Courses: P4, P14, P16
We have a variety of Stirling engines. The two best are the one with the blue base, which runs off an alcohol lamp, and the circular one, which runs off a mug of hot water.
For the alcohol lamp version, light the lamp and rotate it so it's directly under the glass cylinder. After a short time give the wheel a spin and it will start running (this should take less time if you have the piston pulled out of the glass cylinder while the air in it heats up). Once running it will accelerate to an impressive speed.
The circular version is easier to see and understand where the air is moving from and to. It requires a cup of hot water underneath it, or ice on top of it, or both for a stronger spin (just a cup of hot water underneath is fine, and how we generally use it). Boil water and place in a vacuum thermos so it will stay hot until the presenter is ready to use it. Again it will take a minute to come to temperature, at which time a spin of the wheel will start it going.
