Building A Stirling Engine Bike

Over on his YouTube channel [Tom Stanton] shows us how to build a Stirling Engine for a bike.

A Stirling Engine is a heat engine, powered by the expansion and contraction of a working fluid (such as air) which is heated and cooled in a cycle. In the video [Tom] begins by demonstrating the Stirling Engine with some model engines and explains the role of the displacer piston. His target power output for his bike engine is 150 watts (about 0.2 horsepower) which is enough power to cycle at about 15 mph (about 24 km/h). After considering a CPU heatsink as the cooling system he decided on water cooling instead.

[Tom] goes on to 3D print and machine various parts for his bike engine. He uses myriad materials including aluminum and Teflon. He isn’t yet comfortable machining steel, so he had the steel part he needed for handling the hot end of the engine manufactured by a third party.

[Tom] explains that when he started the project he had intended to make a steam engine. But after some preliminary research he discovered that a Stirling Engine was a better choice, particularly they are quieter, more efficient, and safer. After a number of false starts and various adjustments he manages to get his engine to run, which is pretty awesome. Standby for part two to see the bike in action!

We have covered the Stirling Engine here on Hackaday many times before. You might like to read about how to create one with minimal parts or how to make one from expedient materials.