Physics Demo Number: 180

Approximate Run Time: 5 min

Stirling Cycle Heat Engine Big Fan

Demo Description

A 90x66x30 cm stand alone fan is powered by a Stirling Cycle heat engine.

Scientific Principles

A working model fan having useful real world applications is presented to show that real work can be done by a thermodynamic heat engine.

Equipment

Big Fan
Propane Torch

Equipment Location

The fan lives on [D-4-1].
The propane torch lives on [D-4-2].

Instructions

The first photo shows the fan with its heat-reservoir cover opened down to the table top and its crankcase and piston and displacer open to view at the top.

The second photo shows the front view of the fan. Note that a guard disk in the center of the front cage face has been permanently removed so that one may get his right hand inside to twirl the blades clockwise as seen from the front, to start the fan after a modest amount of heat has been added to the hot reservoir.

The third photo shows a closeup of the heat reservoir. One lights the torch and gently heats the bottom of the cylinder peeping out from the bottom of the sheet metal sleeve. After 30 sec or so of this heat application one may hold the torch in his left hand and reach around to the front face and tweak the blades clockwise with his right hand.