Use of additive manufacture and Stirling Engines as engineering education tools

Type of content
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
University of Canterbury. Mechanical Engineering
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
2015
Authors
Clucas, D.
Gutschmidt, S.
Abstract

The recent proliferation of low to medium cost additive manufacturing equipment opens a doorway to using the technology for aiding the education of many engineering principles. Stirling cycle engines are highly complex thermodynamic machines that, if delved into, demonstrate many mechanical engineering disciplines. Importantly fully functional engines, using safe hot and cold water as the energy source, can be made by polymer additive manufacture using commonly available materials and printing machines. This process somewhat negates the need to invest in high cost laboratory demonstration equipment. It also allows remote and poorly funded institutions or individuals to work with live equipment. This publication will demonstrate the use of additive manufactured Stirling Engines for effective teaching in creative design, optimization product development, thermodynamics, mechanics, computational fluid dynamics, finite element analysis, live data acquisition, material science and additive manufacture.

Description
Citation
Clucas, D., Gutschmidt, S. (2015) Use of additive manufacture and Stirling Engines as engineering education tools. Athens, Greece: 3rd Annual International Conference on Industrial, Systems and Design Engineering 2nd Annual International Conference on Technology & Engineering International Conference on Foresight, 22-25 Jun 2015.
Keywords
education, mechanical engineering, Stirling Engine, 3D printing, additive manufacturing, engineering design, mechanism analysis
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Fields of Research::40 - Engineering::4017 - Mechanical engineering::401703 - Energy generation, conversion and storage (excl. chemical and electrical)
Field of Research::13 - Education::1302 - Curriculum and Pedagogy::130212 - Science, Technology and Engineering Curriculum and Pedagogy
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