Walking Beam Stirling Engine Kit

Assembly Tips: Running the engine

Keep all bearing points a little loose to Oil all of the bearing points regularly with a light machine
minimize friction oil.

Check for friction after tightening the screw Fill the cooling jacket with cold water
connectors they can sometimes twist when
tightened and bind the parts. Light the tea light candle and place it underneath the
displacer cylinder.
The diaphragm should not be being stretched
or compressed significantly, adjust it's Wait around a minute for the engine to heat up.
connecting rod so that this doesn't happen.
Turn the flywheel counter clockwise to start the engine.
The candle flame should be about 1 cm away
from the base of the displacer cylinder. If everything has gone to plan, it should be running!

Do not use intense heat sources such as If not, check all of the bearing points for excess friction.
propane, butane etc, as these will damage the Try adjust the diaphragm, small adjustments in the tension
engine. of the rubber diaphragm can make a big difference to the
operation of the engine.

Check that the displacer is being pulled up and down

correctly. When the beam is at it's highest point there
should be on a very small amount of slack in the wire ( 3 -
6mm). If it's being pulled tight, or there's a lot of slack in
the nylon wire, make adjustments to it.
 Wire parts assembly

Assemble the main connecting rod and crankshaft as shown below. The brass connectors should have small sections of
heat-shrink tubing on either side.
1.) Cut around the templates and tape 2.) Pierce through all of the bearing 3.) Cut out the internal sections first. The
them to the corrugated cardboard. points(marked +) using a drawing pin. slots should be matched to the thickness of
Widen the holes using the 100mm bearing the cardboard you are using.
bar.

4.) Cut out all of the pieces. 5.) Assemble the middle plate, baseplate, 6.) Check that the middle plate rests
and side pieces as shown 100mm (4) from the base plate.
7.) Glue the first diaphragm support piece
into place. It should be level with the top of
the cut out in the side pieces.
10.) Glue the diaphragm holder into
place as shown.
8.) Fit the displacer cylinder into place as
shown.
11.) Pierce two holes for the bolts
that hold the bearing bracket in place.
Bolt one of the bearing brackets in
place using a M4 x12 bolt, washer
and nut.
9.) Glue the second diaphragm support
piece in place, about 18 mm (1) above
the first one.
12.) Fit the crankshaft in place.
Thread it through the small holes, not
the larger holes. Bolt the other bearing
bracket into place.
13.) Screw one of the brass connectors 14.) Remove the flywheels and connector 15.) Fit the diaphragm over the diaphragm
onto a piece of 45mm bearing bar. Push the from the bearing bar and fix them into place holder. It should not be stretched tight.
flywheel against the brass connector and as shown.
glue the two together. Repeat for the other
flywheel.

16.) Glue the two beam support piece in 17.) Glue the other beam piece on as 18.) Widen the centre hole, so the beam
place as shown. shown. will move freely.
19.) Cut two small 5mm ( ) pieces of spacer 20.) Fit main connecting rod into the beam. 21.) Connect the other end of the main
material. Push the beam bearing bar through the There should be spacer material either side. connecting rod into the crankshaft as shown.
side pieces and through the walking beam, with
the small spacer piece either side of the beam..

22.) Cut the diaphragm connecting rod down to 23.) Fit the displacer con rod into place in the 24.) Tie the displacer wire to the displacer con
size and fix it into the brass connector on the same way as the main con rod. rod.
main con rod.
The nylon wire needs to be tied so that in moves the displacer up and down. Once you've tied the nylon wire on and got the movement reasonably
close, it's easier to make small adjustments by bending the steel connecting rod so that it becomes longer or shorter.