Stove Fan Engine Casting Kit

This new Stirling cycle engine is designed to run from the heat of a wood stove. That is, you simply set the fan engine on a hot wood stove, wait 5 minutes or so as it heats up, and give the blades a spin. It should run as long as the stove top is hot. It does not run from an “up-draft” but from the pressure and vacuum built up inside the engine.

The new “Stove Fan Engine” runs like a dream! When we finished the prototype, we set it on a 350 deg. surface and five minutes later it was pushing air. By far, this was the most hassle free Stirling engine I have ever built. After experimenting with a range of temperatures, we took it from the heated surface and set it on a block of wood to cool. To our amazement, the fan continued to run for almost ½ hour before coming to a stop.

A “fun” feature of this engine is the glass globe in the lower section of the cylinder. This allows one to watch the displacer piston bouncing up and down as it runs. I used a readily available globe from a Coleman gas lantern (approx. $15.00).

The design work on its frame and base plate cover make it an attractive, yet practical, addition to any wood burning stove.