Buy a Stirling Engine, also known as a hot-air generator, a scientific object that's as incredible to operate as it is to display in your home. With its vintage style, it will add a fascinating touch of science to your interior decoration.
A Stirling engine is a heat engine that runs on a temperature difference: a sealed volume of air is heated on one side and cooled on the other, and as it expands and contracts it drives a piston and a flywheel. No fuel burns inside it. Robert Stirling patented it in 1816. Desk models run on a small alcohol lamp, a cup of hot water, or even the warmth of a hand.
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A Stirling engine runs on a small flame or the heat of a cup of coffee. Heat becomes motion in front of you. The ultimate desk toy.
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The gift that comes with a demonstration. Low temperature models, alcohol lamp models, propeller and helicopter variants.
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Pressure, expansion and a flywheel in one glance. Some models come as kits to assemble.
The choice is between low temperature models that run on a hot drink, alcohol lamp models with more power and drama, and kits you assemble yourself.
| Type | Best for | Heat source | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low temperature Stirling | Desk, quiet demonstration | Hot water, hand warmth | £54 to £80 |
| Alcohol lamp models | Longer runs, propellers, LEDs | Alcohol lamp (included) | £87 to £110 |
| DIY Stirling engine kits | Builders, students | Alcohol lamp | £60 to £120 |
| Helicopter, fan and display models | Collectors, statement pieces | Alcohol lamp | £90 to £337 |
Fuel is not supplied: use 95% alcohol from any chemist. Run the engine on a heat-proof surface, away from paper, and never leave the lamp unattended.
Hot air pushes the power piston out; a second piston (the displacer) shuttles the air to the cold side, where it contracts and pulls the power piston back. The flywheel keeps the cycle going between pushes.
Efficiency depends only on the temperature difference, which is why a bigger flame gives a faster spin.
Free UK delivery over £45 and 30 days to return it. For heat turned into light rather than motion, see our Tesla coils; for motion with no heat at all, the Newton's cradles.
