Engines for Dummies

[Tin Falcon]

Stephanie:
Unfortunately we have been experiencing some technical difficulties with the boards data base. One that is fixed you will find lots of info here to browse. You can see all the neat things people here have made and see photos of the home shops where these items are built and pictures of the various machine tools . Right now you can only see the proverbial tip of the iceberg.


There are videos here that can give you a lot of machineshop basics.
http://techtv.mit.edu/genres/24-how-to/videos/142-machine-shop-1
The machines here are larger than found in most home model building shops but the basis are the same.
Tin

 

[Kermit]

http://www.stanleymotorcarriage.com/


I see what you are after now...nice car. flash tube boiler in those things if I recall right. Very safe. Not much chance of blowing those.


Welcome to the forums Stephanie,
Kermit

 

[Tin Falcon]

some general auto info

Here

and here
http://www.archive.org/details/machinestoolsmet00owenrich

also here
http://books.google.com/books?id=unJqyHsD_lUC&oe=UTF-8
This may help
Tin

 

[stpjokin1996]

I know I was asked to put this in the welcome section, but I never do what I am told!

I have the schematic, blue prints or whatever you want to call them for the 1903 (i think) Stanley Steamer. I have read up on how the engine works and it's pretty basic, compared to today's autos. My thought process is this...

People today steer away from the hybrid cars because they don't provide enough power. The Stanley Steamer was clocked at 150 miles per hour. (That was, of course, right before it crashed.) So it seems that that engine was pretty powerful in it's day. It was safe there was never a record of an explotion. And the model I am looking at actually had the throttle attached to the boiler, which in my mind/ idea works perfectly. I will go to the website you seggested and attempt to get a drawing of my idea for everyone to look at.
Sorry I veer off track from time to time...
So my thought process is this, if I can take that technology and apply it even to the ATVs, dune buggies etc, just slightly modified so it didn't need a down time to start up. The whole lets go green thing would be possible at least for smaller vehicles. I doubt my idea would ever make it to the regular car market, but my husband is all sorts of excited to ride in a dune buggy that can go 150 mile per hour. So I guess my ultimate goal here is to create a vehicle that can kill my husband! lol I just want to attempt to build my idea, if it doesn't work, I'll try again. If it does work I will rip the engine out of my car and put my invention in! (I have a little fiber glass car, it'll work right?)

Here is my thoughts on how to build my model. I don't have a lathe or any machine shop tools. I do have a drill, and that's about it. I would like to start with PVC piping as my connectors, ultimately I would like to use metal but I have no way to bend and form metal unless I drive my car over it. Which could be fun and entertaining in itself.
Could I use PVC for my model, or is it just going to explode under pressure?

Thanks for listening to my babble!

Stephanie

ps whoever said 10 year project can we attempt to cut that down to 5? I don't want the body just what's under the hood!

 

[Tin Falcon]

I have the schematic, blue prints or whatever you want to call them for the 1903 (i think) Stanley Steamer.

An excellent starting point.

People today steer away from the hybrid cars because they don't provide enough power. The Stanley Steamer was clocked at 150 miles per hour.

You may be confusing power with acceleration. .Work is *force* times distance (assumes constant force). power is work /time.
Acceleration is the change in velocity/change in time.People want to mash on the gas pedal and be pushed into there seats. that is where steam and hybrids fall short of the IC engines.

Could I use PVC for my model, or is it just going to explode under pressure?

PVC is not a good idea it is not going to hold up to the heat and pressure of steam. We do not want you to kill yourself before you build the car so your husband can kill himself . I mean we do not anyone getting hurt or killed !!!!

whoever said 10 year project can we attempt to cut that down to 5? I don't want the body just what's under the hood!

just building the boiler and engine you may be able to cut it down . Your project your pace depending on how you approach it and the help you get.


you will need a boiler
http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/genboiler.html

What are you planning on using for fuel. That will determine burner design. wood propane gasoline ???

And last but not least your engine. you may want to consider modifying an engine rather than a scratch build. Maybe an old Subaru engine and replace or rebuild the heads?
You will need a way to regulate burner output as well as steam pressure /flow into the engine.
What you must do do safely. Do your homework.
Hope this helps
Tin