The Return of No. 83, a Hot Air Engine

[vtsteam]

I cleaned the engine, and did a quick test again with the displacer this time.

With the brake applying pressure at 900 RPM at the fifteen minute mark, the displacer version was putting out 0.370 watts.

That compares with the 15 minute regenerator run at 935 RPM of 0.134 watts.

[Joules]

Wow, very impressive Steve, engine and its back story.   I sometimes wish I could focus long enough to build engines  but something usually comes along and takes my mind off that idea 

[vtsteam]

Heh, Joules, me, too!    I've been talking about building engines since I first built the lathe over a decade ago (supposedly to build engines with). Finally now, I'm starting.

Next step on this one is to go to a Scotch yoke in order to give myself more room for a longer pushrod guide (by eliminating the connecting rod, and reducing side force on the displacer pushrod). I have trouble preventing the displacer from contacting the walls of the displacer cylinder. I think that is reducing power output at times. Hard to tell. Anyway a straighter stroke for the displacer would allow me to add an internal axial regenerator made out of stainless steel foil that I have.

Heh, again, I'm presently caught up in fixing my CNC router to mill out the Scotch yoke itself. So again, briefly caught up in a side project.