Page 29 – How to Make Progress
The UK group of Stirling
engine builders have long progressed beyond
being able to
make engines that do actually work.
Some of the steps
of progress have been achieved by insight and logical
thought.
Some by repeated experimentation until a solution
was found.
My belief is that power measurement, via
strain gauge, removes some of the “guesswork”
and
provides clarity to enable further progress.
We all
agree that we would like more power. The power curve is the
yardstick.
The
fact that the engine power peaks long before maximum revs are
achieved is something
that the power curve chart makes
clear.
Measurement can also stand up to “tales of
the opposite”
”I had an engine and when I
pressurised it, it didn’t make any more power”.
Well
– this engine does – have a look at the charts
opposite.
Now, please note that as the pressure
increases, the gains diminish.
This suggests that there
is a maximum, And if we went beyond – power would
diminish?
It’s just simple. Feel the way forward
by measurement.
Plotting
the peak power points, the new curve suggests there is a maximum
pressure.
Why? Perhaps there are too many gas molecules
to be heated properly?
The heat flow from the hot cap
is not enough to heat all that gas?