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Originally Posted by peragro
I think external combustion engines are cool  I can watch old steam engines go round and round and round for hours, the "chuff" of expanding steam is like music to the ear.
Stirlings seem to have particular affinity for space or other areas where there's a high heat differential.
BTW, the stirling engine farm that's supposed to be built here in CA is a few miles down the road from me. I believe CMAC posted a picture of it once - I live behind the mountain in the background of that photo.
Better be careful, CMAC. Before you know it you'll be a big fan of technology, especially things like stirling engines which would be very much improved with more money spent on space research...  |
I like some high tech a whole bunch. I think we can make just as much progress with Stirling engines by researching for earth applications as we could for space applications.
I met an old fellow while driving cab in Seattle around 1980, he was a widower, no kids -- his wife had TB during child-bearing years -- he was about the most charming old fart (91) I'd met in years and we became buddies. Mind sharp as a tack though he did repeat the same stories a lot. No problem.
Some of my favorite stories were about his uncle, who had had mild polio and couldn't crank the old autos too well so he was a steamer man. I loved hearing stories about the Stanley and White steamers his uncle had.
Jim said if you were stuck in the mud with a steamer, you'd just open the throttle (or whatever) a tiny bit and the wheel would slowly emerge from the mud. Said you could cruise right out of a mess that with a gas engine you'd be stuck in yet!
He explained that the gas engine, when the clutch engages, is essentially delivering a series of hard taps and it's difficult to feather the clutch so that the wheel doesn't start spinning, whereas a steamer would exert a gentle, even pressure. Said they were fast as hell and really quiet.
I think of that every time I hear a fire engine roaring past me in the city. Oh man, what I wouldn't give for some silence.