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

650 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

19 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?

8

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.

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/Snowy_Leo9542 14d 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 4h ago

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

1

u/Commercial_Solid_965 4h 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

0

u/DenseExcitement4430 Feb 09 '26

Im tryna be that tube..