The Kontax twin cylinder low temperature differential Stirling engine is an excellent demonstration of a heat engine, showing with one spin of the flywheel a clean and simple way of converting thermal energy into motion. This engine will operate from many heat sources, including hot water, computer monitor , TV and the human hand. As long as there is a small difference in temperature between the upper and lower plates this engine will run.
Every one of these engines has been
tested to run off the heat of a hand.
This engine has been
meticulously engineered. As any Stirling Engine enthusiast knows, friction is your
enemy in LTD models. With this in mind, all potential sources of friction in this engine
have been eliminated. Another common problem with LTD Stirlings is heat transfer
between the plates. Again, all possible routes for heat to transfer directly between the
plates have been eliminated.
Based on the pioneering work done by Dr Senft
at the University of Wisconsin, this model has been engineered in England, manufactured
in England using hi-tech CNC equipment, and is sold from England.
A large number of schools and universities have bought our engines for
educational use, the transparent chamber and cylinder make it very easy to explain
the Stirling cycle to students. Many of our engines have been kept running for years
on top of coffee machines, computers, fax machines, etc. in shops, kitchens and offices
all over the world. Many customers take great delight in running our engines on a bowl
of ice or snow, where the engine happily runs, but backwards.
Engine features:-
- Low-profile heat insulating chamber pillars, giving good surface contact with heat source
- Aluminium main pillar, hub & spokes
- All airtight seals are made with high strength precision screw threads and nitrile O rings
- Both connecting rods are positively located using low friction PET and stainless screws
- Micron precision Borosilicate glass cylinder and Graphite power piston, the best combination
- Ultra low friction demagnetised and de-greased bearings, NO lubrication required
- Fully CNC machined, ensuring crisp, clean tidy edges all over
- Engine parts ultrasonically cleaned before hand assembly
- Precision engineered and hand built in England
- Engraved with the KONTAX name
Major dimensions:-
- Base plates - 90mm diameter, 180mm wide, 2mm thick
- Flywheel - 82mm diameter, 4mm thick
- Power piston - 9.5mm tube diameter
- Displacer - 70mm diameter, 8mm thick
- Overall height - 140mm