The design, construction and performance of a novel thermal engine

Engines and pumps are common engineering devices which have become essential to the smooth running of modern society. Many of these are very sophisticated and require infrastructure and high levels of technological competence to ensure their correct operation, for example, some are computer controlled, others require stable three phase electrical supplies, or clean hydrocarbon fuels. This project focuses on the identification, design, construction and testing of a simple, yet elegant, device which has the ability to pump water but which can be manufactured easily without any special tooling or exotic materials and which can be powered from either combustion of organic matter or directly from solar heating. The device, which has many of the elements of a Stirling engine is a liquid piston engine in which the fluctuating pressure is harnessed to pump a liquid (water).A simple embodiment of this engine/pump has been designed and constructed. It has been tested and recommendations on how it might be improved are made. The underlying theory of the device is also presented and discussed.