Hi Thomas, welcome to Stirling Engines, The main reason for using glass for cylinders is so you can see the bits moving. It is much easier to make a steel cylinder, and use a cast iron piston, and if possible use a stainless steel hot cap at the hot end. My first BETA motor is based on Dyna, a design by James G. Rizzo in his book "The Stirling Engine Manual" vol 1. depending on which part of the planet you live, you should be able to find a copy in your local library, or they might be able to get a copy. There is also vol 2, both well worth looking at, but quite expensive. One book that is available free to down load is Andy Ross's book "Making Stirling Engines" no plans, but lots of info.

For plans on the web, look up Koichi Hirata, he is Japanese, but most, if not all his stuff is in English. He uses glass syringes quite a bit in his motors, along with test tubes for hot caps, and displacers. these are motors that his students build in class at his university.

As long as the ratios for volume of the hot and cold parts is kept, and sensible design is used, there is a good amount of freedom allowed in building these motors to suit the materials available.

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 17/07/2014 15:05:35

Here's my version of Dyna, designed by James G. Rizzo, it was built in 1994, and has been run for over 1000 hours. The power cylinder is made from a bit of water pipe bored out to 1 3/4", and has a cast iron piston, it drives a generator made from a small DC motor, this runs a radio, and a small computer fan on the radiator, or the generator can be removed, and a small power hacksaw fitted(junior hacksaw blade). Ian S C

Try this site Thomas.:- **LINK**

Regards Ian.

dave, The first web site above is great, if anyone wants to build a motor they would not go wrong if they follow that. Here is another BETA motor, this one with an enclosed crankshaft, I was going to pressurise it, but never got round to it, it has the same crank as Dyna, but a bore of 1.25" Ian S C