But what does it do?!?!? (Bring it on...)

[vederstein]

I'm sure you've all been asked that question by people that just don't get it.

The usual answers I give to the question is "Collect dust" or "Help increase global warming".

Anyways, come here and post pictures/videos of your engine if it actually does something. Show off your electrical power stations. Show off your water pumps. Show off anything driven by the engine.

It doesn't matter if you've shown it before. Let's just see in one thread how many different "uses" there are for miniature engines!!

Thanks,

...Ved.

 

[vascon2196]

I did not build this engine but the Machine & Tool students at my vocational high school did. This engine is a great pencil sharpener!

http://youtu.be/Q4eCCKfASOA

 

[vederstein]

To start off this thread, I'll show my latest idiocy - I took my recently built Elmers #33 grasshopper and attached a music box to it:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZplJan_tnk[/ame]

The drive pulley is a bit wobbly, but hey, it adds to the whimsy.

...Ved.

 

[vederstein]

I did not build this engine but the Machine & Tool students at my vocational high school did. This engine is a great pencil sharpener!

http://youtu.be/Q4eCCKfASOA

That's excellent! This is the kind of useless stuff that's great to see!

...Ved.

 

[GailInNM]

It seems that people who play with trains are considered less eccentric than those who build them.
Gail in NM

http://youtu.be/k12qPcOxk1w?list=UUC8RZePnFk5KLNYzDoXI0lw

 

[vederstein]

I know this is an old thread, but it seems appropriate that I post it here.

For the upcoming Mini Maker's Faire in Louisville (Sept 19?, 2015) I'll be showing off my engines.

For the participation portion, I attached one of my PM engines to a pencil sharpener.

This was a test recently ran on live steam to ensure it actually worked.

[ame]http://www.youtube.omc/watch?v=j1E_xOrfkNU[/ame]

 

[Cogsy]

I came across this on Youtube and thought of this thread. While it's called a "do nothing" machine, it's actual purpose is to amuse and amaze.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp4tGTNNi1I[/ame]

 

[Herbiev]

A bit like our politicians. A lot going on with no results

 

[Gerhardvienna]

A bit like our politicians. A lot going on with no results

Seems to be a worldwide phenomen:wall:

We had a similar "engine" in the "museum of the 20th century", about 4 meters long. Could`nt find any pics, this was long before the internet-age.

 

[vederstein]

For the 2016 Maker Fair season, I took my recently built PM Research No 5 and made a simple, ugly water pump.

The idea is that the steam engine will pump a column of water. A person will have a stand with a functionally identical pump and he will pump his column of water.

If the person beats the steam engine, I'll give him/her a lollipop.

This system is fairly complex though. It's controlled by an Arduino. The micocontroller senses engine speed though a hall effect sensor. It then compares the engine speed to the set speed and increases or decreases the throttle through a stepper motor. There are three rpm settings: idle, medium (for the small kiddies), and fast (for the jerk off teenagers).

So when the appropriate button is pressed, the throttle speeds the engine. Then an air valve actuates extending a cylinder that acts as a clutch on the belt drive engaging the water pump. After ten seconds, the clutch releases and the engine returns to idle, but not as quickly as I want it to. That's more code to write.

The video is a bit grainy because it was dark when I recorded the video.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkJz_8HFqLE[/ame]

...Ved.

 

[blighty]

what else would you use a jet engine for?

 

[barnesrickw]

What percentage of the engines built here go into any application other than demonstrations? Not a criticism, but building them for the sake of building them seems to be ok.

 

[vederstein]

I don't think that any of these model engines actually do anything useful. They are models.

But how many engines actually power something? I can't speak for others, but the percentage for my engines is about 20%.

...Ved.

 

[blighty]

I don't think that any of these model engines actually do anything useful. They are models.

But how many engines actually power something? I can't speak for others, but the percentage for my engines is about 20%.

...Ved.

the turbine above is going in the pic below. the plane in the pic is not my plane. my one is still being built. would be nice if it was flying for this summer.

 

[barnesrickw]

I question if I could even build an ic engine that would run as well, and as long as one I can buy. Steam seems to be a bit different.

 

[tornitore45]

Hi Ved I like your pump but can not understand the operating principle.
Would you explain?

 

[vederstein]

The pump is a piston and a cylinder.

At the end of the cylinder are two check valves in the following orientation:

valve 1 valve 2
----> ----->

Therefore when the piston pulls out, a vacuum is created. Check valve 2 cannot open, but check valve 1 can. Atmospheric pressure pushes the water through valve 1 into the volume cavity.

When the piston pushes in, valve 1 shuts and valve 2 opens expelling the water. It creates a pulsing flow (with each downstroke) and isn't terribly efficient. If it goes too fast, the system cavitates and pumping is reduced. (Faster isn't always better).

It's a simple check valve pump. The most expensive thing in it was the piston which is a turned down piece of 1" dia. aluminum barstock with two oring groove cut into them. I have about $5 (US) in PVC pipe and the check valves I orded on ebay for about $4 a piece.

Thanks for your interest.

...Ved.

 

[tornitore45]

Got it, It operates similarly to an oscillating engine. Check valves doing the function of the distributing holes in the plate. I completely missed that there is a piston. I was puzzling about some kind scoop and shake out effect, but obviously is not the case.

 

[vederstein]

Continuing on with the weird things that people do with their steam engines I present for your amazement, disbelief, astonishment, or more likely derangement the completed Man versus Steam Powered Water Pump project.

Yes, this is the same engine as my previous water pump video, but here it's running on live steam and the human powered pump is also shown.

The last segment is shows how much faster a 1/4" HP steam engine can pump water than a person (me) powering the same design of pump:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tMhm51ie24[/ame]

 

[vederstein]

Another year. More stupid machines run by steam engines.

This time I'm making perhaps the world's most obtuse bubble machine. I'm getting some use out of my recently built CNC router though.

This is just a test. I don't have any of the bubble creation parts made yet. This test was a big milestone though.

Enjoy...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lg3yCzJNc4"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lg3yCzJNc4[/ame]