HE 3D PRINTED AN ENGINE THAT TURNS ANY SOURCE OF HEAT INTO ELECTRICITY
An engine with no piston and no crankshaft, where a standing sound wave makes electricity from whatever heat you have.
by My engines
EnergyWorkshop
- difficulty
- ●●●●○
- time
- several weekends
- license
- license not specified
- repo
- repo ACTIVE0 stars
●●●●○ · several weekends · license not specified · 0 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 3D printer + filament — printable parts — files are in the repo
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
This is a thermoacoustic Stirling engine: heat at one end sets up a standing sound wave inside a tube, and that acoustic wave drives a membrane to make electricity. The only real moving part is air. The maker is publishing the development in real time, with seven packages of 3D models available as free downloads. The July test runs show the engine running on a bench at around 350 Hz. What will catch you: the site states no licence, so you are downloading files with no clear legal permission to modify or use them commercially. The hot section cannot be plastic, and the metal-printed version the maker is drafting is not yet available. There is no BOM, no assembly guide, no wiring diagram. This is a fascinating piece of thermodynamics, and the fact that most of it prints on a desktop machine is remarkable, but you are reverse-engineering the build from video and geometry. The maker is solving the problems in public, which means you are joining a development project, not following a finished tutorial. If you want to understand how a thermoacoustic engine works and you are comfortable working from CAD files alone, this is one of the few printable examples anywhere. If you need the hot section files or a step-by-step, wait.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —Seven separate 3D model packages are published on ownenergy.org as free downloads.
- —No licence is stated anywhere on the site, so the legal status is unclear.
- —No bill of materials, no assembly instructions, no wiring guide.
- —The hot section (heater, regenerator, thermal buffer) cannot be printed in plastic; a metal version is currently a draft and not yet published.
- —Test videos show the engine running on a bench at roughly 350 Hz, but no power output figures are given.
- —The project is a work in progress, published publicly as it develops.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
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Videos
Test runs, 10 July
Bench test showing the engine running, acoustic wave measured at roughly 350 Hz.
Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Download the seven 3D model packages from the project site. (No licence is stated; legal status is unclear.)
- 2.Watch the test run video to see the engine operating. (Gives you a sense of what the finished assembly does, but no step-by-step.)
- 3.Identify which parts you can print and which require metal.(The hot section (heater, regenerator, thermal buffer) cannot be plastic. Metal files are a draft.)
- 4.Work out your heat source before you start.(The engine is designed to run on wood stove heat, biogas, or waste heat, not a bench burner.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
Partner · KickstarterCORE POWER BANK S: 0.2" thin, 2.8 oz, 5000 mAh with 22.5W fast charging. Semi-solid battery, carbon fiber, IPX7 waterproof.
KNOWN ISSUES
- The site states no licence. You are downloading files with no clear legal permission to modify or use them commercially.
- The hot section cannot be printed in plastic. The metal version is currently a draft and not published, so you will be designing or machining it yourself.
- There is no bill of materials, no assembly guide, no wiring diagram. You are reverse-engineering the build from CAD and video.
- No power output figures are given. The test runs show the engine operating, but not how much electricity it makes or under what conditions.
- The project is a work in progress. The maker is solving problems in public, which means files and design details are still moving.
- If you do not already have a suitable heat source (wood stove, biogas burner, waste heat), sourcing one will dominate your budget and timeline.
What is a thermoacoustic engine?
A heat engine with no piston and no crankshaft. Heat at one end of a tube sets up a standing sound wave, and that acoustic wave drives a membrane or turbine to make mechanical work or electricity. The only thing really moving is air.
Can I print the whole thing in PLA?
No. The hot section (heater, regenerator, thermal buffer) reaches temperatures far above what plastic can handle. The maker is drafting a metal-printed version, but those files are not yet published.
What heat source do I need?
The engine is designed to run on heat you already have: a wood stove, biogas, waste heat from another process. It is not a desktop demo that runs on a tea light.
How much power does it make?
The test videos show the engine running at roughly 350 Hz, but no power output figures are given. This is a development project, not a finished specification.
Is there a licence?
No. The site publishes the files as free downloads but states no licence, so the legal status is unclear. If you need permission to modify or use the design commercially, ask the maker directly.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
The test runs show the engine operating at roughly 350 Hz, but no power output is given and the metal hot section is still a draft. If you built this, what heat source would you point it at first?
My engines
A maker publishing under the name 'My engines' is developing a thermoacoustic Stirling engine that can be largely 3D printed. The project is published on ownenergy.org as a work in progress, with design files and test videos shared publicly as the development continues.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM1d ago
Practical notes from our verification: the project site is ownenergy.org and the maker publishes as 'My engines' on YouTube. There is no stated licence anywhere on the download page, so the legal status is genuinely unclear. The two YouTube videos (test runs on 10 July, print footage on 5 June) are the only assembly reference you have beyond the CAD files themselves. The single biggest gap is the hot section: the plastic parts are published, but the heater, regenerator, and thermal buffer cannot be plastic, and the metal version is described as a draft in progress. You are joining a development project, not downloading a finished tutorial.