Just wondering if this would work...?

[Django]

We scratch built Stirling engines at Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College as a part of a Thermodynamics course. A poor example would achieve approximately 750 rpm and a good one would run at up to 1100 rpm. With a 10:1 reduction drive, these engines should be more than powerful enough to power a phonograph. I modified the displacement chamber and displacement piston on mine and it exceeded 1100 rpm. The trick to making them more efficient is to have good, low friction seals, efficient thermal transfer and a light displacement piston, (the displacement chamber and piston is much larger than the power chamber and piston and both pistons have to reverse direction twice per revolution).

The examples shown at the top of this post are often called flame gulpers. The theory is basically the same, but the execution is very different. Flame gulpers tend to be a little noisy as well, but they are more interesting to watch.

Steam is easy to govern but overkill for a phonograph. Even the little Stuart 10 can power an 8 foot model boat. Steam is messy as well and the exhaust and mechanisms are a little noisy. A compressed air motor may be a better alternative. In the end, an electric of spring motor is probably still best. I attached an image of a little Stuart D10 Vertical that I built in 2010, (you would not need the reversing links for a phonograph). I could build a Stirling in less than a day, but the D10 had to be a labor of love. The castings are decent when you get them, but it is a lot of machining and hand work before you have an engine. I think that they still sell them in a pre-machined and a ready to run configuration, but they are pricey. Also, the oilers that lubricate the piston and slide valve only work with steam and you would need to inject oil in with the air if you were to run one on compressed air. Still, a steam driven phonograph intrigues me now, (thanks a lot).

https://www.stuartmodels.com/products/set-of-castings
Least expensive, pre-machined kit, £431.00, ($547.37), ready to run £619.00, ($786.13).

[JerryVan]

We scratch built Stirling engines at Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College as a part of a Thermodynamics course. A poor example would achieve approximately 750 rpm and a good one would run at up to 1100 rpm. With a 10:1 reduction drive, these engines should be more than powerful enough to power a phonograph. I modified the displacement chamber and displacement piston on mine and it exceeded 1100 rpm. The trick to making them more efficient is to have good, low friction seals, efficient thermal transfer and a light displacement piston, (the displacement chamber and piston is much larger than the power chamber and piston and both pistons have to reverse direction twice per revolution).

The examples shown at the top of this post are often called flame gulpers. The theory is basically the same, but the execution is very different. Flame gulpers tend to be a little noisy as well, but they are more interesting to watch.

Steam is easy to govern but overkill for a phonograph. Even the little Stuart 10 can power an 8 foot model boat. Steam is messy as well and the exhaust and mechanisms are a little noisy. A compressed air motor may be a better alternative. In the end, an electric of spring motor is probably still best. I attached an image of a little Stuart D10 Vertical that I built in 2010, (you would not need the reversing links for a phonograph). I could build a Stirling in less than a day, but the D10 had to be a labor of love. The castings are decent when you get them, but it is a lot of machining and hand work before you have an engine. I think that they still sell them in a pre-machined and a ready to run configuration, but they are pricey. Also, the oilers that lubricate the piston and slide valve only work with steam and you would need to inject oil in with the air if you were to run one on compressed air. Still, a steam driven phonograph intrigues me now, (thanks a lot).

https://www.stuartmodels.com/products/set-of-castings
Least expensive, pre-machined kit, £431.00, ($547.37), ready to run £619.00, ($786.13).

Beautiful workmanship.

I've built a #4 and a Reeves/Bolton Triple Expansion. Yes, a labor of love, as you say.

[Django]

We scratch built Stirling engines at Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College as a part of a Thermodynamics course. A poor example would achieve approximately 750 rpm and a good one would run at up to 1100 rpm. With a 10:1 reduction drive, these engines should be more than powerful enough to power a phonograph. I modified the displacement chamber and displacement piston on mine and it exceeded 1100 rpm. The trick to making them more efficient is to have good, low friction seals, efficient thermal transfer and a light displacement piston, (the displacement chamber and piston is much larger than the power chamber and piston and both pistons have to reverse direction twice per revolution).

The examples shown at the top of this post are often called flame gulpers. The theory is basically the same, but the execution is very different. Flame gulpers tend to be a little noisy as well, but they are more interesting to watch.

Steam is easy to govern but overkill for a phonograph. Even the little Stuart 10 can power an 8 foot model boat. Steam is messy as well and the exhaust and mechanisms are a little noisy. A compressed air motor may be a better alternative. In the end, an electric of spring motor is probably still best. I attached an image of a little Stuart D10 Vertical that I built in 2010, (you would not need the reversing links for a phonograph). I could build a Stirling in less than a day, but the D10 had to be a labor of love. The castings are decent when you get them, but it is a lot of machining and hand work before you have an engine. I think that they still sell them in a pre-machined and a ready to run configuration, but they are pricey. Also, the oilers that lubricate the piston and slide valve only work with steam and you would need to inject oil in with the air if you were to run one on compressed air. Still, a steam driven phonograph intrigues me now, (thanks a lot).

https://www.stuartmodels.com/products/set-of-castings
Least expensive, pre-machined kit, £431.00, ($547.37), ready to run £619.00, ($786.13).

Beautiful workmanship.

I've built a #4 and a Reeves/Bolton Triple Expansion. Yes, a labor of love, as you say.

Jerry, I would love to see that triple expansion engine. It is not every day that our engines become relevant to this forum.

If anyone is interested in building a Stirling powered phonograph, I still have some of the instruction booklets that I put together for the Thayer School engine. You will need a lathe, vertical milling machine and a torch for silver soldering the fuel tank and the displacement piston. We used a cast base, but one can be easily built up. The instruction booklet provides everything that you need and was provided to the engineering students. The students had to produce all of the parts and assemble the engine from the drawings and instructions contained in the booklet. I have attached a screen shot of the file folder.

[JerryVan]

Django,

Pictures of the Triple Expansion are here: http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 18&t=38477

Didn't want to hijack this thread too much. :O)