Stirling Engine: Conventional Investigation with a

Luminosity Component
Matthew M. Bishop

Max F. Heres

A thermodynamical wonder, Robert Stirling, a clergyman by trade, first

developed Stirling Engine in 1816. The engine has been revered over the centuries

because of its theoretical efficiency is calculated nearly equal to its theoretical maximum

efficiency (Carnot Cycle efficiency.) The engine works off of the fundamental principle

that the heating of a gas introduces higher order kinetics to the system causing expansion

of the gas, and a complementary compression when it is cooled. A Stirling Engine

exploits these fundamental principles by having a specific amount of gas contained in a

volume with a movable piston contain within this exterior volume; when the gas is heated

at one end of the container, heated gas moves to the cooler end of the container causing

the contraction of the piston, and the complementary compression of the gas causing the

piston to expand as the gas cools with cyclical repetition – an engine.

In analyzing the specifics of the thermodynamics, one finds that an ideal Stirling

cycle has 4 phases. The initial phase is an isothermal change of state during which the air

expands at a constant temperature; followed by an isochoric change of state, during

which the air-cools at a constant volume in the regenerator.1 This induces a isothermal

change of state, during which the air is compressed at a constant temperature; causing an

isochoric change of state, during which the air in the regenerator is heated back to its

initial temperature.1 Remembering that these are ideal conditions, that is to say that each
one of these phases occurs under uniform boundaries; where as, when one phase ends the

next phase begins immediately. However given that the gas chamber is one unit, the

piston induces multiple pressure gradients, and the heat source is an open flame with a

liquid fuel susceptible to a multitude of conditions, the engine will never be at its

theoretical efficiency. The coupling of only two of these conditions causes the non-

uniform messing of these phases decreasing the overall efficiency of the engine itself.

The purpose of this investigations is to see how the actual efficiency of a Stirling

Engine, and the addition of a luminosity as a function of temperature component for a

novelty effect. A U1005 Transparent Stirling Engine from 3B scientific physics was used

as the core apparatus with heating being conducted by a methylated-spirit burner filled

with generic 98 percent isopropyl alcohol as the accelerant. Two stainless steel

temperature probe, gas pressure sensor, and a light sensor from Vernier were used in

determining experimental values. The Vernier probes were connected to the Vernier Lab

Quest interfacing device, which was connect to the computer receiving data through the

use of “LoggerLite.”

The core investigation set up was connected by setting up the Stirling Engine as

described in reference one with the addition of vertically attached temperature probes

connected to both hot and cool zone temperature connecters on the gaseous containment

camber. Located directly in the center of the containment camber, there was a layered

piece of foil that divided the “cool-zone” from the “hot-zone”; as well as protecting the

open flame from the air currents created by the moving flywheel. There was a subsequent

layer foil protection device that was placed over the “hot-zone” temperature connection

on the main chamber (foil did not come into contact with probe) to protect the probe from
the open flame rolling over and directly hitting the probe. The capped hose connection

had the pressure sensor attached to it, and ran into the Vernier, as well as all other probes:

finally being connected to the computer for data output. The wick height in the heat

source was set to 2.0 mm for the low temperature measurements, and 10 mm for the high

temperature measurements.

Figure 1:

Figure 2
Given these values one can take that n = [T(H) – T(L)] / T(L) and find the efficiency

shown below as a plot of efficiency with respect to time.

Figure 3:

It is important to point out that there is a large amount of error in these analysis because

of the limitations of the probes themselves; particularly in the temperature probe, it was

shown during calibration runs that if the probes sampling time would run out and then be

re-initiated, there was a subsequent large spike in the data. The figures have mitigated

noise with interval averaging, but the inherent error from the probes and the

environmental conditions like the flame blowing on and off the containment chamber and

the flame containment chamber leaking causing large thermal gradients by burning the

fuel containment chamber – the error is quite significant. The temperature plots allow one

to see an inherent error of +/- 4.0 C in the temperature – which could account for the

impossible efficiency towards the higher end of the experiments timescale.

Figure 4:

The investigation into the luminosity of the flame as a function of velocity started

by taking many calibration readings with the flame outside of the apparatus, the final

calibration – one in which was fit to derive a equation of relation from – had the

following parameters: room temperature was equal to 20.1+/-0.2 C, initial luminosity was

equal to 0.0 lux (room darken to read out zero,) initial wick height for low setting was 2

mm, and for the high wick height 10 mm. It is important to note out the sensor

dimensions with respect to the flame itself, they are as followed: distance from the wick

to the temperature probe 5mm, distance above the wick to temperature probe 7.24 mm,

distance from the wick to the light sensor 19.02 mm, and the distance above the wick to

the light sensor 7.20 mm. The sensors collected data for over 10 minutes; however there

were large variations depending on the programs response to the probe when told to

continue to collect data – sharp spikes in the data where recorded of which took up to a

minute to recover from – and noise from the moving flame was a continual problem; with

these facts being said, the following plot is of the areas of the 10 minute collection that
did not have major computer induced spikes or large noise. The data is broken into two

section one with the wick low (2 mm height) and with the wick high (10 mm.) The

following figure shows a fit between these figures and an equation was derived from this

fit.

Figure 5:

Figure 6:
 The Stirling Engine is a power tool to investigate the fundamentals of

thermodynamics and to investigate new techniques to rediscover previous experiments.

The Stirling Engine is not archaic technology; however, a solar company in the mid-west

is using an extreme version of a Stirling Engine paired with reflective cells to create vast

amounts of energy. Using what appears to the a satellite dish covered highly reflective

cells to focus energy on a central out jutting of the dish to super heat a device that has its

original premise in the Stirling Engine.

Reference:

[1] Stirling Engine, Transparent U10050 Manuel. 3B scientific Physics.

[2] Stirling Engine History. Massachusetts Institute for Technology. <http://web.mit.edu

/2.670/www/Stirl/stirl.html.> Retrieved 11/09/10.