SpudFiles

Hey everybody, it's been a pretty long time since i created a topic here...well i've been busy!
Today, i managed to build a jet engine prototype. It's been fairly simple, a little dangerous (imagine a continous hybrid running on butane.....) and noisy. My compressor can send 10 psi of air in small amount.....but hey, it's only a prototype!!!
The system is simple, butane injection with a butane torch put in some hot water to maximize vapor pressure, air injection and air/ butane mixing through flame tube (aluminium) expansion chamber, then lighting with the high-voltage plasma-globe igniter. i didn't film it, but the "POP" it makes when igniting is fairly impressive.
I did get 400 grams of thrust.....in a couple of days, i'll switch to the leaf blower air input, providing this, i'll get massive amount of air at great pressure.....lol, here i the link to joy and heat enjoy! i'll take a pleasure to answer any questions!!


(final stages of creation will allow a theoretical thrust of 30 kg...)

Sorry, I can't watch the video due to the fact(s) that I have a slow connection and google's video compression sucks.
Any chance you could put it on youtube?

Good job on actually creating something non-destructive and yet cool at the same time.
Any reason you chose butane over propane?

(I was expecting to see spock by the way:)

Sssssmokin'!

Are you going to attach it onto a vehicle? If so, having a compressor that big (leaf blower) with its own power supply is a bad idea.
Guess you know what you need to make it more efficient (confinement, nozzle etc.), so good luck.

It doesnt looks impressive if i may say. It just kind of ordinairy torch in my eyes

in english? message to short!

Thans a cool idea you have their.
If you plan on keeping that sized jet dont plan on getting very good results.

P.S. this is called a pulse jet, not a turbojet. A turbojet has a central shaft and fans. This uses the kadency effect.

Wait, this is nothing other than a torch, it is injected with air.

I see you're playing with a home-made jet engine while wearing all the proper saftey equipment.

hmm... i was thinking about making something like this last winter... never got around to it thou... nice job on it

well well well!!! first thank you for all the feedback! Just some precisions about my work...a torch doesn't generate thrust. A torch isn't loud enough to compensate the noise of a compressor. I called this a turbojet engine becaue on this same page i'll post the turbocharger equiped one in some time.
A pulse-jet engine, even valveless has no air forced into it. The compression and expansion is made in a big steel chamber, the combustion of the gazes and exhaust litteraly suck new air, then again mixed with gaz and ignited be the remaining flame. I've done my homework here.
I'm going step by step to be sure i do thing properly, i don't want anything to go wrong.

@Moddextrordanare : Can you see the little black wire? instantly shuts off every thing. The 5 liter canister is filled with cold water. Nno chance of "flame-back" with the butane because the gaz outlet is to small to let air come in.

@_Fnord: I chose butane for two reasons.1) As it is heavier than propane, its combustion generates more products. 2) it's the only bottles that fit to my torch


Oh and by the way...not on the video, but post-combustion does work even at this stage...but this was way too loud to keep it running more than a few seconds in the neighborhood.

hey hey hey spudders!! i have good news!! I will soon begin the turbocharger based engine as i bought one!! I also have an arc welder and 20 kilograms of welding electrodes, a circular metal-saw, 14v 9A generator ; a pickling iron( fer à décaper) ; a few bits of high grade steel. Here are the four pics i took today of the turbocharger. it is small, please remeber it will only be the first attempt, and if i succeed at it, i'll make a bigger one.

So how much thrust will this engine give? The french vid one doesnt look that powerfull.

whoa, thats a big turbo. How big is it?

I honestly don't know how much thrust it will have...maybe 10-15 kg (20-30 pounds...). this isn't much...but it is enough to push my bike and me at resonable speeds !! Also, I make this project more to accomplish something with my hands, I mean, something a little "extraordinairy".
I'll post pics of the project as it evolves with time. What i can tell you now, is that it will run on propane, and it will make a lot of noise!!

How do you plan on carrying a leaf blower around with you on a bike? That must be one big battery and an expensive DC to AC converter to lug around, when you could just carry an oxygen bottle in a backpack or actually mount one to the bike.

@Super spuder : it's 4cm air inlet/outlet. The whole thing weighs 18 pounds.

@DYI : I plan on starting it just by my house, and then go for a ride ^^ . What pisses me off, is that i don't have a lot of money, and an oil pump isn't free, it's one of the key components of a turbine jet engine. without it, the bearings won't allow the turbines to spin freely.

Man i just can't wait to see it finished!!!!