Fonctionnement - Vegetable oil stirling engine
Place the 4 beads in the test tube and close it tightly with the stopper (check that the balls are perfectly round and move freely)
Move the syringe just below the top of the side boards.
Move the tube through the wire so that the lower bolt head falls into the syringe without touching its edges.
Place the oil lamp under the end of the test tube and light it up.
Mind your fingers ! The end of the tube and the beads are hot. Principle of operation:
The air inside the tube is heated. It expands and inflates the balloon which lifts the tube so the beads can slide down.
The beads take the place of the air at the bottom of the tube and produce a vacuum effect.
The air cools slightly and the balloon deflates.
The tube moves back.
The beads can then run in the opposite direction and the process can start again.
Many trials and a lot of patience is needed to find the correct adjustments.
Start without any weight, then add them as needed.
Mainly adjust the points A, B and C.
A = weight 1-5
B = height of the syringe
C = displacement of the tube so that the screw does not touch the edge of the syringe.
D = amount of air in the circuit
E = power of the flame
Here is a video showing the vegetable oil stirling engine in operation.
The pace and movements of the beads can be quite different depending of the situation.
As wind and draughts can have a great influence and make it even more difficult to operate the engine, avoid trying it outside.
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