Ericsson Hot Air Pumping Engine
Powering engines by the changing volume of air as it changed temperature was first envisioned by Henry Wood in his patent of 1759. His idea was to pump heated air into a large cylinder, cool the air, and let the atmosphere do the work on the inward stroke of the piston.
The first to build a working model of Wood's proposal was Sir George Cayley in 1807. An improved design by Cayley was produced by the Caloric Engine Company in England and the Roper Caloric Engine Company in the United States. Further technological advancements by the Rev. Robert Stirling in 1816 earned him a spot in history as the "inventor" of the hot air or "Stirling" engine.
John Ericsson, builder of the ironclad U.S.S. Monitor, developed many different hot air engine designs, beginning with his 1826 British Patent.
Ericsson engines were used strictly to pump water; the smaller engines such as ours were used in homes and small businesses. The water was pumped from a well or cistern into an overhead tank where it was stored for later usage.
The operation of the stirling engine is not complicated. There are no carburetors, ignition systems, valves, or other complicated mechanisms. Stirling engines run off of the expansion of air as it is heated, and the contraction of the same air as it is cooled. The source of heat can be wood, fuel oil, sunlight, or geothermal sources. Cooling can be achieved from water, air, or even ice cubes!
From the Rusty Iron