3B Scientific Low Temperature Stirling Engine Kit, Assembly Kit User Manual

Page 3

clamping disc’s

bore is greater on one side than

the other so that it is easier to slide it onto the cylin-
der rod

4. Slide the piston rod

into the main cylinder

The main piston

moves inside the cylinder

with no lubrication so do not attempt to apply any
lubricant! The entire mechanism is also designed to
run with no lubrication so that no lubricant is neces-
sary.

5. Now attach the crank disc

with its threaded rod

to the crankshaft

having first inserted a wash-

. One more washer

and the flywheel

should now be slid onto the other side of the crank-
shaft

, making sure that there is as little axial play

as possible. If necessary, attach the flywheel

the crankshaft

with a little bit of glue.

6. The narrow clamping disc

, the short connecting

rod

, and the third wide clamping disc

are next

to be slid onto the cylinder rod

of the displacer

, having first applied a little lubricant. Then slide

the displacer rod

into the main piston socket

7. Now attach the short connecting rod

to the crank

face

separated by a washer

using the cylinder

head screw

8. Carefully slide the displacer socket

onto the dis-

placer rod

, having first glued it into the displacer

itself.

9. Lay the O-ring gaskets

inside the bottom plate

and press them into the side of the housing

using constant, firm pressure. To make this easier,
the O-ring gasket

can first be lubricated with some

washing-up liquid.

10. Press the top plate

into the other side of the

housing

in a similar way. This connection can be

undone when necessary, by pushing a small wedge
(e.g. a small screwdriver) between the top plate

and the housing

. If necessary a small opening

can be filed into the side of the housing

to make

inserting the tool easier.

2.3. Fine adjustment

•

Fine adjustment is required to ensure that there is
only minimal separation between the displacer

and the top or bottom plate.

•

After aligning the marking to the insert

and the

crank face

the stroke of the displacer should be

slightly too short. By turning the crank face

the crankshaft journal a little bit it can be made long-
er (see exploded view, next page).

•

Turning the flywheel

afterward forces the dis-

placer socket

onto the displacer rod

when the

displacer

meets the top plate

•

Make the stroke of the displacer long enough so that
in one revolution the displacer

touches gently

against both the top plate and the bottom plate.

•

Then shorten the stroke very slightly by turning the
crank face

back a tiny bit.

•

The displacer

and the top or bottom plate should

now be separated by a very small but even amount.

•

Finally, turn the crankshaft

so that the main pis-

ton

is in the middle of its stroke. Then firmly

screw the countersunk screw

into the top plate

3. Test of functionality

•

Place the Stirling motor on the palm of your hand or
a surface that is heated, e.g. on top of a cup of hot
water.

•

After about 1-2 minutes the base plate should have
heated up sufficiently. On hot days, the temperature
difference may not be great enough. If so cool the
top plate with a damp cloth.

•

Spin the flywheel clockwise (looking towards the crank-
shaft).

•

The Stirling motor rotates in an anti-clockwise direc-
tion when the top plate is heated, e.g. by sunlight or
by a lamp. In this instance, place the Stirling motor
on a cool surface such as a windowsill.

4. Storage and cleaning

•

The Stirling motor requires no lubrication.

•

Store the Stirling motor in a dust-free location.

•

To clean the Stirling motor use a moist cloth, possibly
with some

mild soap. Never clean acrylic components

using solvents or aggressive cleaning agents.