@@shawnmatheson3492 fuh-huh-huh-huh-UDGE that. Yes, it's very cool, but over five C-notes for a heater fan just because it's cool... that's for people who have more money than sense.
Funny story. My father was so proud to have installed a wood stove in his old house that he purchased one of these engine-type fans for on top of it. He purchased a premium model and claimed that it made the stove look more sophisticated. He was disappointed when the brand new, rather expensive, fan did not spin but for about 5 rpm. He left it sit on the stove as a decoration though. One day I walk past it and pick it up to examine the mechanics of it. I happened to notice that there was a cellophane cover (like what comes on a new TV) on the very bottom between the fan and the stove. He removed that cover, and within 5 minutes the fan was blowing clear across the room with warm air.
Reminds of my situation. Bought a house from my now neighbors (they subdivided and built new). When they did the kitchen remodel 20+ years ago, they put a built-in AC to cool it (there was no central AC). He loved it, but his wife thought it was way too loud and refused to use it. Come about 3 years after we buy, and we put in central AC on the first floor, so we remove the AC. First thing I see is a “Remove shipping strap before installing and operating”… on the shipping strap that is still installed. Gave it away, and it was very silent apparently.
Looks great! Just bought a similar one but unfortunatrely i have a recessed built in stove that leaves no surface area for fan to sit. Therefore it would be awesone to have a manufacturer create a modifed version to allow for vertical adhesion with perpendicularly positioned blades to allow the same function in this instance.
Glad you are back and feeling well enough to be back at making such good quality videos. Was beginning to have withdrawal symptoms while you were on the mend.
Cody, the Sterling engine was invented by a preacher. He was concerned about steam boiler explosions and he designed an engine that used air instead. Those are graphite pistons and glass cylinders for low friction.
I remember seeing a video a long while back of a kid building one out of JB weld and copper tubing, always wanted to build my own for shits and giggles. I think the channel was "MakerJ101" but I could be wrong
@@Mrbfgray Yup, most preachers are so heavenly minded they are no earthly good! This preacher remained humble and provided an external combution engine to help mankind.
That is an awesome gadget! I also wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your father Cody, I have been a fan of your channel for a long time and I really felt for you when you posted about it. After that video it compelled me to patch things up with my Dad, him and I hadn't been speaking for a while, but I didn't want to waste any more time not being in touch with him. We have to make the best of the time we have with the ones we love before its too late. Glad to see it seems like you're doing a bit better. Cheers from Ohio!
Love you videos. Your description is fairly accurate except: I think the displacer is made of a light non metallic substance. The temperature difference does tend to allow the heated air to rise but, that is a tiny effect countered by the displacer. The real motive force is the heat increasing the pressure inside the lower cylinder. I am a retired chemist. Worked in an industrial lab but, as part of a local science outreach program, I used my sterling engine to teach gas laws to middle school students. Basically, heating a gas in a closed vessel increases the pressure. That pressure pushes the top pistons. As the gas expands in the top pistons it cools and is pushed back down into the hotter lower cylinder by the return motion of the piston and the displacer. For what is worth, I included a poorly written but, more detailed description of the physical chemistry of the system below. I believe I was a good scientist but, never a very good writer so for what it’s worth…. Ideal gas law is PV = NRT. P is pressure, V is Volume, N is the amount of gas, R is a constant to keep the mathematical terms all the same, and T is temperature. Seems complicated except the amount of gas (in this case air) in the system remains constant, the gas constant is also constant. So simplifying the Pressure and the volume varies directly as a function of the temperature. In the big cylinder where the gas is heated the volume is also constant. So heating the gas increases the pressure or mathematically since V, N,R are all constant then P=T. The pressure increases in dirrect proportion the temperature change. If the lower cylinder was sealed that is all that would happen. The increased temperature would just cause the gas pressure to increase. However, the bottom cylinder isn’t sealed but, is connected to the upper cylinders. The increased pressure in the bottom cylinder pushes the pistons in the upper cylinders. In the top cylinders the pressure pushes the piston. As the piston move upward the volume of the cylinder increases allowing the gas to expand. As a gas expands it cools and further cooling occurs because the upper cylinders are further from the heat source. The purpose of the displacer is to help move the cooler air at the top of the piston back down to the the bottom of the bottom piston. Why a gas cools when it expands is a longer and for me a much more difficult explanation. But, most refrigeration is based on the fact that gases cool when they expand so please take my word for this. Again love your videos so keep them coming.
Yeah trying to explain how hot expanding gas eventually cools itself does get a bit complicated and convoluted without a full on lecture plan lol Without getting into Boyles law, bernoullis principle, and the other laws of thermodynamics you cant say much to anyone. Trying to explain how they used 600+ degree air to cool jet engines down is even more fun haha, all the while the compressor is simultaneously heating and cooling intake air via compression, expansion, and airflow manipulation using bernoullis principle and multiple airfoil designs to fuether control temperature and density.
A Sterling engine has two strokes. Stroke one is When the displacer is lifted the air rushes down towards the hotplate and expands, driving the pistons up. The second stroke is when the displacer moves down and displaces the air upwards allowing it to cool, contract, and suck the Pistons down.
I so genuinely love these! Years ago, I purchased one for my grandfather's stove and it took a small wood stove that gently warmed his family room in the basement, turning it into a real furnace that could make the entire basement and 1st floor a warm and tasty paradise after just a few minutes. All from a simple radiator-like device! So neat!
There's something very cathartic about watching a mechanical object run so smoothly and flawlessly. Also I see the watch buying bug seems to have struck again, some sort of Sub with a blue bezel and a Daniel Craig bond nato?
I have one of those thermal conductive fans to improve the performance of my Buddy heater. Not as beautiful as this, but amazingly effective. A ton of heat just goes straight up where it is not needed. This helps move the air around a bit for better dispersion, less hot spots.
Yes, we have one for the wood burner it works with a piezoelectric element which creates electric to power the fan when one side is hotter than the other 👍
Hey Cody, I just watched another TH-cam video explaining how these engines work. Apparently if it's running on top of a warm stove and then set on a cold surface such as ice, it will slow down, stop, and run in reverse. Just a cool little fact I learned and wanted to share.
Now all you have to do is make some copper coils or magnets strategically placed and then you can start storing some of its kinetic energy into a battery bank or charge your phone. I guess if you made a big enough one you could power a house. Idk it looks beautiful and is masterfully built. I’m glad I ran across this.
It’s refreshing to see a person who is not afraid to stumble in the public eye….your videos are brilliant common sense, which is a breathe of fresh air today in a world of senseless dominance. Thank you.
Dual power pistons, can you imagine that? I'm having flashbacks to the alternators. The first thing this brought to mind was the candle heat powered angel ornament. Its beautifully engineered Cody, I'll have to remember this if I ever get a wood stove.
When I get one I'm gonna bore it out and oversized Pistons port and polish blueprint it and run the open headers on it .. stir up some of them what they call gale force winds in me shop! 😁👍
The displacer is used to cause the temperature differential (the displacer is likely made of a heat insulator) when it's at the down position (closest to the base) it blocks the heat and the air inside the chamber starts to cool causing the pressure to drop. Which in turn allows the power piston to move down. At that point the displacer is now in the top position and isn't blocking the heat, exposing the air to the hot side. This increases the pressure and causes the power pistons to move up and then it repeats. The air doesn't push the displacer up or down it's just a very loose fitting piston to displace the air from the hot side to the cold side, to cause the air to expand and shrink.
If you're using this with a Catalytic stove instead of a standard one, put 3 spacer washers under it in a triangle pattern to create an air-gap. Two at the front near the blade, and one at the back in-line with the crankshaft. Not doing so can damage the engine, oh, and oil/clean it twice as often. I learned that the hard way.
I'm glad you sound like you are feeling better. How is everyone else doing? Can you tell us where you got the little fan, please? I'd love to put one on my wood stove. Thanks!
I have always wanted to see someone pair a sterling engine with a pellet stove. The sterling engine would drive the pellet auger removing the need for electricity to keep the stove running.
Brilliant! Now power up the computer with spc control to control the auger. Next figure out how to turn it on an off with a thermostat. You must be a enjineer.
This video, your ram pump video and your wood stacking (pic-a-roon) video are my favorites so far. Physics and practical farm boy uses of natural science. 👍
You are sounding much better Cody. If I remember right, this is the 2nd time you've gotten Covid? Praying you have bulletproof antibodies to protect you from future infections.
Lmao 🤣🤣🤣 thanks for the laugh Cody! I was extremely well versed in Sterling engines and am now much less so! This was great and I hope you know we love you for your self awareness
Beautiful piece of engineering and functioning piece of equipment. Don't see how ANYone wouldn't actually want one of those. Perfect for a wood stove. That or anything that has a flat, level top, enabling warm air to be circulated. Very nice!! EDIT: Okay... but BEWARE: STICKER SHOCK!!! But remember... this thing takes NO energy (other than what you are already using) to run. So, in TIME, it will literally pay for itself. IF one has an area that is not "heating" (heat transfer is too great elsewhere) this will help "push" the heated air over in that direction. In that case, eventually, it will pay for itself. Heh!
I wanted one until I saw how much, I will stick with my 20 dollar thermoelectric fan. Might be a target savings item in the future but for now I will just admire Wranglestars : ).
Definitely elegant engineering and a great conversation piece but seems impractical. It costs over $1.10/CFM and equivalent thermoelectric fans run about 28 cents/CFM. I still want one.
@@Paladin_Strategic Hahaha! Well, of course, that's in the first X-amount of time running it... after that it will eventually become $0.000000001 to "run" it... eventually. Didn't work out the cost efficiency of the unit/time. Like a Geothermal/Radiant heating system. The cost per BTU/H in the beginning is going to be astronomical. Yet, over time, it become not only cost effective, but in, say, five years, it's paying you BACK... then the costs to run start dropping phenomenally. Hahahahah! Yeah, I saw that and got sticker shock, myself. But it IS a "free-wheeling" machine. Costs nothing to run it and it DOES look really cool. Yeah, that's the "issue" with these "expensive" heating (i.e. solar, radiant, in-floor, etc.) and cooling systems is the initial costs. AFTER that (getting OVER the initial shock) though, one comes to find that over time, it starts to pay for itself... IDK... this just pushes air... but if one has a "corner" where the heat transfer is just not that great, it may get up to ~5-10 degrees"-" cooler than the rest of the domicile. In cases like that... it just may be able to heat that area. Although "heat" goes to "cold"... so yeah... there's that... lol...
@@ForeIndication Hahahahah! Yeah, I forgot to mention the "Sticker Shock" on that puppy... but still... it IS a beautiful piece of equipment. Ya gotta admit that...!!!
@@ethericbliss23 the minute I saw it made me want it. when looked I said ooh snap. Have to save some pennies up for that. It is completely awesome beautifully engineered and built.
@@nicholasmartin5446 Probably not like I should've been. Took me an extra semester before I started understanding what my foreign professor was even saying.
@@nicholasmartin5446 Yep I learned it the hard way. While the first few classes are boring and just the repetition of the old stuff, if you skipped a few classes more it jumps straight to the new stuff you'd never heard about.
I got my little brother a engin like this that you put on top of your coffee cup and when the motor stops the coffee is just the right temp :-) thank you Cody you have a beautiful piece
Love the video. Glad to see you doing better. I vote for more Mamma Kitty in videos. More pets in general. Not a lot, just some. Thanks for the content. God Bless You.
I have a good friend living in the Bull Mountains of Montana who has a wood stove to heat his tiny house build. This fan sure looks like a good solution for our winter weather.
My father was so proud when he finally got his Barometric CLOCK. Fine wood, brass and glass construction. Self running ( perpetual motion) has a wedge arm under case to stop it. I'm sure that you can find one some where still.
could you use this to generate a small amount of electricity? I know you are not going to power anything more than a cellphone or charge up batteries, but even if it puts out 5W, put 2 or 4 on a stove generating 10-20W while heating your home in winter would not be terrible.
Good video. It's simply a low compression steam engine. Unless you know what you are doing with a steam engine, operating one is very dangerous. In places where a non-critical mechanical power source is needed a Sterling engine may be the answer. Quite often they are often used outdoors using a Fresnel lens to heat it with sunlight. I don't think you could make one to run a car, but larger unit could run a small generator for electrical power. There are several TH-cam videos describing them. It's worth the search.
Sorry to diapoint you but you make steam from boiling water. These machines do not have any type of water to make them run. Incidentally this engine was being used before the Scottish Reverand Stirling patented it . An English lord had built a massive engine some time before it was patented.
@@scotpict308 Exactly. To these days Stirling engines are still limited to power generation only because while they are relatively safe and versatile of heat source choice, they have low power to weight ratio and take time to rev up. Which makes them only suitable for submarines powerplants.
Awesome, this is classic dad'splaining. Super neat device. I know mechanisms like this continue to be invented today in the pursuit of energy conservation. A symbol of the industrial revolution.
Very nice piece of equipment. Another technological marvel is the Ecofan which transforms heat flow into electricity which drives an electric motor and turns a fan. Anyway, these fans increase the efficiency of a stove by circulating warm air (unnoticed).
I have one of these that runs on the heat given off by a mug of coffee. Beautifully smart but power companies don't really fear them as their output is hardly more than the input energy and barely any torque. Although they're just enough for a simple fan like this, nice explanation though ;)
The only cycle more efficient then the Stirling cycle is the Carnot cycle but the Carnot cycle is theoretical; Stirling cycle is actual. Not only what you have is a beautiful piece of art, but it's completely functional too. Not often do you see both at the same time. Cool stuff, Cody. :)
I must say when I first learnt about the sterling engine, it was hard to understand because they used the beta type sterling engine which was the simplified version of the alpha type sterling engine. Many components of the alpha type engine have been combined to make the engine more compact in the beta type design which makes the explainations harder to understand.
Hahahah! I notice all of the East Coast Heating Guys chiming-in. LOL!! Y'all are the "original" Steam Reamers. The very first, "Old Dead Guys" reside "over there". Respect!!
I built one of these in Highschool metal fab class, machined it all myself. Very cool and simple motor. Never though about putting it on my woodstove...
Cody I could see myself setting by the fireplace in my wooden rocking chair with that miniature Stering gadget with what looks like a tiny helicopter blades keeping me warm through the winter months. 👍
That is a beautiful Sterling motor. They work off of hot and cold. They can be hours of entertainment. For no animation you did a pretty good job of explaining how it works👍
Good to see the Rolex back on the wrist Cody! I guess just like the Benchmade the good old standby always ends up ousting the shiny new toys. I get it though, I'm a creature of habit too. Glad you're doing well and I hope the same for the rest of the family. Missed you while you were gone.
You could attach a dynamo via a belt and get a renewable source of electricity. I did think it was a perpetual motion fan but this is a fantastic opportunity for woodstove owners.
I have seen these as a "Children's" STEM Project/Kit. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) But I usually see them with a Safety Fan Grill. Great for distribution of Heat in a Large Area, and really cool to watch!
There is a huge Stirling Engine near me that generates power. It has a 30 ft reflector dish made of multiple plates the engine is mounted on the center arm and runs off heat of the sun. Pretty cool, looks like a huge flower.
Another really cool thing about Stirling engines is that there's so many differrent designs of them all working off of the exact same basic principal. It's a really good example of just how many different machines can be made to do the exact same task on the exact same physical laws, while differing drastically in construction method.
I've Never seen you before. I've been missing out. Great Video. Your Soul is light my Friend. Great. Beautiful .piece. I enjoyed this sterling silver fan . very much. Thamk you. May God Bless you n Kitty n all other lived ones too. Amen
See also the Ecofan by Caframo, I've known many ppl owing them for decades. I'm not familiar with the differences in operating principle compared to a Sterling engine (if any), but the net effect is identical if the only work you are trying to achieve is to recirculate air in your stove room.
This might be splitting hairs but I would take the cover off during times of use to allow the heat sink to serve its purpose and not set in stagnant air. The fan draws air across them. Great vid. Hope you’re feeling better!
The stirling engines have one problem that tends to limit their utility, they need abundant cooling. 🤔 That said, driving a fan on a wood stove is essentially the ideal application. As for your explanation of the mechanics. I’ve studied the engines for a few decades. You did ok, the individual parts actually aren’t so bad in terms of complexity. The thing is, they work in tandem with other parts and there’s a number of interactions that get 😳. I actually think there’s some real potential for advancement, I would however be pretty hard pressed to pick them out and to then explain them.
I work for the power company and can assure you that we don't fear the Stirling engine. :-) The build quality is excellent by the OG East Coast Guys (The Brits)! It's a great conversation piece. But as a replacement for a $15 electric fan, the return on investment period is about 30 years.
hahahaha!!! reminds me of a conversation I have often with customers. I own a window cleaning business. Thermopane windows have 2 layers of glass with, in theory, a vacuum seal between. When the seal is compromised, moisture can get in between the glass layers and cause a foggy appearance in the glass. Window replacement companies claim it's "energy efficient" for you to replace your windows when that happens. Customers often ask me if they'd actually save $$ by replacing the windows. Sure you'll save energy. But you'll spend $20k on new windows. At what point will you begin to enjoy the return on investment? In the 20 yrs it will take you to break even, all your window seals will be blown again. :-)
A site called TNT with Robert Murray-Smith is a physics teacher, and he uses the Sterling engine often. He is easy to understand and entertaining. A lot of his videos are energy related.
What a fascinating 'widget'!!! And what a great tool for teaching about heat, pressure, andnother physics and mechanical topics. Now i need one...and a wood stove too!!👍
This is cool and I'm sure more than my wife will give me for allowance... They do make air circulator without the whole rotating mass assembly that spin a fan based on the heat alone and move the warm air through the room. They're still not cheap but they're affordable and last forever. I need one for the wood stove in my front room. 😀
This is how the Stirling Cycle works in this engine. The displacer is used to move air up and down in the chamber. When the displacer is pulled up, the air goes beside it into the bottom of the chamber, where the heat is. This makes the air expand, pushing the pistons up and producing power. Part of this power is used to lower the displacer, forcing air up to the top of the chamber, where it is (relatively) cool. This causes the air to contract, sucking the pistons back down and producing power. Some of this power is used to again raise the displacer, forcing the air down where the heat is, expanding it and causing pressure that pushes the pistons up, and the cycle just keeps repeating.
I’ve always been confused by the sterling heat engine. I can’t say I’m less confused but what a cool video anyway. Definitely a great quality device. Thank you Cody for your amazing content. Have a wonderful thanksgiving and a merry Christmas for you Mrs. W, jack and of course the sweet loaf.
Purchase Stirling Engine here - warpfivefans.com
$530 for the example shown in video. Very cool device!
@@shawnmatheson3492 fuh-huh-huh-huh-UDGE that. Yes, it's very cool, but over five C-notes for a heater fan just because it's cool... that's for people who have more money than sense.
@@stevealford230 Money and sense are not opposites.
@@Cotronixco I didn't say or imply that they are opposites.
@@stevealford230 Money and sense are still not opposites.
Funny story. My father was so proud to have installed a wood stove in his old house that he purchased one of these engine-type fans for on top of it. He purchased a premium model and claimed that it made the stove look more sophisticated. He was disappointed when the brand new, rather expensive, fan did not spin but for about 5 rpm. He left it sit on the stove as a decoration though. One day I walk past it and pick it up to examine the mechanics of it. I happened to notice that there was a cellophane cover (like what comes on a new TV) on the very bottom between the fan and the stove. He removed that cover, and within 5 minutes the fan was blowing clear across the room with warm air.
😂😂 classic
Reminds of my situation. Bought a house from my now neighbors (they subdivided and built new). When they did the kitchen remodel 20+ years ago, they put a built-in AC to cool it (there was no central AC). He loved it, but his wife thought it was way too loud and refused to use it. Come about 3 years after we buy, and we put in central AC on the first floor, so we remove the AC. First thing I see is a “Remove shipping strap before installing and operating”… on the shipping strap that is still installed. Gave it away, and it was very silent apparently.
Good to see you back brother!
Thats great, love it!
Looks great! Just bought a similar one but unfortunatrely i have a recessed built in stove that leaves no surface area for fan to sit. Therefore it would be awesone to have a manufacturer create a modifed version to allow for vertical adhesion with perpendicularly positioned blades to allow the same function in this instance.
Three videos in three days, what a much needed breath of fresh air!
Missed him while he was ill...
Glad you are back and feeling well enough to be back at making such good quality videos. Was beginning to have withdrawal symptoms while you were on the mend.
R/hmmm
Cody, the Sterling engine was invented by a preacher. He was concerned about steam boiler explosions and he designed an engine that used air instead. Those are graphite pistons and glass cylinders for low friction.
I remember seeing a video a long while back of a kid building one out of JB weld and copper tubing, always wanted to build my own for shits and giggles. I think the channel was "MakerJ101" but I could be wrong
Rare preacher who that ever accomplishes something useful! Thanks for the background story, that's interesting.
@@Mrbfgray Yup, most preachers are so heavenly minded they are no earthly good! This preacher remained humble and provided an external combution engine to help mankind.
@@sammy13ificationable I remember that kid doing some cool videos, I just went to check on his channel and no videos added in 3 years. Thanks though
@@TheChristonline I think he got a real job and went to college. He made some impressive stuff for a kid in his basement
That is an awesome gadget! I also wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your father Cody, I have been a fan of your channel for a long time and I really felt for you when you posted about it. After that video it compelled me to patch things up with my Dad, him and I hadn't been speaking for a while, but I didn't want to waste any more time not being in touch with him. We have to make the best of the time we have with the ones we love before its too late. Glad to see it seems like you're doing a bit better. Cheers from Ohio!
Love you videos. Your description is fairly accurate except: I think the displacer is made of a light non metallic substance. The temperature difference does tend to allow the heated air to rise but, that is a tiny effect countered by the displacer. The real motive force is the heat increasing the pressure inside the lower cylinder.
I am a retired chemist. Worked in an industrial lab but, as part of a local science outreach program, I used my sterling engine to teach gas laws to middle school students. Basically, heating a gas in a closed vessel increases the pressure. That pressure pushes the top pistons. As the gas expands in the top pistons it cools and is pushed back down into the hotter lower cylinder by the return motion of the piston and the displacer. For what is worth, I included a poorly written but, more detailed description of the physical chemistry of the system below. I believe I was a good scientist but, never a very good writer so for what it’s worth….
Ideal gas law is PV = NRT. P is pressure, V is Volume, N is the amount of gas, R is a constant to keep the mathematical terms all the same, and T is temperature. Seems complicated except the amount of gas (in this case air) in the system remains constant, the gas constant is also constant. So simplifying the Pressure and the volume varies directly as a function of the temperature. In the big cylinder where the gas is heated the volume is also constant. So heating the gas increases the pressure or mathematically since V, N,R are all constant then P=T. The pressure increases in dirrect proportion the temperature change.
If the lower cylinder was sealed that is all that would happen. The increased temperature would just cause the gas pressure to increase. However, the bottom cylinder isn’t sealed but, is connected to the upper cylinders. The increased pressure in the bottom cylinder pushes the pistons in the upper cylinders. In the top cylinders the pressure pushes the piston. As the piston move upward the volume of the cylinder increases allowing the gas to expand. As a gas expands it cools and further cooling occurs because the upper cylinders are further from the heat source. The purpose of the displacer is to help move the cooler air at the top of the piston back down to the the bottom of the bottom piston.
Why a gas cools when it expands is a longer and for me a much more difficult explanation. But, most refrigeration is based on the fact that gases cool when they expand so please take my word for this.
Again love your videos so keep them coming.
Yeah trying to explain how hot expanding gas eventually cools itself does get a bit complicated and convoluted without a full on lecture plan lol
Without getting into Boyles law, bernoullis principle, and the other laws of thermodynamics you cant say much to anyone.
Trying to explain how they used 600+ degree air to cool jet engines down is even more fun haha, all the while the compressor is simultaneously heating and cooling intake air via compression, expansion, and airflow manipulation using bernoullis principle and multiple airfoil designs to fuether control temperature and density.
A Sterling engine has two strokes. Stroke one is When the displacer is lifted the air rushes down towards the hotplate and expands, driving the pistons up. The second stroke is when the displacer moves down and displaces the air upwards allowing it to cool, contract, and suck the Pistons down.
Well said. I can understand your explanation easily.
@@robinhaas6895 exactly👌🏼
No one else is delivering this much diverse content like Wranglerstar.
I so genuinely love these! Years ago, I purchased one for my grandfather's stove and it took a small wood stove that gently warmed his family room in the basement, turning it into a real furnace that could make the entire basement and 1st floor a warm and tasty paradise after just a few minutes. All from a simple radiator-like device! So neat!
I've always enjoyed Sterling engines, found them very fascinating. And what a great way to move air around the shop. Blessings
When you end your videos saying, "May God bless you and your families." it always tugs at my heart. idk why.
This was one of the “coziest” videos I have seen for a long time :) Thank you Cody and I am glad you are feeling better.
Sometimes you just crack yourself up. That is an exquisitely designed piece of engineering. Thanks for sharing it with us.
There's something very cathartic about watching a mechanical object run so smoothly and flawlessly. Also I see the watch buying bug seems to have struck again, some sort of Sub with a blue bezel and a Daniel Craig bond nato?
I have one of those thermal conductive fans to improve the performance of my Buddy heater. Not as beautiful as this, but amazingly effective. A ton of heat just goes straight up where it is not needed. This helps move the air around a bit for better dispersion, less hot spots.
Yes, we have one for the wood burner it works with a piezoelectric element which creates electric to power the fan when one side is hotter than the other 👍
I have the same setup as you. Buddy heater with the electric version of these fans
Wranglerstar! So glad you added a link to them in the comments. Thank you, and hope you are feeling better!
Hey Cody, I just watched another TH-cam video explaining how these engines work. Apparently if it's running on top of a warm stove and then set on a cold surface such as ice, it will slow down, stop, and run in reverse. Just a cool little fact I learned and wanted to share.
I’d enjoy seeing this experiment now that he is buried in snow.
It needs another alternator. Nice piece of machinery!
Yup, way cool Cody, great find!! More importantly you really are sounding much better, much more like yourself!! Thanks again.
This is why I subbed many years ago, so genuine. Enjoyed laughing with you as if I was there. Beautiful machine.
Now all you have to do is make some copper coils or magnets strategically placed and then you can start storing some of its kinetic energy into a battery bank or charge your phone. I guess if you made a big enough one you could power a house. Idk it looks beautiful and is masterfully built. I’m glad I ran across this.
It’s refreshing to see a person who is not afraid to stumble in the public eye….your videos are brilliant common sense, which is a breathe of fresh air today in a world of senseless dominance. Thank you.
Dual power pistons, can you imagine that? I'm having flashbacks to the alternators. The first thing this brought to mind was the candle heat powered angel ornament. Its beautifully engineered Cody, I'll have to remember this if I ever get a wood stove.
Interesting use for the Stirling Engine! You can tell it has excellent quality built into it and made with good materials. Thanks for the video!
When I get one I'm gonna bore it out and oversized Pistons port and polish blueprint it and run the open headers on it .. stir up some of them what they call gale force winds in me shop! 😁👍
Designing a Sterling engine was the first project at my mechanical Engineering study. Just amazing that they work on something as easy as a tealight.
The displacer is used to cause the temperature differential (the displacer is likely made of a heat insulator) when it's at the down position (closest to the base) it blocks the heat and the air inside the chamber starts to cool causing the pressure to drop. Which in turn allows the power piston to move down. At that point the displacer is now in the top position and isn't blocking the heat, exposing the air to the hot side. This increases the pressure and causes the power pistons to move up and then it repeats.
The air doesn't push the displacer up or down it's just a very loose fitting piston to displace the air from the hot side to the cold side, to cause the air to expand and shrink.
Yep, couldn't have said it any faster or better. 👍
@@andrebartels1690 pistols are also offset ninety degrees from the displacer on the crank shaft. The flywheel is essential. The fan blade in this case
Pistons
@@andrebartels1690 thanks!
@@ksherwoodb Indeed they are!
If you're using this with a Catalytic stove instead of a standard one, put 3 spacer washers under it in a triangle pattern to create an air-gap. Two at the front near the blade, and one at the back in-line with the crankshaft. Not doing so can damage the engine, oh, and oil/clean it twice as often. I learned that the hard way.
These are the future for offgrid and tinyhousw living. Thanks for the video wrangler
I'm glad you sound like you are feeling better. How is everyone else doing? Can you tell us where you got the little fan, please? I'd love to put one on my wood stove. Thanks!
This is the accuracy you get with the metric system Cody!!!!! Glad you’re feeling better. Andrew (UK!)
I have always wanted to see someone pair a sterling engine with a pellet stove. The sterling engine would drive the pellet auger removing the need for electricity to keep the stove running.
The only problem with sterling engines is they don't produce very much power.
Not much torque either..
Brilliant! Now power up the computer with spc control to control the auger. Next figure out how to turn it on an off with a thermostat.
You must be a enjineer.
This video, your ram pump video and your wood stacking (pic-a-roon) video are my favorites so far. Physics and practical farm boy uses of natural science. 👍
Wow I didn’t know it was possible to fall in love with an object. Cody I’m not talking about you I’m talking about me! 😂
Enjoyed this so much I went back and played the closeups at 0.25 speed.....remarkable! Thanks so much for sharing this!
Good to see you back on your feet and in high spirits!
You are sounding much better Cody. If I remember right, this is the 2nd time you've gotten Covid? Praying you have bulletproof antibodies to protect you from future infections.
Long haulers are people who continue to come down with the symptoms of C-19. I know a rancher that has had it 4 times now.
Corona virus results in similar immunity to the common cold where the immunity lasts for a very short time. Recurrent infections is the norm.
Good to have you back and glad your health is getting better.
Lmao 🤣🤣🤣 thanks for the laugh Cody! I was extremely well versed in Sterling engines and am now much less so! This was great and I hope you know we love you for your self awareness
Beautiful piece of engineering and functioning piece of equipment. Don't see how ANYone wouldn't actually want one of those. Perfect for a wood stove. That or anything that has a flat, level top, enabling warm air to be circulated. Very nice!!
EDIT: Okay... but BEWARE: STICKER SHOCK!!! But remember... this thing takes NO energy (other than what you are already using) to run. So, in TIME, it will literally pay for itself. IF one has an area that is not "heating" (heat transfer is too great elsewhere) this will help "push" the heated air over in that direction. In that case, eventually, it will pay for itself. Heh!
I wanted one until I saw how much, I will stick with my 20 dollar thermoelectric fan. Might be a target savings item in the future but for now I will just admire Wranglestars : ).
Definitely elegant engineering and a great conversation piece but seems impractical. It costs over $1.10/CFM and equivalent thermoelectric fans run about 28 cents/CFM. I still want one.
@@Paladin_Strategic Hahaha! Well, of course, that's in the first X-amount of time running it... after that it will eventually become $0.000000001 to "run" it... eventually. Didn't work out the cost efficiency of the unit/time. Like a Geothermal/Radiant heating system. The cost per BTU/H in the beginning is going to be astronomical. Yet, over time, it become not only cost effective, but in, say, five years, it's paying you BACK... then the costs to run start dropping phenomenally.
Hahahahah! Yeah, I saw that and got sticker shock, myself. But it IS a "free-wheeling" machine. Costs nothing to run it and it DOES look really cool. Yeah, that's the "issue" with these "expensive" heating (i.e. solar, radiant, in-floor, etc.) and cooling systems is the initial costs. AFTER that (getting OVER the initial shock) though, one comes to find that over time, it starts to pay for itself...
IDK... this just pushes air... but if one has a "corner" where the heat transfer is just not that great, it may get up to ~5-10 degrees"-" cooler than the rest of the domicile. In cases like that... it just may be able to heat that area. Although "heat" goes to "cold"... so yeah... there's that... lol...
@@ForeIndication Hahahahah! Yeah, I forgot to mention the "Sticker Shock" on that puppy... but still... it IS a beautiful piece of equipment. Ya gotta admit that...!!!
@@ethericbliss23 the minute I saw it made me want it. when looked I said ooh snap. Have to save some pennies up for that. It is completely awesome beautifully engineered and built.
A stove top stirling engine attached to a generator would be a game-changer. It's old tech, very doable.
Got 2 of these on my stove! they make a tremendous difference! Glad to see you are recovering well! 😁
Wow, Cody. You explained in 2 minutes what a college professor taught me in 3 semesters of college physics!.That is a really neat machine.
you wern't paying attention in class were you?
@@nicholasmartin5446 Probably not like I should've been. Took me an extra semester before I started understanding what my foreign professor was even saying.
@@nicholasmartin5446 Yep I learned it the hard way. While the first few classes are boring and just the repetition of the old stuff, if you skipped a few classes more it jumps straight to the new stuff you'd never heard about.
This fan and the ram pump both amaze me. So cool.
I got my little brother a engin like this that you put on top of your coffee cup and when the motor stops the coffee is just the right temp :-) thank you Cody you have a beautiful piece
Professional homeowner. . . (Starts explaining how a fan works.)
(Pauses) . . Start’s questioning reality! 🤔
I really appreciate the fact that you share this information in plain english. Thank you bro. Godbless you aswell👍
Love the video. Glad to see you doing better. I vote for more Mamma Kitty in videos. More pets in general. Not a lot, just some. Thanks for the content. God Bless You.
I have a good friend living in the Bull Mountains of Montana who has a wood stove to heat his tiny house build. This fan sure looks like a good solution for our winter weather.
That's a really neat peice of precision engineering. Glad to see you back up and running Cody
My father was so proud when he finally got his Barometric CLOCK. Fine wood, brass and glass construction. Self running ( perpetual motion) has a wedge arm under case to stop it. I'm sure that you can find one some where still.
Getting one for our family this season thank you wranglerstar!
could you use this to generate a small amount of electricity? I know you are not going to power anything more than a cellphone or charge up batteries, but even if it puts out 5W, put 2 or 4 on a stove generating 10-20W while heating your home in winter would not be terrible.
I like how you paired the two tone stainless steel Rolex with the Warpfive with brass and stainless steel.
I've been fascinated by these for years now! Keep up the great videos man much love prayers and respect from Tennessee!
Good video. It's simply a low compression steam engine. Unless you know what you are doing with a steam engine, operating one is very dangerous. In places where a non-critical mechanical power source is needed a Sterling engine may be the answer. Quite often they are often used outdoors using a Fresnel lens to heat it with sunlight. I don't think you could make one to run a car, but larger unit could run a small generator for electrical power. There are several TH-cam videos describing them. It's worth the search.
I think it's Sweden that has a sterling engine submarine, which got some fame for being silent enough to evade detection during war games.
I believe it was tried in the 70's. No one wanted to wait for it to heat up before driving off.
Sorry to diapoint you but you make steam from boiling water. These machines do not have any type of water to make them run.
Incidentally this engine was being used before the Scottish Reverand Stirling patented it . An English lord had built a massive engine some time before it was patented.
@@scotpict308 Exactly. To these days Stirling engines are still limited to power generation only because while they are relatively safe and versatile of heat source choice, they have low power to weight ratio and take time to rev up. Which makes them only suitable for submarines powerplants.
Awesome, this is classic dad'splaining. Super neat device. I know mechanisms like this continue to be invented today in the pursuit of energy conservation. A symbol of the industrial revolution.
Very nice piece of equipment. Another technological marvel is the Ecofan which transforms heat flow into electricity which drives an electric motor and turns a fan. Anyway, these fans increase the efficiency of a stove by circulating warm air (unnoticed).
I understood your explanation of how those fans work. I was just talking about them yesterday and we wondered how it works. Now I know.
I have one of these that runs on the heat given off by a mug of coffee. Beautifully smart but power companies don't really fear them as their output is hardly more than the input energy and barely any torque. Although they're just enough for a simple fan like this, nice explanation though ;)
Thermodynamics students appreciate your attempt. No complaints. Love you videos. And most of all, your passion for being ready.
The first practical use I've seen for one of these engines.
The only cycle more efficient then the Stirling cycle is the Carnot cycle but the Carnot cycle is theoretical; Stirling cycle is actual. Not only what you have is a beautiful piece of art, but it's completely functional too. Not often do you see both at the same time. Cool stuff, Cody. :)
Could you using mechanical advantage like pulleys and make it turn a alternator?
I must say when I first learnt about the sterling engine, it was hard to understand because they used the beta type sterling engine which was the simplified version of the alpha type sterling engine. Many components of the alpha type engine have been combined to make the engine more compact in the beta type design which makes the explainations harder to understand.
Glad you’re back and still e joying sharing your love for cool stuff like this.
Hahahah! I notice all of the East Coast Heating Guys chiming-in. LOL!! Y'all are the "original" Steam Reamers. The very first, "Old Dead Guys" reside "over there". Respect!!
I built one of these in Highschool metal fab class, machined it all myself. Very cool and simple motor. Never though about putting it on my woodstove...
Always loved when form follows function and you end up with a beautiful machine…
Cody I could see myself setting by the fireplace in my wooden rocking chair with that miniature Stering gadget with what looks like a tiny helicopter blades keeping me warm through the winter months. 👍
Natural laws of thermodynamics. You did a great job, thanks for the younger people, yes .
That is the coolest stove topper I've seen. Glad you are feeling better. My taste and smell are still weak from CV19 that I got around Easter.
Absolutely insane price. I suppose if I received it for free, I would think it was "really cool"
Agreed! We live in Canada, so with a 38% dollar conversion on our Visa, taxes, duties and shipping, this would be a $900-1,000 stove top fan! :-(
That is a beautiful Sterling motor. They work off of hot and cold. They can be hours of entertainment. For no animation you did a pretty good job of explaining how it works👍
Good to see the Rolex back on the wrist Cody! I guess just like the Benchmade the good old standby always ends up ousting the shiny new toys. I get it though, I'm a creature of habit too.
Glad you're doing well and I hope the same for the rest of the family. Missed you while you were gone.
would love a video on it!
You could attach a dynamo via a belt and get a renewable source of electricity. I did think it was a perpetual motion fan but this is a fantastic opportunity for woodstove owners.
.05 w/hour haha
@@rc8rsracer1 ok then you get on your pedal power and do better then. This is effortless!
@@richardmartin8841 I could easily produce more electricity then something of this size.
@@rc8rsracer1 get on with it then.
I'd love to buy one of those just to look at but the electric generator versions work so much better And start spinning on their own When they're hot
Been using one of those for the last couple years .after seeing this now I want to build one so I can see the internals. That's awesome
I have seen these as a "Children's" STEM Project/Kit. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
But I usually see them with a Safety Fan Grill.
Great for distribution of Heat in a Large Area, and really cool to watch!
There is a huge Stirling Engine near me that generates power. It has a 30 ft reflector dish made of multiple plates the engine is mounted on the center arm and runs off heat of the sun. Pretty cool, looks like a huge flower.
12 pistons! Think Tim from tool time..
1: wood burning dryer.
2: A shaft connected a mini generator and a 12 volt light bulb.
Another really cool thing about Stirling engines is that there's so many differrent designs of them all working off of the exact same basic principal. It's a really good example of just how many different machines can be made to do the exact same task on the exact same physical laws, while differing drastically in construction method.
I've Never seen you before. I've been missing out. Great Video. Your Soul is light my Friend. Great. Beautiful .piece. I enjoyed this sterling silver fan . very much. Thamk you. May God Bless you n Kitty n all other lived ones too. Amen
200 years old - nothing power companies fear - cant generate enough power to run much of anything
See also the Ecofan by Caframo, I've known many ppl owing them for decades. I'm not familiar with the differences in operating principle compared to a Sterling engine (if any), but the net effect is identical if the only work you are trying to achieve is to recirculate air in your stove room.
This might be splitting hairs but I would take the cover off during times of use to allow the heat sink to serve its purpose and not set in stagnant air. The fan draws air across them. Great vid. Hope you’re feeling better!
It actually looks like the glass dome is open on the heat sinks so even with the glass dome on it can still draw air across.
The stirling engines have one problem that tends to limit their utility, they need abundant cooling. 🤔 That said, driving a fan on a wood stove is essentially the ideal application.
As for your explanation of the mechanics. I’ve studied the engines for a few decades. You did ok, the individual parts actually aren’t so bad in terms of complexity. The thing is, they work in tandem with other parts and there’s a number of interactions that get 😳. I actually think there’s some real potential for advancement, I would however be pretty hard pressed to pick them out and to then explain them.
Beautiful engineering from the British.
I have a 1/4 scale Ryder Ericsson I put together from casting many years ago. A late friend of mine had a full size version.
That's a very cool little engine. I'm an engineer so things like that always fascinate me.
I work at a woodstove company, and I can assure you that in no way do we fear this device....
I work for the power company and can assure you that we don't fear the Stirling engine. :-) The build quality is excellent by the OG East Coast Guys (The Brits)! It's a great conversation piece. But as a replacement for a $15 electric fan, the return on investment period is about 30 years.
hahahaha!!! reminds me of a conversation I have often with customers. I own a window cleaning business. Thermopane windows have 2 layers of glass with, in theory, a vacuum seal between. When the seal is compromised, moisture can get in between the glass layers and cause a foggy appearance in the glass. Window replacement companies claim it's "energy efficient" for you to replace your windows when that happens. Customers often ask me if they'd actually save $$ by replacing the windows. Sure you'll save energy. But you'll spend $20k on new windows. At what point will you begin to enjoy the return on investment? In the 20 yrs it will take you to break even, all your window seals will be blown again. :-)
Crazy. Never heard of these fans before but they're made just over an hour's drive from where I live!
You did a fine job of explaining the function. ☺
A site called TNT with Robert Murray-Smith is a physics teacher, and he uses the Sterling engine often. He is easy to understand and entertaining. A lot of his videos are energy related.
What a fascinating 'widget'!!! And what a great tool for teaching about heat, pressure, andnother physics and mechanical topics. Now i need one...and a wood stove too!!👍
This is cool and I'm sure more than my wife will give me for allowance...
They do make air circulator without the whole rotating mass assembly that spin a fan based on the heat alone and move the warm air through the room. They're still not cheap but they're affordable and last forever. I need one for the wood stove in my front room. 😀
Glad to see you’re feeling better Cody!!
This is how the Stirling Cycle works in this engine. The displacer is used to move air up and down in the chamber. When the displacer is pulled up, the air goes beside it into the bottom of the chamber, where the heat is. This makes the air expand, pushing the pistons up and producing power. Part of this power is used to lower the displacer, forcing air up to the top of the chamber, where it is (relatively) cool. This causes the air to contract, sucking the pistons back down and producing power. Some of this power is used to again raise the displacer, forcing the air down where the heat is, expanding it and causing pressure that pushes the pistons up, and the cycle just keeps repeating.
I’ve always been confused by the sterling heat engine. I can’t say I’m less confused but what a cool video anyway. Definitely a great quality device. Thank you Cody for your amazing content. Have a wonderful thanksgiving and a merry Christmas for you Mrs. W, jack and of course the sweet loaf.