Great Video! Finally really made me understand that the displacer piston is not affected by pressure differentials, but rather is moved by the power piston. All the other animations I've ever seen made me think the displacer piston was pushed on the bottom by expanding hot air while the top was pulled up by the vacuum of condensing air. I finally understand that only the power piston is effected, because it has one side to atmospheric pressure, and the displacer piston is just there to move around the gas so the gas is expanding or condensing overall... whew! So weird that I never really understood that before... now I can look at a stirling engine without my head hurting. Thank you!
This video is wonderful and this comment allowed me to understand this concept that I may have missed without reading this. Thank you both for your time!!!
I concur it finally made sense to me in this video and your comment helped it sink in. Thank you both it was making me crazy for a while, I’ll sleep better tonight . LoL 🙏
Just watched 5 other videos about how a Sterling engine works before finding this one. This was the first one that actually made sense. Thanks for explaining the concept and not just the construction =)
I watched two other Stirling engine "how it works" vids, both were over ten minutes, I didn't get either of them being the expanding gases makes it all move. This vid at less than five minutes explained it all much more efficiently. Than you for this vid :)
Great Video! Yours is the first one that I've come across where someone actually talks and D explains what's going on. Easier to grasp the concept, at least for me. I was starting to think that none of the Sterling Engine crowd could speak. Thanks for a great and informative video!
This is a really good video. Compared to the other videos I've seen, this guy really knows how to explain things well. He introduces concepts and computer generated models sequentially so that you understand operations from the simple on to the more complex. BRAVO 👏 Others can definitely learn from you
This is outstanding. Short and to the point, and really helped me understand. Like many people, all the other explanations were confusing me about how it works. Thank you for such a great video!
You really made a fantastic video, the best one about stirling engines by far, you really explained the basics in such a way everybody can understand it. Great job
Thanks so much! understood all the principles behind the engine, but wasn't really grasping how it all came together. Watched a few other videos that were mostly flashy demos, when I just wanted a simple animation, time to watch it, and a clear explanation!
This is the best production that explains Stirling engines both in animation and examples. I have watched many but most videos seem to assume you know more about the engine than you do. Thank you for producing such a well made and explanatory video. I wish others would take notice of this and do it in a similar format as you have.
Thank you! I wanted to build a stirling engine but all of the sources I could find would tell the function in a confusing manner, with different sources giving different answers. This really helped!
Going back many years when I was living in Western Australia I was working at the siding called Hines Hill & in the bar of the hotel they had a Stirling engine fan. The driving force was a small flame I think produced by kerosene. If the only one I've ever seen and it is always add me fascinated and it is memories of that that brought me to this page. Thank you very much for the explanation.
Very, very good!!! And almost perfect. Since you have such great animation, I would add arrows or some other way of showing the air expanding below the displacer and moving into the power piston and then the cooler air above the displacer contracting and pulling down the power piston. Thank you very much for a great explanation!!!!
I have been looking at vids for this engine for a few weeks and have wanted to try to make one for myself. I have looked at a few various "how too" vids but i was none the wiser on the priciples of the actual workings of the engine. Thankyou Michael S, i got a good idea now from your excellent explaination and demo.
Really informative. Thanks! Learning about different types of solar thermal power production (which includes Stirling engines), so naturally I ended up here.
I didnt understand before. I thought the big piston was actually the one being acted on, but to my surprise it is the smaller piston that is acted upon! Great explanation.
Holy this is the best video yet and I been looking for 2 hours, cheers you got my sub now I get it, and this is a gamma sterling engine correct? Good luck sir
Literally the best video on SEs. Simplistically done, marvelously explained. Thank you ! The only thing I don't understand is that how is it enough time for the air to exchange heat, when the engine movies at such high RPMs..
Clear explanation and now I know the diffrence between hot cold (stirling)engine and an internal combustion engine. I hope to see more about these kind of fun science facts and mysteries
How big should a sterling engine be to power up, a few electrinic device together? For example a tv and a computer at the same time. (off course it has to be strong enough to move turbine to create electricity...)
+Dorfdude8 To me that sounds like something that would be very difficult to work out mathematically. It would likely be influenced by other parts of the design such as the size of the flywheel, etc. If I were designing an engine and I wanted to optimize the displacer, I would probably run identical tests using displacers of varying diameters and thickness, and measure the RPM of the flywheel in each test.
Wow, nice video! This made me really understand the concept behind the Stirling engine! Although, I understand the mechanics and some of the thermodynamic concepts behind it, I really need to understand the concept of this kind of engine in full detail. This video made a very good job! Thanks!
Had to watch it 2 times. Now I get it, and hope this helps someone: the displacer is NOT moved by the air at all, but by the piston. It's so simple now, wish you mentioned that. I was getting stuck at "how in the hell does the air move the displacer so it can move the piston and so on?" 😂
Thanks! I'm not sure about all types of Stirling engines, but this type won't start on its own. You have to spin the flywheel before it will start. It of course also needs heat energy in the form of a temperature difference between the top and bottom before it will run.
The Swedish Navy recently deployed a submarine with a Sterling engine! It burns diesel fuel for heat and it is extremely efficient and here's the best part: it is virtually SILENT compared to more common nuclear and diesel-electric types! This makes it extremely stealthy and thus one of the best submarines on earth. The US Navy "lost" an Aircraft Carrier to one of these Swedish Sterling engine subs in war games and so the US has leased one of the amazing boats, to study it's amazing properties!
The HMS (HSwMS) Gotland and its sibling Uppland were actually made back in 1995... but they were upgraded somewhat recently with improved Stirling engines. (Amongst other things.) Also those war games + lease were back in 2005-2007. (All according to Wikipedia....)
With the displacer at the top, the air inside the cylinder is exposed to the "hot" side where the air can expand from the heat. The air is in communication with the small piston at the halfway point where it "pushes" the flywheel rotating it. In turn, when the displacer moves down, the heated air moves to the "cool" side where it contracts with the power piston half way through the cycle in the opposite side of the stroke "pulling" the flywheel adding rotational momentum. The displacer has no real resistance to its motion simply moving air back and fourth to where it is exposed to "heat" or "cool". The power piston is the one doing the work, with a good seal, transferring expanding or contracting pressure to the flywheel. I hope this helps. After watching several videos this one explained it best for me.
I've seen a lot of videos trying to describe how Stirling engines work. Yours is by far the clearest.
Great Video! Finally really made me understand that the displacer piston is not affected by pressure differentials, but rather is moved by the power piston. All the other animations I've ever seen made me think the displacer piston was pushed on the bottom by expanding hot air while the top was pulled up by the vacuum of condensing air. I finally understand that only the power piston is effected, because it has one side to atmospheric pressure, and the displacer piston is just there to move around the gas so the gas is expanding or condensing overall... whew! So weird that I never really understood that before... now I can look at a stirling engine without my head hurting. Thank you!
You're welcome! Thank you and everyone else for the nice comments.
I had the exact same issue! This is the first time I could really understand how it works.
This video is wonderful and this comment allowed me to understand this concept that I may have missed without reading this. Thank you both for your time!!!
Me too - thanks for clearing that up
I concur it finally made sense to me in this video and your comment helped it sink in. Thank you both it was making me crazy for a while, I’ll sleep better tonight . LoL 🙏
This really helped me understand my Stirling engine. Thank you!
Ditto
Yup
I just got here from your video!
Oh cool hi
Yes , a first rate explanation
Thank you! After watching 4 other "How it works" videos, I still didn't have a clue. Now I do. Thank you very much. Perfectly explained!!!
That's probably the best explanation I've see on how a stirling engine works. Thanks!
Just watched 5 other videos about how a Sterling engine works before finding this one. This was the first one that actually made sense. Thanks for explaining the concept and not just the construction =)
Same here, the ice part was really cool.
Thank you, I searched a lot for a full explanation that explains the details of the mechanism of work, and this explanation is the best
Is this about thermodynamics?
You are the first person I have encountered who can explain a Sterling engine in plain English. Thanks, for this useful video!
I watched two other Stirling engine "how it works" vids, both were over ten minutes, I didn't get either of them being the expanding gases makes it all move. This vid at less than five minutes explained it all much more efficiently. Than you for this vid :)
I am only half way through and this is already the best explanation of a Stirling Engine. Thank you.
This is the only video in the results for “how a sterling engine works” that is worth watching. Thank you!
This is litteraly the only video on stirling engines that actually explains it well.
Great Video! Yours is the first one that I've come across where someone actually talks and
D explains what's going on. Easier to grasp the concept, at least for me. I was starting to think that none of the Sterling Engine crowd could speak. Thanks for a great and informative video!
This hit my recommended list in early 2021. Even 7 1/2 years later it's still the best explanation of how a Stirling engine works. Great job!
This is a really good video. Compared to the other videos I've seen, this guy really knows how to explain things well. He introduces concepts and computer generated models sequentially so that you understand operations from the simple on to the more complex. BRAVO 👏 Others can definitely learn from you
Thank you! I appreciate that you broke it down to where each force is acting when and what the cause of the force is. Great explanation!
Liked and subscribed btw
what a great explanation. i think the reason it works so well is leaving the dispalcer out to begin with.
This is outstanding. Short and to the point, and really helped me understand. Like many people, all the other explanations were confusing me about how it works. Thank you for such a great video!
Micheal, thank you for your time, effort and very simple explanation. I think these models are brilliant, and i am planning to build one myself.
You really made a fantastic video, the best one about stirling engines by far, you really explained the basics in such a way everybody can understand it. Great job
Thanks so much! understood all the principles behind the engine, but wasn't really grasping how it all came together.
Watched a few other videos that were mostly flashy demos, when I just wanted a simple animation, time to watch it, and a clear explanation!
This is the best production that explains Stirling engines both in animation and examples. I have watched many but most videos seem to assume you know more about the engine than you do. Thank you for producing such a well made and explanatory video. I wish others would take notice of this and do it in a similar format as you have.
Yes!
Best explanation of the engine that uses the power piston! Thanks for sharing!!
Best Stirling cycle explanation on UA-cam! Thank you!
Best explanation of a Stirling Engine I've heard.
You have the only correct and good explanation of this on youtube haha. Thank you.
Best explanation so far. Many explanations are creating confusion between piston and displacer.
you have no idea how much i apreciatte you
Thank you! I wanted to build a stirling engine but all of the sources I could find would tell the function in a confusing manner, with different sources giving different answers. This really helped!
Finally. Someone who actually EXPLAINS it.
The best explanation of a sterling engine that I have seen. Thank you!
Thats awesome. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. You've done a great job at explaining the cycle in an easy to follow manor.
Finally, the video that really explain how the motor works !!!!
U were able to transfer the ideas.
Great video, thank u.
i cant say more thanks for u, such a good-designed video! i can not know more clearly about the striling engine!!!!
Going back many years when I was living in Western Australia I was working at the siding called Hines Hill & in the bar of the hotel they had a Stirling engine fan. The driving force was a small flame I think produced by kerosene. If the only one I've ever seen and it is always add me fascinated and it is memories of that that brought me to this page. Thank you very much for the explanation.
Best sterling engine explanation ever!
Very, very good!!! And almost perfect. Since you have such great animation, I would add arrows or some other way of showing the air expanding below the displacer and moving into the power piston and then the cooler air above the displacer contracting and pulling down the power piston. Thank you very much for a great explanation!!!!
Every other video I watched I couldn’t understand but this one finally made me understand thanks so much!
I have been looking at vids for this engine for a few weeks and have wanted to try to make one for myself. I have looked at a few various "how too" vids but i was none the wiser on the priciples of the actual workings of the engine. Thankyou Michael S, i got a good idea now from your excellent explaination and demo.
I need to make a presentation in physics explaining how a Stirling engine works. Thanks to you, I finally understood
Great video. You really made it simple to understand how it works. Thanks
Excellent explanation of how it works. After watching several others,I finally got it.
My
Exceptionally well explained! Such basic thermodynamics explained like crap all over the internet. You have however done a very good job! Thank You!
Really informative. Thanks! Learning about different types of solar thermal power production (which includes Stirling engines), so naturally I ended up here.
nice explanation, I was having a hard time understanding how this model of Stirling engines worked. this was the best explanation.
I didnt understand before. I thought the big piston was actually the one being acted on, but to my surprise it is the smaller piston that is acted upon! Great explanation.
thank you Mr Michael for this explain prototype and animation help any one not engineer understand the concept hot gas engine
You don't need the dis-placer, just drill some holes on the top of the cylinder to let cool air in and hot air out.
Fantastic animation! Thank you for explaining things so clearly.
The best I have found, by a large margin. Now I understand. Thank you very much.
Michael, really nice job at explaining and demonstrating the principle. Well done and thanks!
The explanation of the displacer was helpful.
I love this video I watched it because I have one and wanted to know how it works thank you very much
One of the through video reference for how sterling engine works. Thanks.
Thank you so much for this , Finally this help me to understand the action of Stirling engine !!!
Holy this is the best video yet and I been looking for 2 hours, cheers you got my sub now I get it, and this is a gamma sterling engine correct? Good luck sir
Simple and best explanation I ever come across, nice one
Best explanation on UA-cam
Dear Michael, can you please tell me where you bought this Stirling Engine from ? thanks
Best explanation of this - PERIOD. Thank you!
Wow! Great explanation and animation!
Simple and clear explanation.
Literally the best video on SEs. Simplistically done, marvelously explained. Thank you !
The only thing I don't understand is that how is it enough time for the air to exchange heat, when the engine movies at such high RPMs..
Thanks! Yes, it's amazing and counter-intuitive that the air can expand and contract so fast.
Magic?
Thanks a lot Michael, it is the best explanation of striling engine!
Fascinating
Clear explanation and now I know the diffrence between hot cold (stirling)engine and an internal combustion engine.
I hope to see more about these kind of fun science facts and mysteries
Great visual explanation, cheers!
Niiiice, thanks for the video, great explanation. I dig the graphics too, well done 👏
Nice video. Clear explanation, graphics sand demonstration.
Wicked video. That engine is a marvel of engineering 🙂😊
Best description of the gamma engine I've found!
So simple the explanation. Very good this video. Thanks to you! André
Finally an explanation that makes sense!! Thanks Michael.
Thank you, that was a really clear description
How big should a sterling engine be to power up, a few electrinic device together? For example a tv and a computer at the same time. (off course it has to be strong enough to move turbine to create electricity...)
Thank you for sharing. Indeed helped me a lot. It was a big motivation for me to build one. Thank you again.
lovely video. well done
Thank you for the brilliant explanation.
This is a great explanation. Just fantastic!!!
Thank you! What a joy to understand the world just a little bit more.
Thank you very much, in my opinion, best explanation out there.
Could u map each activity within the sterling engine with PV & TS, and derive efficiently?
Thank u
My dad loves these engines and talks about them a lot. Now I finally understand how they work. Thank you!
Very Good video, been reading into this a while and this has been the most informative!
Well done! Best explanation I’ve found.
how big should the gap be between the displacer and the edge of the cylinder for maximum efficiency and optimal work output?
+Dorfdude8 To me that sounds like something that would be very difficult to work out mathematically. It would likely be influenced by other parts of the design such as the size of the flywheel, etc. If I were designing an engine and I wanted to optimize the displacer, I would probably run identical tests using displacers of varying diameters and thickness, and measure the RPM of the flywheel in each test.
+Michael S dang I was hoping it was something I can figure out with Calculus. thanks!
How heavy should the displacer be?
Wow, nice video! This made me really understand the concept behind the Stirling engine! Although, I understand the mechanics and some of the thermodynamic concepts behind it, I really need to understand the concept of this kind of engine in full detail. This video made a very good job! Thanks!
Thanks, Michael, very nice!
You did that beautifully
Had to watch it 2 times. Now I get it, and hope this helps someone: the displacer is NOT moved by the air at all, but by the piston.
It's so simple now, wish you mentioned that. I was getting stuck at "how in the hell does the air move the displacer so it can move the piston and so on?" 😂
Thank you so much
-from South Korea
Thanks! I'm not sure about all types of Stirling engines, but this type won't start on its own. You have to spin the flywheel before it will start. It of course also needs heat energy in the form of a temperature difference between the top and bottom before it will run.
Nice explanation & animated video. Good stuff :)
The Swedish Navy recently deployed a submarine with a Sterling engine! It burns diesel fuel for heat and it is extremely efficient and here's the best part: it is virtually SILENT compared to more common nuclear and diesel-electric types! This makes it extremely stealthy and thus one of the best submarines on earth. The US Navy "lost" an Aircraft Carrier to one of these Swedish Sterling engine subs in war games and so the US has leased one of the amazing boats, to study it's amazing properties!
The HMS (HSwMS) Gotland and its sibling Uppland were actually made back in 1995... but they were upgraded somewhat recently with improved Stirling engines. (Amongst other things.)
Also those war games + lease were back in 2005-2007.
(All according to Wikipedia....)
Isn't it possible to use it with solar energy, how much efficiency gain/loss does it have compared to solar panels. Any idea?
Very well done. Great explanation!
Super cool! Thanks for the explanation
What is the reason for the displacer being at the top and the piston being half-way at the start of the cycle. Why is this the optimal position?
With the displacer at the top, the air inside the cylinder is exposed to the "hot" side where the air can expand from the heat. The air is in communication with the small piston at the halfway point where it "pushes" the flywheel rotating it. In turn, when
the displacer moves down, the heated air moves to the "cool" side where it contracts with the power piston half way through the cycle in the opposite side of the stroke "pulling" the flywheel adding rotational momentum. The displacer has no real resistance to its motion simply moving air back and fourth to where it is exposed to "heat" or "cool". The power piston is the one doing the work, with a good seal, transferring expanding or contracting pressure to the flywheel. I hope this helps. After watching several videos this one explained it best for me.
Can we run sterling engine efficiently between dry ice and regular ice?
Thank u soo much brother..I understood clearly what a Stirling engine is
This was a great explanation