Steam Engine (Build Log)

[VH_man]

January 7th, 2009:

Well, Ive decided to construct a steam engine, As I have seen many of them around the internet, All of them relatively Simple. Below are my plans, And some pictures of the parts I have started (the Cylinder/valve and Piston)

Questions/comments/ideas are 100% welcome

Piston (1/2OD aluminum tube)


Cylinder (17/32 Brass Tubing)


Design Drawing (Crude, And probably not even timed correctly... And I know the Valve linkage will not work... Im making it Linear.)

[Mateo]

sooo what are you using a steam engine for?

[maggotman]

if you dont have access to a lathe i would make an osilating one can be made from bar stock and round bar realy simple no valve timing to wory about
or a hammer engine (air hogs style)

[VH_man]

Im just building a steam engine cuz its cool.

My design has been revised so that I do not need a right-angle linkage for the valve, It goes along Side. I have to purchase some more tubing, But I suspect this will be done relatively soon. Its not that complex..... And actually requires no perfect seals, seeing as it runs at around 3-20 PSI.

[john bunsenburner]

and you are powering it with steam i persume, how will you make that, will you burn woad, coal, oil, gasoline, diesel or use letrical power(or any of the other fuels i have not mentioned)?

[VH_man]

I am constructing a boiler setup, but it will mostly be powered by compressed air.

[john bunsenburner]

That makes your life alot simpler, what you are constructing then is not really a steam engine but more a CO2 motor. A few good animation of steam engines can be found here: http://www.keveney.com/Engines.html

PS I would suggest deburrign the left edge of your copper housing when looking at your picture of it.

[VH_man]

Well I started work on my Valve today, And Realized a few things:

1. Keeping the valve linear is FAR superior to the farking right angle valve thing. Less mechanical resistance and alot less of a sideways footprint.
2. the valve crank MUST BE 90 degrees out-of-phase, not 180 or 0, because you want the air valve switching full positions when the valve is at the midpoint of its travel.
3. Reciprocating (valve based on piston side-to-side movement) engines are simpler in construction, But I lack the metal and precise drilling required to construct such a Device. Maybe If my friend lets me use his dad's machine shop for a few hours.....
4. I need to make an engine work off of THIS (below)

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[jrrdw]

Have the rod fitted with a hinged plaw. Then make a flywheel with catches all the way around the edge. Mount the flywheel with a PTO shaft, line every thing up. That's a basic plan. Might work, the hinged plaw might be tough.

[VH_man]

Have the rod fitted with a hinged plaw. Then make a flywheel with catches all the way around the edge. Mount the flywheel with a PTO shaft, line every thing up. That's a basic plan. Might work, the hinged plaw might be tough.

I was thinking more of mounting the piston directly to the flywheel.......

Whatever. Im sticking to a Valved design Anyway. Just thought it was cool. Mabey Ill just mount one to the side of the engine and have it tell me when the steam is full (It self-starts)

[jrrdw]

So the cylinder and piston would pivot to accommodate the circular motion of the flywheel?

[Sticky_Tape]

Or have a hinged piston rod like a car engine. I think it is a good design but I have somthing in mind......

[VH_man]

I'm Actually looking at a few different designs. If money doesn't pose itself as a problem, I will make 2 different engines and use two valves to control each one.....

One reciprocating, and one Valved engine. Both single acting (we don't need double acting, The most it will run is a little bloody generator......)

Ill probably Build the Valved engine first, Mostly because it just looks cool....

[twizi]

when your done you can hook up a barrel to the eshaust port and bam you have a full auto

sorry for bad english, still learning english

[SpudBlaster15]

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