A Stirling Engine is a mechanical device, which operates on a closed looping thermodynamic cycle. Different temperature levels cause compression and expansion of the air or steam, which causes the piston arms to move back and forth keeping up with the changes in the internal pressure. The flow of the steam is controlled by changes in the volume of the hot and cold spaces, without the use of valves.

The Stirling cycle can be is still applied to day in common appliances such as a refrigerator. The heat cycle when applied to a heat cycle can produce cool air. This will occur when work is done on the Stirling device, and the heat energy is discar

Lubrication also plays a huge part in engine performance. If all parts slide together easy than the total force put into overcoming friction would be reduced. Bearings and other parts would also play a large part in reducing friction.

The 1900's brought on a time of industrialization and few things were still made by hand. In this age Stirling engines could be built bye assembly lines but Henry Ford had already began production of his model T Ford, which used an internal combustion engine. This pretty much killed the need for the Stirling engine. During this these old times prototypes were almost non-existent except for that of a seldom made model. The reason this occurred is if a "prototype" was made it was probably put into use not just set aside whit the actual models were getting manufactured. Before this time if somebody wanted something they had to build it for him or her self, or they would have to find someone to build it for them. This explains why there were very few Sterling engines that were similar back then. Most parts were built by hand which explains the wooden flywheel. Because the cost of the part presently used to make it are so cheep and the parts are adequate to the demands of this engine.

The design technology of sterling engines over the years has changed very slowly. Over the years the materials have slowly began to change, what was once a wood wheel is now machined out of steal. The main theory of the Sterling cycle has remained the same, but because of its incapability to be convenient when placed into a car, the Sterling engine has never become a huge success. This probably explains why the manufacturing process has never moved into a mass production or and assembly line operation of larger sized engines. The model industry that produces them, as toy is probable the only type of company that does mass-produce them. Because the parts for the Stirling engine are fairly easy to machine, the materials are common, and fairly inexpensive, a

Some common words found in the essay are:
Robert Stirling's, Henry Ford, Stirling Engine, Robert Stirling, George Caley, Bessemer Bessemer, Rev Stirling, stirling engine, robert stirling, stirling engines, engine stirling, sterling engine, displacer piston, internal combustion, air engines, combustion engine, internal combustion engine, stirling engines built, engine stirling engine, steam engine stirling, engines built, piston cooled displacer,
Approximate Word count = 1335
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)