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Stirling Engine Simulator (2D)

Interactive 2D alpha-type Stirling engine: a real crank-driven hot and cold piston 90 degrees out of phase, gas pressure from the ideal gas law, and a flywheel whose spin is driven purely by the resulting net torque — it self-sustains above a temperature-difference threshold and stalls below it.

Thermodynamics2DAdvanced60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted🔥 Fire ⇄ 3D version

Details

CategoryThermodynamics

RenderingCanvas 2D

DifficultyAdvanced

Target FPS60

ControlsTwo sliders set the hot cylinder temperature (350-900 K) and cold cylinder temperature (100-450 K, capped at least 50 K below the hot side); a load slider sets an opposing mechanical output torque (0-40 mN·m). A kick button gives the flywheel an initial spin to overcome dead-centre stall, plus pause and reset buttons.

stirling enginethermodynamicsideal gas lawcrank mechanismflywheel torquepv diagram2d

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This 2D companion to the 3D Stirling engine simulator models the real alpha-type mechanism from first principles: a hot piston and a cold piston on crank throws 90° apart, gas pressure computed live from the ideal gas law as the hot and cold volumes change through the cycle, and a flywheel whose angular acceleration is driven purely by the resulting net torque. Nothing rotates on a script — set the reservoir temperatures and load, give the flywheel a kick, and watch it either spin up into a self-sustaining cycle or stall, while the live pressure-volume diagram traces the actual loop the gas is tracing in real time.

⚙ Under the hood

A 2D alpha-type Stirling engine: a real crank-driven hot piston and cold piston 90 degrees out of phase, gas pressure computed live from the ideal gas law as the hot/cold volumes shift, and a flywheel whose spin is driven purely by the resulting net torque — self-sustaining above a temperature-difference threshold, stalling below it.

stirling enginethermodynamicsideal gas lawcrank mechanismflywheel torquepv diagram2d

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install