What is Stirling engine?
A '''Stirling engine''' is a kind of [[heat engine]] that converts [[heat]] into useful [[mechanical energy]] by the movement of a [[piston]] inside a [[Cylinder (engine)|cylinder]] within the [[engine]]. Unlike other commonly found heat engines such as the [[internal combustion engine]] used in cars and the [[steam engine]] used on railways, it re-uses the same [[gas]] for each stroke of the piston so there is no noisy exhaust. The same gas is repeatedly heated and cooled within the engine’s cylinder. To run it needs a supply of heat to heat its hot parts. This can come from a [[fire]], but also from the [[sun]]’s rays, from hot rocks near a [[volcano]] or from [[nuclear energy]]. It also has cold parts which cool the gas inside it and these are kept cold by a stream of air or water flowing over them. It was invented by a Scottish minister, Reverend Dr. Robert Stirling in 1816. [[Category:Engineering]] [[Category:Motors]] {{stub}}