parts are of brass or steel. A
few parts that can't be metal
because they need to be good
heat insulators are made from
clear acrylic (so the works
can be seen) or delrin. The
HTF (Hard-To-Find) Materials
Kit below contains the needed
materials that may be
difficult for most builders to
obtain otherwise. They would
also cost more when obtained
from separate multiple sources
even if the minimum order
amount was not a problem. The
plans are also available
separately - see below.
The plans set consists of 10
sheets of quality laser
printed CAD drawings and 2
sheets of construction and
assembly notes.
Specifications:
Flywheel Diameter: 5.2",
Cylinder Bore: .600", Piston
Stroke: .625", Overall Height:
7.4" Experience
Level: 10
Additional
Items Available for
Miser:
(see
photos at http://www.jerry-howell.com/forums/index.php?board=3.0)
Miser
Metal
Set: Rough
metal to build
Miser (except screws
& drill rod).
19 pieces, 5lbs.
(available USA
only)
Graphite &
Bearings Set:
(1) 5/8" OD x 1.4" long
graphite rod to make
piston; (2) 5/32" ID x
5/16" OD x 1/8" thick,
flanged precision ball
bearings; (1) 3/8" OD x
1.9" long Delrin rod for
displacer bushing &
crosshead.
6"
OD
x 5.5" ID x 1.06" H
Plexiglas Miser
Displacer
Ring: Extruded
Plexiglas Tubing
cut at the factory
to 1.06" height.
You will
need to trim these
down to
1".
Miser Polystyrene
Displacer:
6"
square
x 0.6"
thick polystyrene
to make the
displacer disk.
All
items sold
separately.
Order these
items below.
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"Your Miser
engine looks good,
not like some half
finished scientific
experiment."
- Mal Horsfall
(Quakers Hill, NSW
Australia)
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