Alpha Engine configuration
The Kontax Nano Hive high temperature Stirling engine features anodised aluminium construction with honeycomb brass fittings and will run at 2000 rpm on a tiny candle-sized flame.
Stirling engines come in three main configurations, alpha, beta and gamma. This Nano Hive engine is an alpha configuration, with two pistons in separate cylinders connected to one flywheel with a 135° phase between them.
The two cylinders are connected by a small pipe, the lower cylinder is heated by the burner flame and the upper cylinder remains at ambient room temperature.
How it works
The Nano Hive engine is driven by the cyclic heating and cooling of the air inside, when the air is heated it expands and when cooled it contracts. This expansion and contraction drives a pair of pistons which in turn drive the flywheel via the connecting rods and crank arrangement.
In operation, when the hot piston is fully inward most of the air inside is in contact with the hot cylinder's walls, which results in an overall heating and expansion of the air, both inside the hot cylinder and into the cold cylinder. When the cold piston is fully inward most of the air inside is in contact with the cold cylinder's walls, which results in an overall cooling and contraction of the air, both in the cold cylinder and from the hot cylinder. This expansion and contraction drives the flywheel via the connecting rods and crank arrangement.
Stirling engines are named after the inventor, Rev. Robert Stirling, who patented his idea in 1816.
This Nano Hive engine gets its name from the honeycomb design that encases the borosilicate glass cylinders.
Main features:
- High temperature Alpha configuration Stirling Engine
- 135° crank angle
- 1600-2000 RPM
- Runs on a tiny methylated spirits or denatured alcohol flame
- Extremely low friction self-lubricating graphite pistons
- Built in flywheel balancing
Materials
- Aluminium connecting rods
- Stainless steel ball-race bearings
- Micron precision borosilicate glass cylinders
- Micron precision graphite power pistons
- Aluminium base, foot, and brackets
- Aluminium flywheel spokes
- Brass flywheel rim
Dimensions
Base - 115mm x 50mm x 5mm thick (4.5" x 1.9" x 0.2")
Flywheel - 35mm diameter x 6mm thick (1.4" x 0.23")
Power pistons - 9.5mm diameter (0.375")
Overall height - 83mm (3.2")
Burner - 25mm diameter x 40mm high (1" x 1.6")
Weight 235g (0.5 lb)
