Me: "Whoa!"
RX: "What?"
Me: "Well, I was gonna search for 'desktop Stirling engines', but I only got as far as typing 'desktop st...' into Google and the third or fourth thing down in the list was 'desktop starships' which was pretty much like 'Look! A chrome-plated baby wolf!'"
Ooooh, chrome plated baby wolf!
ReplyDeleteMy brother used to sell kits to make a small Sterling engine. My guess is he still has some laying around in the shop. Would you like me to ask for you?
ReplyDeleteThat might be kinda awesome. :)
ReplyDeleteThere was a site which used to sell drawings (or a kit) for an itty-bitty one which would run on the heat difference from setting it on a cup of coffee. It's bookmarked on the dead Win95 box sitting next to me. Dammit.
ReplyDeleteSterling's rock. Well, at least at desktop scale. You'd think there'd be all sorts of waste heat around to make them super useful. Well, in some quantity and easier to get to than with a Peltier generator.
ReplyDeleteThe email to my brother is on it's way. Tamara is on the Cc: line.
ReplyDeleteYayy!
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, it appears that in the '50s, Philips actually built small portable gensets with Stirling engines. Even earlier, there was a line of wood-fired water pumps. Never realized it had been scaled up to do useful work!
Lol! Yeah, I had to try it...
ReplyDeleteHere is your Coffee Cup Kit.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.stirlingengine.com/product/25
But, since it costs $119 I think I'll try this one instead.
http://www.physics.sfasu.edu/astro/courses/egr112/StirlingEngine/stirling.html
Ted