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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:26 pm
by Lentamentalisk
Huzzah to the VEX bot!
Very nice. How do you keep the little dohicky that connects the air hose to the piston from leaking too much? is there some oring there or something? Is that the standard steam engine way of doing it, or is that your own invention?
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:31 pm
by VH_man
I got the Idea from A
website I found.
Its really a Compound of
the "Very Old Design" and
"the wacky Wood Wheeler"
The entire system has absolutely no seals to cut down on friction, the #1 thing you want to avoid with steam engine construction.
You also have to remember that so little air leaks out of the valve in the time that its not giving air into the piston that its really not that important. Not to mention its only got about 10 PSI in there....
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:52 pm
by Lentamentalisk
I guess... I will have to figure something else out if I am going to make my dream supercritical steam engine powered zeppelin I guess...
Yet again, very nice job.
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:07 pm
by VH_man
If you have acess to machining facilities im sure you could construct a VERY light engine out of lexan parts. Check out "reciporicating" engines, Where they omit a valve by using the cylinder itself as the valve as it rocks back and forth.
Just make a double acting one, And the prop will act like your flywheel.
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:21 pm
by Lentamentalisk
Maybe I will make that my college project. First, build a supercritical boiler, then a steam engine to use the dry steam, and then mount it on a zeppelin. If I finish by the end of my four years, after graduation, I can just climb up the rope and head out on my adventures.
Oh and I forgot, the steam engine has to be powered off junk and wood and all, because I sure as hell won't be making enough money to pay for gas, and its hard to find gas out in the middle of nowhere, where I will undoubtedly end up drifting at some point.
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:22 pm
by VH_man
Lentamentalisk wrote:Oh and I forgot, the steam engine has to be powered off junk and wood and all, because I sure as hell won't be making enough money to pay for gas, and its hard to find gas out in the middle of nowhere, where I will undoubtedly end up drifting at some point.
dont go all Mad Max on us now......