Calculate the power produced by a wheel

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter TheAnt
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Power produced Wheel
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
3 replies · 1K views
TheAnt
Messages
19
Reaction score
1
Hi,

I am trying to calculate the power produced by this Stirling engine:
low_temperature_stirling_engine_1.jpg

I know there is a way of finding by measuring the pressure and temperature inside the engine but the only data I have is the weight the RPM and the weight of every part of the engine. I understand how to calculate power for a linear motion but not for a circular motion.

Thanks
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You can't calculate the power with the information provided. You need thermodynamic information about the cylinder -- the specs of the wheel are actually completely irrelevant.
 
+1.

The power produced is very low. Just enough to match friction and other losses such as air resistance in the flywheel. If it was any greater the flywheel would accelerate.
 
Perhaps you could calculate the power by measuring the torque and rpm? To measure the torque try putting weighing scales under the end like this (It's not quite that simple but you get the idea). Once you have the torque you can use...

Power (in Watts) = torque (in Newton Meters) * angular velocity (in Radians per second)

Sterling Engine.jpg