Has anyone here done anything with the Green Steam engine? http://www.greensteamengine.com/ It looks kinda neat and interesting...
Cliff.
Cliff.
Green Steam Engine???
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Bogstandard
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Hi Cliff,
I remember having a discussion about this green engine a fair time ago, and at the time I decided it just wasn't interesting enough to make a good model, but would be ideal to power a model, where it couldn't be seen.
But on the other hand, this swashplate one would be ideal.
[youtube=425,350]1T6KwJW6W7A&rel=1[/youtube]
John
I remember having a discussion about this green engine a fair time ago, and at the time I decided it just wasn't interesting enough to make a good model, but would be ideal to power a model, where it couldn't be seen.
But on the other hand, this swashplate one would be ideal.
[youtube=425,350]1T6KwJW6W7A&rel=1[/youtube]
John
B
Bogstandard
Guest
I have given the swashplate engine a good dose of looking at, and what it boils down to is timing. Even though the engine looks very complicated it is in fact a very simple machine.
When you study the motion over and over again, and concentrate on the, what look like little nylon tips on the end of each piston rod, all that is happening, he is nudging the offset disc around by firing each piston in the correct sequence (most probably a rotary valve) and on the correct portion of the plate. The only baffleing thing, if it is a one piece item, is how he made the plate.
Even so the engine does look very complicated and impressive. Just what we want to make our engines look like.
I do have a sad life, just looking at how things work.
John
NB. I have just had another good look, and the plate is a built up part, and would be a fairly easy item to replicate.
When you study the motion over and over again, and concentrate on the, what look like little nylon tips on the end of each piston rod, all that is happening, he is nudging the offset disc around by firing each piston in the correct sequence (most probably a rotary valve) and on the correct portion of the plate. The only baffleing thing, if it is a one piece item, is how he made the plate.
Even so the engine does look very complicated and impressive. Just what we want to make our engines look like.
I do have a sad life, just looking at how things work.
John
NB. I have just had another good look, and the plate is a built up part, and would be a fairly easy item to replicate.
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John,
I share your love of how things work. I would guess most model engineers do. I am almost equally in awe of the individuals who dream these things up. The creativity of the human spirit never ceases to amaze me.
The swashplate engine looks similar to another engine I've seen where the cylinders and pistons rotate and the swashplate / crankshaft are fixed. Have you seen one of those and would you agree?
Chuck
I share your love of how things work. I would guess most model engineers do. I am almost equally in awe of the individuals who dream these things up. The creativity of the human spirit never ceases to amaze me.
The swashplate engine looks similar to another engine I've seen where the cylinders and pistons rotate and the swashplate / crankshaft are fixed. Have you seen one of those and would you agree?
Chuck
B
Bogstandard
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As far as I know Chuck, I have never seen one of those, but would surely like to.
I am a sucker for trolling u-tube (some nights I just can't sleep).
When I find a very interesting one I will play it over and over until I understand how it operates (if possible). But it is surprising how little is totally new, most of what you see are just old techniques and operations brought right up to date. I think the advent of high tech materials will now allow some of the old unworkable and totally inefficient designs to become viable, efficient machines.
I think more progress has been made on the stirling engine side than anywhere else, and I now think that these engines are now a totally viable powersource for general use.
With regards to the original post on here about the green steam engine, I am sure in the either late 70's or early 80's I saw a very similar design of stirling engine powering a model boat.
Thru u-tube I was approached a few weeks back by a model airplane engine manufacturer to ask if I was interested in developing an eastern European physicist's design of air engine for use in models, but I think they are on to a loser, not because of the inefficiency of the engine, but because of the storage of high pressure compressed air in the model for extended operation.
U-tube posters are also being targetted by solar panel manufacturers to see if their designs will run with steam produced thru solar energy, but again I think they are on to a loser. There is no such thing as an efficient steam engine, just ones that are less inefficient as all the others. But, you never know.
John
I am a sucker for trolling u-tube (some nights I just can't sleep).
When I find a very interesting one I will play it over and over until I understand how it operates (if possible). But it is surprising how little is totally new, most of what you see are just old techniques and operations brought right up to date. I think the advent of high tech materials will now allow some of the old unworkable and totally inefficient designs to become viable, efficient machines.
I think more progress has been made on the stirling engine side than anywhere else, and I now think that these engines are now a totally viable powersource for general use.
With regards to the original post on here about the green steam engine, I am sure in the either late 70's or early 80's I saw a very similar design of stirling engine powering a model boat.
Thru u-tube I was approached a few weeks back by a model airplane engine manufacturer to ask if I was interested in developing an eastern European physicist's design of air engine for use in models, but I think they are on to a loser, not because of the inefficiency of the engine, but because of the storage of high pressure compressed air in the model for extended operation.
U-tube posters are also being targetted by solar panel manufacturers to see if their designs will run with steam produced thru solar energy, but again I think they are on to a loser. There is no such thing as an efficient steam engine, just ones that are less inefficient as all the others. But, you never know.
John
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John,
I saw one of these engines at NAMES a few years ago. As I recall, it was a 6 cylinder, arranged like the cylinder in a pistol (Revolver). I think I have a video I took at home. Will try to scare it up.
It's basically just the top half of an elbow engine with a fixed plate set at an angle to the axis of rotation. The pistons are just straight rods, ends rounded, pressing against the angled plate. Air pressure causes the pistons to extend against the plate on the power stroke and the plate pushes the pistons back into the cylinder on the return stroke.
Chuck
I saw one of these engines at NAMES a few years ago. As I recall, it was a 6 cylinder, arranged like the cylinder in a pistol (Revolver). I think I have a video I took at home. Will try to scare it up.
It's basically just the top half of an elbow engine with a fixed plate set at an angle to the axis of rotation. The pistons are just straight rods, ends rounded, pressing against the angled plate. Air pressure causes the pistons to extend against the plate on the power stroke and the plate pushes the pistons back into the cylinder on the return stroke.
Chuck
David Morrow
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I found this one on Youtube and really like it. The designer is a fellow named Terry Coss who teaches as Newberg High School in Newberg, Oregon. Apparently he sells the plans but I haven't been able to get a reply to my email. Has anyone seen plans for this Stirling engine anywhere ?
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtbbeLe2CjM[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtbbeLe2CjM[/ame]
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