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 Stirling Cycle
Hot Air Stove Fan Engine
This new Stirling cycle engine is designed to run
from the heat of a wood stove. That is, you simply
set the fan engine on a hot wood stove, wait 5
minutes or so as it heats up, and give the blades a
spin. It should run as long as the stove top is hot.
It does not run from an “up-draft” but from the
pressure and vacuum built up inside the engine.
The new “Stove Fan Engine” runs like a dream! When we
finished the prototype, we set it on a 350 deg. surface and
five minutes later it was pushing air. By far, this was the
most hassle free Stirling engine I have ever built. After
experimenting with a range of temperatures, we took it from
the heated surface and set it on a block of wood to cool. To
our amazement, the fan continued to run for almost ½ hour
before coming to a stop.
 A “fun” feature of this engine is the glass globe in the
lower section of the cylinder. This allows one to watch the
displacer piston bouncing up and down as it runs. I used a
readily available globe from a Coleman gas lantern (approx.
$15.00).
The design work on its frame and base plate cover make it
an attractive, yet practical, addition to any wood burning
stove.
General Specs.
- Overall height 24 ¾ in.
- Base to fan shaft 15 ¾ in.
- Fan blade dia. 18 in.
- Base dia. 9 in.
- Power piston bore 1 ¾ in.
- Displacer piston bore 4 in.
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