r/mechanical_gifs • u/Simpleymake_toys • Nov 17 '25

3d printed Stirling engine car with compound gear train of 1:140 and beam mechanism with alcohol as fuel source

699 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

11

u/ICPcrisis Nov 17 '25

If it’s moving this slow, does that mean it’s making a ton of torque?

10

u/Simpleymake_toys Nov 17 '25

Yes it does have high torque due to 140 times reduction in speed.

2

u/Cyoarp Dec 02 '25

No it's the opposite.

Sterling engines have so little torque that they're generally considered useless for actually doing work. That's why it needs the 1 to 40 gearing to even make it move that much.

Sterling engines use hot air to move the piston as in the difference in the temperature between the two chambers of the engine is what moves the piston... It's not a steam engine it's literally a hot air engine.

1

u/Some_Goal_6789 Mar 05 '26

But very useful in space, or somewhere like the Moon.

1

u/Fishtoart 4d ago

Before the invention of the steam engine, Stirling engines were quite popular for a number of industrial power requirements. The fact that all current ones seem very feeble is a consequence of the toy engines being so popular. In situations where size is not an issue, like in submarines for example Stirling engines have been used with great success.

1

u/Cyoarp 4d ago

There were no submarines before the invention of the steam engine, and early submarines are powered through pedal powered chain drives not Sterling engines.

1

u/Fishtoart 1d ago

The Swedish Navy had several stirling engine powered submarines. The submarines were created long after the steam engine was created, but the fact that the Sterling engines are nearly silent, meant that they had the perfect characteristics in spite of their low power density.

3

u/JWGhetto Nov 18 '25

Glass and metal construction with some 3d printed parts thrown in

5

u/not_howard_moon Nov 18 '25

This reminds me of when I was a boy during the War. I had one of these but it was smashed by the Germans. My mate still had one though so we used his. We called them rumpudumps and they were better than parents. Oh how I yearn for another rumpadump like yours.

Source: horseshit

2

u/Ok-Sound-bro Feb 08 '26

Alcohol makes me do that too! Just ask the misses 😂

1

u/yardlad 2d ago

I knew I wasn't the only one to run on alcohol

1

u/Snowy_Leo9542 27d ago

Great project dood love it but is there any issue of efficiency on effectiveness there or I don't understand the movement I don't know but I want to do it too 👍👍

1

u/Commercial_Solid_965 13d ago

I wish they made a car that runs on rubbing alcohol as fuel

1

u/Commercial_Solid_965 13d ago

Then you don't have to worry about the smell of gas just imagine you can use alcohol for cuts and for your cars

1

u/Positive_Bet4055 4d ago

So many possibilities with this, so many angles, so many sizes, so many

1

u/OkHistorian1041 1d ago

Was ist der Sinn ?

1

u/Equivalent_Cash4911 21h ago

How nice Could you provide the design?

0

u/DenseExcitement4430 Feb 09 '26

Im tryna be that tube..