GE 101: Professor Artin Davidian “V-Block Design Stirling Engine”

East Los Angeles College (ELAC)
Engineering and Technologies Department
General Engineering 101 – Summer 2020
Instructor: Artin Mejy Davidian, F.E.
Email: davidiam@elac.edu
Professor, Engineering & Technologies Department
MESA (STEM Mentor 4-Life)
Technical Advisor, BioMedical Engineering Club
East Los Angeles College (Monterey Park Campus)
1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park, California 91754
(323) 780-6818

Team: Prototype
Raul Granados – rgdlc91@gmail.com
George Toprakjian – toprakjiang@gmail.com
Wilhelm Rence Arellano – wilhelm.arellano54@gmail.com

The key principle of a Stirling engine is that a fixed amount of a gas is sealed inside the engine. The Stirling cycle involves a series of events that changes the pressure of the gas inside the engine which causes it to do the work. Our initial project was to create a single piston Stirling Engine. After completing the original design, we were able to challenge ourselves and create the V-Block engine. Although our first prototype was working it was not efficient and did not produce enough torque to power the generator. As a result, we made modifications in our design and were able to produce an engine that met all the required criteria. Our final design is composed of two Stirling Engines connected to one crankshaft. An external heat source is applied to the bottom piston chamber creating pressure due to the expanding gas. Once the correct temperature difference is reached inside the bottom chamber, the displacer functions to move the expanding gas to the power piston which keeps the crankshaft rotating. Furthermore, the flywheel is manually turned to provide the required momentum for the engine to start. As a result, the engine was very sufficient that we were able to convert it to a working adequate “Upside down V-Block" and “V-Block” Engine.

Challenges:
1. Friction due to the placement of the engine being at an angle.
2. Conducting a way to release pressure because exceeding pressure causes malfunction in the engine.
3. The essence of producing enough torque to power the generator

We encourage all viewers of our video to build a Stirling Engine! Be creative with it, and enjoy the Engineering Design Process.