Make a Stirling Engine

Make your own demonstration Stirling Engine

A Stirling Engine (1) is an extremely efficient device at extracting energy from heat differences (i.e. one side hot and one side cold) and it can be run from any fuel or energy source from the sun, to a candle, or from burning wood to the heat from your hand. Best of all, it is surprisingly simple to make a working model stirling engine from readily accessible free or cheaply available parts and without expensive tools. Below are a list of links to some of the better free stirling engine plans available online.

Model Stirling Engine in action. Turning a fan with the heat of a coffee cup.

Stirling Engine Plans

SFA Stirling Engine Project (2)
Easy to Build Stirling Engine (3)
Build a Can Stirling Engine (4)

Buy a Stirling Engine

If you don't have the time, or if you feel you do not have the necessary skills to build a Stirling engine, it is possible to buy complete stirling engines and also high quality stirling engine kits relatively inexensively.

Web Link References

(1) http://www.reuk.co.uk/Stirling-Engine-Solar-Power.htm
(2) http://www.physics.sfasu.edu/astro/courses/egr112/StirlingEn....
(3) http://www.geocities.com/therecentpast/
(4) http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~khirata/english/mk_can.htm