I found this on the net for sale. @ $3,000 it's way too much for me. As a kid, I knew of kerosene fridges, stoves, heaters and lamps but never knew of a kerosene pedestal fan. I guess growing up in the city rather than a rural area meant I wasn't exposed to all things non electric.
Seriously? Looks pure steam punk to me, a contrivance built from fantasy, though the hot air engine is an old established concept (if that is what powers the fan). Those engineering fittings look far too new - as does the wood. Most fans were hand held and wrist powered! Is that a meths burner in the base?
I think I have seen those on eBay now and then. And all have come from India. Perhaps they still make them there?
Neither. It do have two cylinders and pistons, but don't work on combustion or steam. It sort of just move the air between the two cylidres and work with the expansion of air when it gets heated by an external source (the burner you can see at the bottom of the fan in this case), and the compression as it gets cooled again via the regenerator. Hard to explain. It's easier to understand when you see one in action, so just google sterling engine and you'll soon understand the principle. You can build a simple version yourself with not too much efforts in aluminium, a cigarr tube and a glass test tube as the heating spot. The Swedish built submarines uses stirling engines, which means that they can run the engines under water and also that they are stealth, because that's another advantage with this kind of engine: they are silent.
In the sellers ad he states he has a smaller version that is cheaper. He also mentions the fans have been fully restored.
Some of those in India goes for £400. Just check e.g. kerosene fan on eBay. Here's a clip of one in action.
It's amazing how many 1920's fans that bloke in India has to sell Surely they are reproductions? (Sorry, I just had a look at his listing and they are reproduction)
I did never bump in to that type engine before you showed it here. They are so funny and the engine is just so simpel. I will own one some fine day Thanks for sharing Claus C
As Christer says they're easy to make, got a vid somewhere of a baked bean can Stirling engine I made for my young'un one afternoon, some years back now. Look em up on YouTube
Yeah! I remember those makeshift can engines! We made them in school both for fun and as a part of the education. This topic reminded me that I actually started a little stirling project many years ago. Nothing fancy. Just a thing I saw on the web and wanted to test. It was a little engine that mainly just could propel itself, just as the can engines, but it was also a nice display. It was supposed to be powered with a tealight. I made practically all parts and ordered those two tiny ball bearings that also was needed, but then I forgot to finish it all up. It has been in hibernation, but a quick search discovered that the web page I took the blue prints from still existed. You can see it here. You can see from the layout that it was a while ago it was set up. The drawing in PDF-format is here. Below are some of the pieces I made back then and actually managed to find now. There are another storage area where I think other pieces might dwell. Now as I am inspired again, I might finish it all up. But I may feel different about it tomorrow...
Looking forward to the finished engine Christer my can engine was powered via a tea light and assisted further by ice tubes ( making a bigger differential temperature) on top of the displacing chamber, thus more revs Like you, I started a Stirling that I didn't finish too it was an LTD version ( low temperature differential ) that was supposed to run on the palm of your hand , but as usual, it didn't get finished not sure i could find the components now neither
Hey Claus, As mentioned earlier I had no clue as to such a contraption either. I came across another fan for sale and this description was interesting I thought. STIRLING CYCLE HOT AIR ENGINE FAN Kerosene lamp-powered, rare and peculiar, operates at over 450 rpm, powerful engine, has quite a punch when operating hence cautious fan guard to protect operator from injury while 2-foot fan balde is in operation. To the engine nut who appreciates unusual engine technologies, additional info: - It is external combustion NOT internal combustion - Powered by 2-wick kerosene gas converting lamp or any other heat source of same value - Weight: 10 kg. plus - Bore: 2 inches - Runs 36 hours⁄pint of kerosene - Height: 3-foot; Fan blade diameter: 2-foot - Cast iron engine with ball berring crankshaft, fin cooled - Two cyclinder one power piston on displacer cylinder - Kill switch to safety top engine after lamp is turned off or left running
Those Indians and Africans are mighty resourceful fellows, making all sorts of stuff from raw materials. There's a video somewhere of a chap making pressure kerosene stoves (or was it charcoal burners?) from old oil drums, cut, shaped and punched with little more than a hammer, some nails, a short length of railway line as an anvil, and his bare feet as clamps!
Those are all Stirling type engines. Stirling was a minister in the British Isles. I don't remember which area, though. These engines were very common at one time. A number of companies made them in the States to use as fan motors and for small drill motors for dentists. There is still at least one company here making them as a fan that sits on top of a wood burning stove to circulate air. I've made a few myself. My nicest one was a Henrici type that you can see here, if interested: http://www.deansphotographica.com/machining/engines/duplex/duplex.html Dean
