Nothing but hot air - Stirling engines
I found this chap and his demonstration models of Stirling engines in the model tent at the Boconnoc Steam Fair. I'm afraid I forgot to ask him his name but I had a long chat with him about the Stirling engine and the principles involved. I'd heard of Stirling engines many years ago but had discounted from my sphere of interest because they didn't have any automotive application. Stirling engines operate simply on temperature differentials. Low friction materials have given a new lease of life to this very old concept, named after Rev Dr Robert Stirling who patented the idea in 1816. Boyle's Law states that as the temperature of a gas in a sealed container increases so does its pressure and the Stirling engine exploits this principle by have a heat source and a heat sink, such as air fins. When gas is allowed in contact with the cold and heat alternately, it can move a piston, displacer or diaphragm, which in turn can drive a crankshaft. Stirling engines operate...