How To Build Your Own Stirling Engine Boat At Home!

By Ovidiu
on March 26th, 2008

There are many ways for building of a hull, such as using frame of square lumbers or using F.R.P. Here, we build the hull using piled up boards of balsa. This can be built easily, and can stop the water leakage easily.

1. Preparation of the Engine
Now, An alpha-type Stirling engine is prepared. It has bore of 15 mm and stroke of 6 mm. As the heat source, an alcohol lamp is built by myself.

2. Drawing Plans
Plans of top view, side view and sectional view are drawing. In this step, we must consider about the location of the engine and the balance of weight exactly.

3. Making Paper Patterns
This boat is made of nine balsa boards. Paper patterns of the real size are making here.

4. Pasting Paper Patterns
Paste the paper patterns to the balsa boards with double-sided tape.

5. Cutting Boards
Cut the balsa boards with a sawing machine. If the board is fitted the paper pattern well, the shaping becomes easy in the next steps.

6. Fastening Boards with Glue
Fasten the boards with a wood glue strongly. The glue must be filled to used.

8. Finish of the Fastening
The fastening is finished. The block of balsa has steps yet.

9. Shaving the Steps
Shave the steps with a wood file.

10. Shaping
Shape a surface with a sandpaper.

11. Shaping with a filler
Shape smoothly a rough surface with a wood filler. Take enough time to ensure the smooth finish of the hull.

12. Drill Processing
In this step, work to drill for the pipe of a propeller shaft or a rudder.

13. Paint a Clear Lacquer
To get a waterproofed hull, paint a clear lacquer both inside and outside. Repeat 3 or 4 times, and finish the perfect waterproofed hull.

14. Painting
Paint the hull beautifully. Here, we painted it white and blue. It is no probrem to use a cutting sheet.

15. Completion
Put on additional parts, such as a rudder and balancers (weights). Put on the engine, and put on a propeller made of thin metal plate. Finally, the boat is completed! template rarrow How To Build Your Own Stirling Engine Boat At Home! Structure of the boat for building (Autodesk DWF format)
Paper pattern of the hull (Autodesk DWF format)
Additional parts of the boat, No.B1～B6(Autodesk DWF format)
Download of the whole CAD data including the hull and the engine (Autodesk AutoCAD 2000 DWG format)
template rarrow How To Build Your Own Stirling Engine Boat At Home! Download of the whole CAD data including the hull and the engine (Autodesk AutoCAD 2000 DXF format)

* WHIP! allows you to distribute CAD (DWF format) files over a network without AutoCAD software. It is available for download free of charge at the web site of Autodesk, Inc.

* Above plans are drawn for my manufacturing only.

* Please note that the CAD data includes Japanese fonts and characters, they may not show correctly on your PC.

Conclusion

After the Stirling engine boat is completed, run the engine, and float it on water. Also let us adjust the size or pitch of the screw propeller, then try to get high-speed running. Our boat could run at about 0.6 m/s lightly. Tips of the development of a high-speed Stirling engine boat are that the development of a low drag hull and high-power engine. Also the engine and the hull are reqired light weight. A running boat on water is very beautiful. Please try to develop a high-speed Stirling engine boat.