This engine is available ready assembled and in self-assembly kit form, select option above when adding to basket.
The ready assembled engine is supplied in a rigid black card tube, approximately 160mm diameter and 200mm tall, which is carefully filled with supportive styrofoam chips and then wrapped in a waterproof and tamperproof blue poly-mailer. This ensures that every engine we post arrives in perfect condition.
The self-assembly kit is supplied in a rigid white card box, approximately 160mm by 130mm, 35mm high, with all engine parts securely held in a custom-made styrofoam packing tray. The box is wrapped in a waterproof and tamperproof blue poly-mailer.
The kit is supplied with a CD containing nearly 50 high resoloution images showing the full assembly process along with detailed written instructions.
This version of the KS90 Low Temperature Differential (LTD) Stirling Engine has polished stainless steel top and bottom plates, the plates are polished on their upper surfaces. The mirror polished surfaces give a very attractive look to the engine, and do not affect efficient operation in any way.
The Kontax Low Temperature Differential Stirling Engine shows with one spin of the flywheel a clean and simple way of converting thermal energy into motion.
This engine will operate from many heat sources, including hot water, computer monitor, TV and the human hand. As long as there is a small difference in temperature between the upper and lower plates this engine will run.
Every assembled engine has been tested to run from the heat of a hand.
This engine has been meticulously engineered. As any Stirling Engine enthusiast knows, friction is a major problem with small low temperature differential engines. Therefore all potential sources of friction in this engine have been eliminated. Another common problem with LTD Stirlings is heat transfer directly between the plates. Again, all possible routes for heat to transfer directly between the plates have been eliminated.
Based on the pioneering work done by Dr Senft at the University of Wisconsin, this model has been designed, manufactured and hand built in England.
A large number of schools and universities have bought our engines for educational use, the transparent chamber wall and cylinder make it easy to explain the Stirling cycle to students. Many of our engines have been kept running for years on top of coffee machines, computers, fax machines, etc. in shops, kitchens and offices all over the world. Many customers take great delight in running our engines on a bowl of ice or snow, where the engine happily runs, but backwards.
Engine features:-
- Low-profile heat insulated chamber pillars, giving a flat bottom and good surface contact with heat source
- Both connecting rods are positively located using low friction PEEK and stainless steel screws
- All airtight seals are made with high strength precision screw threads and nitrile O rings
- Ultra low friction demagnetised and de-greased bearings, NO lubrication required
- Fully CNC machined, giving crisp, clean and tidy edges all over
- Engine parts ultrasonically cleaned before hand assembly
Engine materials:-
- Stainless steel connecting rods and ball-race bearings
- Micron precision Borosilicate glass cylinder
- Micron precision Graphite power piston
- Aluminium main pillar, hub and spokes
- Brass chamber pillars and flywheel rim
- Brass gland and cylinder holder
Engine dimensions:-
- Base plates - 92mm diameter, 2mm thick
- Displacer - 70mm diameter, 8mm thick
- Flywheel - 82mm diameter, 4mm thick
- Power piston - 9.5mm diameter
- Overall height - 120mm
There are three PDF documents available for this engine. You are welcome to download and print them for your own personal use:
KS90 Parts list.pdf -parts list for this engine.
KS90 Operation instructions.pdf -operation instructions for this engine.
KS90 Sample assembly instructions.pdf -sample assembly instructions for this engine. The self-assembly kit version of this engine is supplied with a CD containing over 50 similar images.
