The world's first 3D-printed Stirling solar-powered engine

In this news, the invention of the 17th century, its improvement from the 19th century, the concern for renewable energy from the 20th century and the novelty of the 21st century are bizarrely mixed. All this was combined in an entertaining device created by the German aircraft engineer Andreas Hauser. He described his project as the world's first solar-powered Stirling engine, printed on a 3D printer.

Scottish priest and inventor Robert Stirling patented his version of the heat engine in 1816. He improved and finalized the design of engines, prototypes of which have been known since at least the 17th century.

Stirling's engine- an external combustion engine in which energy is generated due to the temperature difference in different parts of a closed tank. The working fluid is gas. Heated and cooled, it moves the pistons that rotate the flywheel. A distinctive feature of the engine is the ability to work on absolutely any fuel, from coal and firewood to solar and nuclear energy.



This versatility was of interest to the German engineer. He has been working with projects using green energy for a long time - a wind turbine was his previous device made using a 3D printer . Hauser decided that since the engine would undergo any heating, why not heat it from the sun? So this idea was born.



Due to the need for heating from the sun, the cylinder in which the working fluid is located was made large in diameter and small in height. One end is painted black to increase absorption, and the second is in the shade, which provides a temperature difference. To improve efficiency, you can supplement the device with several mirrors that collect sunlight on a heated end.



As for other projects, Hauser offers a list of parts and their diagrams in a format suitable for 3D printing on his website . Of course, in the case of such a toy prototype, there is no talk of any power and useful work. But real projects already exist that use the Stirling engine along with solar energy. And the engine sealed on your printer will surely push novice engineers and inventors to new achievements.