From 24 Hour Museum: Museum reveals Victorian Eco-Engine that could save the planet.

A London museum is helping to highlight an eco-friendly way of creating ‘free’ energy that was invented almost 200 years ago.

Stirling engines were commonplace around 1880 to 1920 but fell out of fashion with the advent of the electric motor. Amid concerns over global warming, the Kew Bridge Steam Museum is organising a rally to showcase these engines, which some scientists believe have a role to play in delivering clean energy.

"The thing that makes them so intriguing is because technically it is almost like free energy," explained Lesley Bossine, who is organising the rally.

"Basically a Stirling engine is unlike a diesel car or steam engine where you have got to put a fuel in. The Stirling engine works on pure heat, so you can power them on solar power, geothermal energy or waste heat."

Originally invented in 1816 by the Rev Dr Robert Stirling, they are closed circuit combustion engines. They are silent, and work by using heat to warm a cylinder. Within the cylinder, air expands with an increase in pressure that in turn drives the engine. [continue]

Related

• Kew Bridge Steam Museum
• Stirling Engine – FreeEnergyNews.com
• Stirling Engine – Wikipedia
• Stirling engines, invented nearly 200 years ago, are being built by North County man – SignOnSanDiego.com
• Could a 200-year-old engine solve today’s petrol crisis? – scotsman.com