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The amazing pringles Stirling engine, made from cardboard Pringles tube. When I saw this video by MarekSHayward I just had to have my own! It impressed me seeing a Stirling engine made mostly out of cardboard, something which wouldn't normally be workable in an external combustion engine. This is a really easy to build Stirling that should be accessible to almost anyone.
How does it work ?
This engine uses air which is repeated heated and cooled. To allow the air to be heated and cooled the pringles tube contains a displacer which is like a loose piston that can move up and down forcing the air around the engine. When the air is heated it expands pushing the diaphragm (balloon) outward which turns the cranks. When the cranks turn they move the displacer down so that the air is near the top where it is cooled causing it to shrink and pull the cranks back, which of course moves the displacer upwards allowing the air to be heated at the bottom, this repeats over and over!
Materials :
Tools :
How does it work ?
This engine uses air which is repeated heated and cooled. To allow the air to be heated and cooled the pringles tube contains a displacer which is like a loose piston that can move up and down forcing the air around the engine. When the air is heated it expands pushing the diaphragm (balloon) outward which turns the cranks. When the cranks turn they move the displacer down so that the air is near the top where it is cooled causing it to shrink and pull the cranks back, which of course moves the displacer upwards allowing the air to be heated at the bottom, this repeats over and over!
Materials :
- 4 x Pringles tubes, clean and dry
- 1 x Balloon
- 1 x Air freshener lid/ small aerosol lid
- Cardboard from an old shipping box
- Several plastic straws
- General purpose adhesive
- Hot melt glue
- Fishing line (the creator of the original engine used cotton thread instead)
- Cotton wool
Tools :
- Scissors
- Compass
- Drill (with 2mm and 5mm drill bits)
- Mark pen
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Pliers
- Box cutter
- Hot melt glue gun
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Signing UpStep 1The displacer
The displacer is made from a cut down Pringles tube that is glued onto a few cardboard discs. I cut the cardboard disks out to about 6mm smaller than the diameter of the Pringles tube, the cardboard I used was quite thin so I glued three disks together to make sure the Pringles tube was properly supported. The pringles tube is cut to about 9cm and open at both ends.
The top set of discs has the fishing line threaded through it's centre. To stop the fishing line being pulled through the cardboard I tied and glued it onto a piece of a plastic drinking straw . I also glued the knot to make sure that it couldn't come undone.
With that done, you can glue the cut down Pringles tube to the cardboard discs. You'll have to cut it down the side so you can make it into the smaller diameter.Glue the bottom cardboard disc down and then fill the space inside of the displacer with cotton wool to take up some of the dead air space.
Glue the top disc with the fishing line on and you're done.
The top set of discs has the fishing line threaded through it's centre. To stop the fishing line being pulled through the cardboard I tied and glued it onto a piece of a plastic drinking straw . I also glued the knot to make sure that it couldn't come undone.
With that done, you can glue the cut down Pringles tube to the cardboard discs. You'll have to cut it down the side so you can make it into the smaller diameter.Glue the bottom cardboard disc down and then fill the space inside of the displacer with cotton wool to take up some of the dead air space.
Glue the top disc with the fishing line on and you're done.
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thanks
firstly we made a tube with the piston and cotton wool. but where did that tube
firstly we made a tube with the piston and cotton wool. but where did that tube
1. does the stirling engine keep working infinitely until there is no more heat?
2.would hot water be a safer alternative to fire? to use the steam as heat.
- thanks
Hot water wouldn't be hot enough to run this engine, unfortunately.
this is so cool! I have all the stuff to make it. but... how long is the displacer?
In hindsight, I shouldn't have made the cylinder so tall, because this makes the displacer heavy, which makes it harder to get balanced. I'd alter it to make the displacer cylinder shorter, say about 9cm ?
okay, I'll try to make the whole thing in this weekend. If it is done, I'll send you a picture of it, and if it works, I'll send you a video.
LukeD
anyway great instructable :D
http://www.stanleysteamers.com/photoalbum/other/fan1.jpg