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How can I teach kids or young people about car engines with a model engine?

Genius Hour Project

Final model Engine

I decided to make a model engine. I have always had an interest in engineering and hands on projects so I thought it would be fun to make a model engine for my genius hour page. I didnt know very much on how engines work so I reseached the parts of car engines and how they all work together to complete the task. After reseaching about car engines, I looked up designs and models that I would try to make and I came across the can stirling engine. this is the design I made my model after. One thing I changed from my model is using a motor instead of a candle because the piston that I wouldve used broke so I switched to a motor because it is less likely to break. When the pistn broke that set me back a little bit but I was able to talk to my dad and see what he thought was a good idea and that helped out alot.

Resources

 

Tin can stirling engine: www.instructionables.com/id/tin-can-stirling-engine/

 

Tin can, coke can stirling engine: www.scraptopower.co.uk/can-stirling/make-a-coke-can-stirling-engine

 

How to make simple coke can stirling engine: auto.howstuffworks.com/coke-can-stirling-engine.htm

Genius hour is when we spent 20% of our language arts class time to reseach and make a product from that reseach. we had to be able to make a product that could help or teach someone about a certain topic.

 

 

 

Final model Engine

Alot of the websites I used were instructional websites. I used instructional because I thought it would be a good idea to see how other people built their engine and I could see the problems they had and use their experience to help me. The one thing I had a difficult time finding was how i could use a motor instead of a candle. I wasnt really able to find anything on the designs of a can stirling engine so I looked at different models and i was able to use a little design from those andut it into mine. I wanted to use household materials and I was able to find all my materials at home and that made the process faster

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