simple stirling hot air engine made at home with simple tools ,2 cans a baloon

[Jim Wilkins]

Hi Jim,

Good stuff as always.

I did tried multiple thermocouples to even out the variations in their
alloy compositions and statistical averaging to average out noise on
the wires, then calibrated with temperature sensors, and was never
able to get the thermal couples to maintain <1C in relation to the
temperature sensors. Probably just me, through I got 2 batches a 3
DS18B20 temperature sensors from 2 two different sources and they read
<.5C between all senses between both batches, just cheapo
thermocouples I guess.

Curbie

I've done a lot of temperature testing of the environmental test chambers I
built and always had a hard time with the thermocouples. The twisted wires
don't make good contact with flat hot surfaces so some of the heat leaks
away to the air or down the wires. Tying them down under insulation helps
somewhat. I have the best results with thermocouples tightly jammed into
drilled holes that are deep enough to heat the lead wires. The thermowell I
made yesterday to measure flue temperature is a 3/4" long bolt drilled down
the center from the head end 0.500 deep at 0.140" to clear the insulation,
then a further 0.200" at 0.075" diameter to jam in the bare twisted 20AWG
wires.

The ones I checked with boiling water didn't agree until I stuck them all in
about four inches through the teapot's whistle vent, in the steam above the
water. The bottom of the kettle read about 101C.

I use all type K because my most demanding use is checking the annealing and
hardening temperatures of tool steel. Other types like E, J or T may be
better for you.
http://www.omega.co.uk/temperature/pdf/Thermocouple_Tolerance.pdf

After welding the wires together you can hammer them flat.

jsw

 

[Curbie]

Thanks to Jim and Ralph for the info but, my automated distillation
project is coming along just fine, slow, but just fine.

A question about long-term hydrogen embrittlement for Jim, doesn't
hydrogen embrittlement take a long time under constant pressure? My
question stems from Morris's pressure issues; for testing purposes,
could he use multiple cheapo pressure sensors, checking that they are
all in basis pressure agreement and scram if not.

It seems for testing, you could waste a whole bunch a cheapo pressure
sensors for $400, after all, he just lookimh for answers?

Curbie

 

[Curbie]

Ralph,

I haven't heard of "resistance temperature detector" are they also
referred to as thermistors(sp)?

Curbie

 

[Bob F]

If it were air being heated in a sealed (constant) volume, where the
Ideal Gas Law could be applied, I would expect to see pressure climb
as in this plot:

http://www.iedu.com/Solar/Engines/Fluidyne/IdealGas.png

I'll do the same plot for H2 (but not tonight) - and expect that it
won't look much different. If the pressure at 374°C is in the ballpark
of 2.2 atmospheres, I don't think pressure will be much of a problem.

Things could be a little dicey if there's any significant amount of
moisture in the reaction chamber - but I think evacuating the chamber
before starting should take care of that.

I thought that high pressure hydrogen was a significant aspect of the Rossi
device.

 

[amdx]

I thought that high pressure hydrogen was a significant aspect of the Rossi
device.

I have not read anything about high pressure hydrogen, but I have seen
2 atmospheres referenced many times.
Also I saw one page that said the "secret ingredient" was used to
break H2 into H and H. Supposedly this make it easier to steal the
proton. I have very limited knowledge of chemistry or physics so don't
know how true or possible this is, it just stuck with me when it when I
read it.
Mikek

 

[Jim Wilkins]

...
A question about long-term hydrogen embrittlement for Jim, doesn't
hydrogen embrittlement take a long time under constant pressure?

Curbie

I didn't find anything really useful. Try calling applications engineers at
sensor manufacturers. They may send samples.

jsw

 

[Bob F]

I have not read anything about high pressure hydrogen, but I have
seen 2 atmospheres referenced many times.

First reference I googled with "high pressure hydrogen":

"E-Cat is a small device apparently able to convert few grams of nickel powder
and a small amount of high pressure hydrogen in electric power for many months."

 

[News]

"limited use" as I said. An BTW, it is _not_ used to powere
submarines, It is used as an 'auxilliary power source" only and not
used for propulsion.

It is main propulsion.

 

[News]

Just like your

again for....
"It is main propulsion"

 

[News]

again for....
"It is main propulsion"- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So even reading teh reports on it you still insist on being wrong.
Not surprising, you still believe that air car will be a reality.
<<<<<

The air car is a reality. It works. Obviously big corporation fried your
brains.

 

[j]

Philips used a small one (an air engine) for running a radio in Africa
in the 1950s. The prime reason they have never caught on is that large
auto makers do not want to take the plunge. They had the ICE piston
engines and cheap oil and made money - to them, they did not want
change. The self-serving corporateocracy advances like a snail.

I think the main reason Stirlings have found no automotive use is that
they don't change speeds readily. Zero to Sixty measured in minutes, not
seconds. They want to run at one power level.

They may work in hybrids, but I'm not so sure that the efficiency would
be better than a diesel, for a reasonably sized stirling.

It seems to me that stirlings own into their own using heat that
otherwise would be discarded. There is some oncoming use in concentrated
solar.

Jeff

 

[Vaughn]

Please give me the address of a place selling them. I'll be right
down. If you have forgotten, you couldn't even provide the address of
a factory building them.

Harry K

A few links to independent road test articles from mainstream automotive
magazines would also be good.

Vaughn

 

[News]

Please give me the address of a place selling them. I'll be right
down. If you have forgotten, you couldn't even provide the address of
a factory building them.

Again..."The air car is a reality. It works." It is not a computer
generated design . It is metal reality. This may be difficult for a bird
brain to understand.

 

[News]

So you can't give us a dealer's name?

Again..."The air car is a reality. It works." It is not a computer generated
design.

Jet cars are reality, the first was in 1950, and one raced, but you can't
buy one of those either.

 

[Jim Wilkins]

...> Again..."The air car is a reality. It works." It is not a computer
generated design.

Jet cars are reality, the first was in 1950, and one raced, but you can't
buy one of those either.

I've helped build some pretty exotic lab prototype vehicles that need a
full-time mechanic to keep them running, the same as race cars and fighter
planes.

They were "real" and functioned as intended but were nowhere near practical
or ready to sell to the public, which is the true goal that developmental
prototypes should lead to. Otherwise they are just engineers playing at
their hobby and trying to sucker you into paying for it, the way the
entertainment industry does.

Even GM can build a failure, as with the Wankel engine. The problems that
kill them are never mentioned in the press releases. Research the
thermodynamic efficiency of a steam locomotive, for a good example.

A high-maintenance homemade example at work:
https://picasaweb.google.com/KB1DAL/HomeMadeMachines#5280467615509112306

jsw

 

[News]

Your saying so does not reality make.

Do some Googling (do you know what that is?) and many jouros, from respected
papers and mags, have ridden in the car.

 

[Jim Wilkins]

Jet turbines in cars were ready for production if need be.

"Possible" isn't the same as "practical". Compressed air propulsion isn't a
new idea:
http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/airloco/airloco.htm

Learn some engineering and thermodynamics so you can tell a good idea from a
bad one.

jsw

 

[Vaughn]

...many jouros, from
respected papers and mags, have ridden in the car.

Then surely you can point us to at least one independent road test
article from a mainstream auto magazine?

Vaughn

 

[Your name]

I've helped build some pretty exotic lab prototype vehicles that need
a full-time mechanic to keep them running, the same as race cars and
fighter planes.

They were "real" and functioned as intended but were nowhere near
practical or ready to sell to the public, which is the true goal that

A high-maintenance homemade example at work:
https://picasaweb.google.com/KB1DAL/HomeMadeMachines# 528046761550911230
6

jsw

I like the bandsaw...

 

[Jim Wilkins]

I like the bandsaw...

Thanks.

Motorcycle wheels turned out to work very well. The previous owner had
burned the rear tire to the cords, giving them almost the perfect crown. I
had to grind down the front tire to match. Both wheels have axles protruding
from very good bearings and the rear has the convenient sprocket to drive
it.

The straight-line ladder frame is much simpler and stiffer than the usual C
frame and still gives 13" of throat depth.

jsw