Heat Cycles Concept

Demonstrations in Heat Cycles

Small Stirling engine on a black base with "STIRLING ENGINE" label. The engine has a finned displacement cylinder on the left, a power cylinder with connecting rod in the center, and a flywheel on the right. An alcohol burner sits beneath the displacement cylinder.
Safety

Small Stirling Engine

A small alcohol-fired Stirling engine demonstrates heat engine operation: cycling hot and cold pistons convert a temperature difference into continuous mechanical work. Students see the Second Law in action — …
Visible Stirling engine at rest: clear acrylic flywheel disc with two diagonal holographic tape strips, gold brass displacer cylinder, small gray power piston at the base, mounted on a black plate with white foam displacer visible through the side
Safety

Visible Stirling Engine

A transparent Stirling engine converts small temperature differences into visible mechanical work. Students observe the displacer and power pistons operating 90° out of phase and see that any temperature gradient …
Bicycle wheel mounted vertically on a white stand with rubber bands stretched from an offset center hub to the rim. A large black cylindrical heat lamp is positioned to one side, plugged into a switch box on the base.
Safety

Rubber Band Heat Engine

Rubber bands contract when heated — the opposite of most materials — due to entropic elasticity. A bicycle wheel with matched rubber bands rotates continuously under a heat lamp, demonstrating …
Radiant heat engine: blue wooden frame with eight large frosted incandescent bulbs mounted in a row above a horizontal thin aluminum tube (shaft) passing through a perforated metal flywheel disc. A white sign reads "FRAGILE PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH FLYWHEEL OR SHAFT."
Safety

Radiant Heat Engine

Lamps heat the top surface of a thin-walled aluminum tube, causing it to arch upward and shift its center of mass above the bearings. This produces gravitational torque that continuously …
Carnot engine model: five labeled components on a lecture bench. Left: "CARNOT ENGINE" sign and brown box labeled "HIGH TEMPERATURE RESERVOIR T₁." Center: brown box labeled "PERFECT INSULATOR" supporting a wooden frame labeled "PERFECT CONDUCTOR" holding a glass beaker with a wooden dowel piston. Right: sign reading "CYLINDER WALLS AND PISTON PERFECT INSULATORS" and brown box labeled "LOW TEMPERATURE RESERVOIR T₂."

Carnot Engine Model

A physical prop set for walking through the Carnot cycle at the board. Labeled boxes represent the hot reservoir, cold reservoir, and perfect insulator; a glass beaker with a wooden …