In MEAM 201, we learned to use heavy machinery such as manual and CNC mills and manual lathes. Additionally, we were taught to properly make and format engineering drawings.

​

To help us learn these skills, we were tasked with making a Gamma-type Stirling heat engine - an engine that uses a temperature differential between its heat source and heat sink to create power.

​

I chose to fashion my heat engine in the likeness of my mountain bike, so that I could look at the engine on my desk and be reminded of flying through the trees and over the dirt on my bike.

​

I first created the engine on Solidworks, making engineering drawings out of the standard parts as well as my own custom-designed ones. The simpler parts were machined on manual mills and lathes. Some of the more difficult parts required computer controlled (or CNC) machinery to create the more complex geometry. I learned to use a ProtoTRAK to make the more complex parts of my design.

​

Once I was finished machining every part (sometimes more than once), I assembled the parts, making sure there would be no interferences between different components. I lapped the piston to the cylinder to ensure an efficient, airtight seal and then sanded and polished all of the parts before finally assembling the engine. The engine ran smoothly even on its first test and attained a speed of well over 1200 rpm.