Here’s a gadget that offers an engineering nod to art. When Doug Conner was faced with an engineering challenge he created a self-starting solar power Stirling engine. The engine was requested by an artist to work as power source for a sculpture. The engine is solar powered, and it runs all year when the sun is visible from the sculpture's location. The engine can shut down when the sun isn’t visible, and it can restart by itself when the sun comes back up.

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This project began at the request of an artist who had proposed a Stirling-engine-powered sculpture to a client. The engine only had to run, not really produce any power.

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