What is a Stirling Engine and How Does it Work?
Model Stirling engines are fascinating and fun to build…but they can be difficult to understand. If you’re interested in model Stirling engines but aren’t sure exactly what they are (or why they’re so great), this article will answer some of your questions. The Stirling engine is named for its inventor, Robert Stirling. It is a closed-cycle regenerative heat engine. It works by cyclically compressing and expanding air or other gas (known as the working fluid) at different temperature levels. The heat energy produced makes the engine run. A Stirling engine is an external combustion engine, like a steam engine. This means that all of the engine’s heat goes in and out through the wall of the engine, from an external heat source. But unlike a steam engine, which uses water in both liquid and gas form, Stirling engines use only the gas forms of liquids such as hydrogen, helium or oxygen. This working fluid is compressed, heated, expanded, and then cooled again in an ongoing cycle. Stirlin
