How to make a steam engine at home. DIY steam engine. Second option. Water container

Even if the athlete already has extensive experience in creating replica ship models, when designing a new micro-vessel, he inevitably faces the problem of what engine to install on the future copy! Glow or compression - there will be problems with fuel, noise reduction and vibration. Electric! But it is not without its drawbacks, especially considering the large mass of electric batteries.

Why not take the most expensive route and use a real miniature steam engine on copies of, for example, steamships! An attempt to implement this idea, which at first seemed difficult to implement, brought very interesting results.

First of all, about the engine itself (a steam installation includes many other large components). It is easier to make it on the basis of any of the model internal combustion engines of sufficient displacement. By the way, a motor such as the “Kometa” MD-5, which has long proven itself to be completely inoperable in the standard glow version, is well suited for these purposes. For the steam version, it is best to make a new cylinder liner and make only exhaust ports in it for the steam to escape. Bypass (purge) windows are not needed - if they are absent, the engine crankcase will be closed, which will allow a sufficient amount of oil to be retained in the crankcase volume during operation of the unit.

The next stage of work on the steam power plant is the manufacture of two tanks: for water and gasoline or other liquid fuel. The water tank is made by soldering from thick sheet brass or stainless steel with a thickness of at least 0.8-1 mm (in as a last resort thick roofing iron is suitable). The choice of material is determined by the fact that the water tank will be under the same pressure as the entire steam system during operation of the installation. Fuel tank may not be as durable and smaller in volume. Its dimensions are selected practically.

One of the most important components of the installation is the steam boiler. Its design is clear from the drawings, and everyone can choose the materials and technologies for manufacturing the boiler elements based on their own wishes and capabilities.

1 - fuel supply tube (copper, Ø 3 mm), 2 - heat exchanger-evaporator, 3 - injector supply tube (copper, Ø 3 mm), 4 - steam extraction tube, 5 - water evaporator (tube Ø 3-4 mm) , 6 - louvers for supplying air to the flame, 7 - nozzle, 8 - nozzle mounting unit, 9 - down Cam, 10 - water supply tube to the evaporator, 11 - housing-pipe.

Heat exchanger - fuel evaporator can be made from a copper box from an old barometer or in the form of a coil of thin copper tube. The fuel spray nozzle is converted from a toilet spray bottle.

1 - steam supply tube from the boiler to the engine, 2 - brass valve body, 3 - spring, 4 - valve ball. To operate the valve, a pusher rod must be mounted in the center of the engine piston, which, when the piston approaches top dead center, must push the valve ball upward, thus letting in the next portion of steam under pressure.

1 - body (roofing iron or sheet brass), 2 - filler neck (closes hermetically), 3 - valve (nipple from a bicycle or motorcycle), 4 - flow valve.

Preparing to test a steam engine is not difficult. Engine oil is poured into the crankcase of the converted internal combustion engine; A plug is inserted into the standard carburetor diffuser (the oil must be changed after approximately 50 hours of machine operation). The tanks are filled with water (preferably distilled, which will eliminate the formation of scale in the steam system) and gasoline of any brand. Both tanks are hermetically sealed. Then in bottom part In the steam boiler, an ignited tablet of dry alcohol is placed, and air is pumped into them through nipples soldered into the tanks, creating excess pressure. Now you can open the supply valves. After some time, when the fuel evaporation heat exchanger warms up, the boiler’s flame system will switch to auto mode, constantly supplying gasoline under pressure to the injector nozzle. To get the engine running, just crank the crankshaft a couple of times. Motor speed is controlled by water supply and flame height.

Hi all! Kompik92 is with you again!
And today we will make a steam engine!
I think everyone at one time or another wanted to make a steam engine!
Well, let's make your dreams come true!

I have two options for making it: easy and difficult. Both options are very cool and interesting, and if you think that there will be only one option, then you are right. I'll post the second option a little later!

And let's get straight to the instructions!

But first....

Safety regulations:

1. When the engine is running and you want to move it, use tongs, thick gloves or non-heat-conducting material!
2. If you want to make an engine more complex or more powerful, it is better to learn from someone than to experiment! Incorrect assembly may cause the boiler to explode!
3. If you want to take a running engine, do not point the steam at people!
4. Do not block the steam in the can or tube, or the steam engine may explode!

And here are the instructions for option No. 1:

We will need:

• Aluminum Coke or Pepsi can
• Pliers
• Metal scissors
• Paper hole punch (not to be confused with a wood crusher)
• small candle
• Aluminum foil
• 3mm copper tube
• Pencil
• Salad bowl or large bowl

Let's get started!
1. You need to cut the bottom of the jar with a height of 6.35 cm. For a better cut, first draw a line with a pencil and then cut the bottom of the jar exactly along it. This is how we get our engine housing.

Here's a quote from Wikipedia.

A coil is a long metal, glass, porcelain (ceramic) or plastic tube, bent in some regular or irregular way, designed to ensure maximum heat transfer in a minimum volume of space between two media separated by the walls of the coil. Historically, such heat exchange was originally used to condense vapors passing through a coil.

I think it has become easier, but if it still hasn’t become easier, I will explain it myself. A coil is a tube through which liquid flows to be heated or cooled.

Hello everyone, kompik92 is here!
And this is the second part of creating a steam engine!
More of it is presented here difficult option, which is more powerful and interesting! Although it requires more funds and tools. But as they say: “The eyes are afraid, but the hands are doing”! So let's get started!

I think everyone who has seen my past posts already knows what will happen now. Do not know?

Safety regulations:

1. When the engine is running and you want to move it, use tongs, thick gloves or non-heat-conducting material!
2. If you want to make an engine more complex or more powerful, it is better to ask someone else than to experiment! Incorrect assembly may cause the boiler to explode!
3. If you want to take a running engine, do not point the steam at people!
4. Do not block the steam in the can or tube, or the steam engine may explode!

Everything we need is here:

• 4 liter jar (preferably well washed)
• Jar with a capacity of 1 liter
• 6 meter copper pipe from with a diameter (from now on “dm”) 6mm
• Metal tape
• 2 tubes that are easy to squeeze.
• Distribution box made of metal in the shape of a “circle” (well, it doesn’t look like a circle...)
• A cable clamp that can be connected to a distribution box.
• Copper tube with a length of 15 centimeters and a diameter of 1.3 centimeters
• Metal mesh 12 by 24 cm
• 35 centimeters of elastic plastic tube with a diameter of 3 mm
• 2 clamps for plastic tubes
• Coal (only the best)
• Standard skewer for barbecue
• Wooden dowel with a length of 1.5 cm and a diameter of 1.25 cm (with a hole on one side)
• Screwdriver (phillips)
• Drill with different drill bits
• Metal hammer
• Metal scissors
• Pliers

1. Make a rectangle in the jar. Using pliers, cut a rectangle on the wall with an area of ​​15 cm by 5 cm near the bottom. We made a hole for our firebox, this is where we will light the coal.

And in as soon as possible you can make a simple one steam generator. Such a device is capable of generating electric current from almost any fuel, including progress will go everything that burns. These can be sticks, solid alcohol, a candle, tree bark, dry grass, etc. You can take such a generator with you when going on a camping trip. You can charge it from it mobile phone or light a couple of LEDs for illumination.
The engine is single-piston, with a spool valve.

Materials and tools for assembly:
- a piece of tube from a television or radio antenna, with a diameter of at least 8 mm;
- a small tube to create a piston pair (can be bought at a plumbing store);
- copper wire (diameter 1.5 mm, can be found in coils or bought);
- nuts, bolts and screws;
- lead for making a flywheel (can be found in old car batteries, fishing gear or buy);
- wooden bars;
- bicycle spokes;
- plywood or textolite to create a stand;
- a tube;
- an olive jar or similar.

Steam generator manufacturing process:

Step one. Schematic diagram generator
In the diagram you can see how the mechanism works. That is, it is a crank that is connected to the piston through a connecting rod. The system also has a valve (spool) that opens and closes one of two channels. When the piston is at bottom dead center, the spool opens the channel and steam under pressure enters the cylinder. Reaching top dead center, the spool shuts off the steam supply and opens the cylinder to release steam to the outside, the piston then lowers. Reciprocating movements according to the classics are converted by a crank into rotation of the generator shaft.

You need to attach a metal washer to the third piece, and after drying, you also need to fix everything with cold welding. When the welding has dried, the seams need to be processed on top epoxy resin for maximum strength and tightness.

Step three. Manufacturing of piston and connecting rod
The piston is made of a bolt with a diameter of 7 mm. To do this, it needs to be secured in a vice and wound on top copper wire, in total you will need to make about 6 turns, depending on the diameter of the wire. The wire is then impregnated with epoxy resin. The excess edge of the bolt can be cut off. Next, when the resin has dried, you will need to work with sandpaper to adjust the piston to the diameter of the cylinder. As a result, the piston should move easily, but should not allow air to pass through.

To attach the connecting rod to the piston, you need to make a special bracket; it is made of sheet aluminum. It needs to be bent in the shape of the letter “P”, holes are drilled at the edges, the diameter of the hole should be such that a bicycle spoke can be placed into it. The bracket is glued to the piston.

Step four. Spool and triangle
A triangle needs to be cut out of a sheet of metal, three holes are drilled in it. As for the spool piston, its length is 3.5 mm; you need to ensure its free movement in the spool tube. The length of the rod can be different, it all depends on the flywheel.

Supports are best made from bars; they are selected individually. As for the piston rod crank, it should be 8mm, and the spool crank is 4mm.

Below you can see what the engine will look like if it is slightly modified. The tank now has an individual platform, as well as a saucer on which dry fuel is placed.

It began its expansion at the beginning of the 19th century. And already at that time, not only large units were built for industrial purposes, but also decorative ones. Most of their customers were rich nobles who wanted to amuse themselves and their children. After steam units became a part of society, decorative engines began to be used in universities and schools as educational models.

Steam engines of modern times

At the beginning of the 20th century, relevance steam engines started to fall. One of the few companies that continued to produce decorative mini-engines was the British company Mamod, which allows you to purchase a sample of such equipment even today. But the cost of such steam engines easily exceeds two hundred pounds sterling, which is not so little for a trinket for a couple of evenings. Moreover, for those who like to assemble all sorts of mechanisms on their own, it is much more interesting to create a simple steam engine with their own hands.

Very simple. The fire heats a pot of water. Under the influence of temperature, water turns into steam, which pushes the piston. As long as there is water in the container, the flywheel connected to the piston will rotate. This standard scheme structure of a steam engine. But you can assemble a model with a completely different configuration.

Well, let's move on from the theoretical part to more exciting things. If you are interested in doing something with your own hands, and you are surprised by such exotic cars, then this article is just for you, in which we will be happy to tell you about in various ways how to assemble a steam engine with your own hands. At the same time, the process of creating a mechanism itself gives joy no less than its launch.

Method 1: DIY Mini Steam Engine

So, let's begin. Let's assemble the simplest steam engine with our own hands. Drawings, complex tools and special knowledge are not needed.

To begin with, we take from any drink. Cut off the lower third from it. Since the result will be sharp edges, they must be bent inward with pliers. We do this carefully so as not to cut ourselves. Since most aluminum cans have a concave bottom, it is necessary to level it. It is enough to press it tightly with your finger to some hard surface.

At a distance of 1.5 cm from the top edge of the resulting “glass”, you need to make two holes opposite each other. It is advisable to use a hole punch for this, since it is necessary for them to be at least 3 mm in diameter. Place a decorative candle at the bottom of the jar. Now we take regular table foil, crumple it, and then wrap our mini-burner on all sides.

Mini nozzles

Next, you need to take a piece of copper tube 15-20 cm long. It is important that it is hollow inside, since this will be our main mechanism for setting the structure in motion. The central part of the tube is wrapped around the pencil 2 or 3 times to form a small spiral.

Now you need to place this element so that the curved place is placed directly above the candle wick. To do this, we give the tube the shape of the letter “M”. At the same time, we bring out the areas that go down through the holes made in the jar. Thus, the copper tube is rigidly fixed above the wick, and its edges act as a kind of nozzle. In order for the structure to rotate, it is necessary to bend the opposite ends of the “M-element” 90 degrees in different directions. The design of the steam engine is ready.

Engine starting

The jar is placed in a container with water. In this case, it is necessary that the edges of the tube are under its surface. If the nozzles are not long enough, you can add a small weight to the bottom of the jar. But be careful not to drown the entire engine.

Now you need to fill the tube with water. To do this, you can lower one end into the water, and draw in air with the other as if through a straw. We lower the jar into the water. Light the candle wick. After some time, the water in the spiral will turn into steam, which, under pressure, will fly out of the opposite ends of the nozzles. The jar will begin to rotate in the container quite quickly. This is how we made our own steam engine. As you can see, everything is simple.

Steam engine model for adults

Now let's complicate the task. Let's assemble a more serious steam engine with our own hands. First you need to take a paint can. You should make sure that it is absolutely clean. On the wall, 2-3 cm from the bottom, cut out a rectangle with dimensions of 15 x 5 cm. The long side is placed parallel to the bottom of the jar. From metal mesh cut out a piece with an area of ​​12 x 24 cm. Measure 6 cm from both ends of the long side. Bend these sections at an angle of 90 degrees. We get a small “platform table” with an area of ​​12 x 12 cm with 6 cm legs. We install the resulting structure on the bottom of the jar.

It is necessary to make several holes around the perimeter of the lid and place them in the shape of a semicircle along one half of the lid. It is advisable that the holes have a diameter of about 1 cm. This is necessary in order to ensure proper ventilation of the internal space. Steam engine will not work well unless sufficient air is supplied to the fire source.

Main element

We make a spiral from a copper tube. You need to take about 6 meters of soft copper tubing with a diameter of 1/4-inch (0.64 cm). We measure 30 cm from one end. Starting from this point, it is necessary to make five turns of the spiral with a diameter of 12 cm each. The rest of the pipe is bent into 15 rings with a diameter of 8 cm. Thus, at the other end there should be 20 cm of free tube.

Both leads pass through vent holes in the lid of the jar. If it turns out that the length of the straight section is not enough for this, then you can unbend one turn of the spiral. Coal is placed on a pre-installed platform. In this case, the spiral should be placed just above this platform. The coal is carefully laid out between its turns. Now the jar can be closed. As a result, we got a firebox that will power the engine. The steam engine is almost made with your own hands. Left a little.

Water container

Now you need to take another paint can, but of a smaller size. A hole with a diameter of 1 cm is drilled in the center of its lid. Two more holes are made on the side of the jar - one almost at the bottom, the second above, near the lid itself.

Take two crusts, in the center of which a hole is made with the diameter of a copper tube. 25 cm is inserted into one crust plastic pipe, in the other - 10 cm, so that their edge barely peeks out from the traffic jams. A korok with a long tube is inserted into the lower hole of a small jar, and a shorter tube into the upper hole. We place the smaller can on the larger can of paint so that the hole in the bottom is on the opposite side from the ventilation passages of the large can.

Result

The result should be the following design. Water is poured into a small jar, which flows through a hole in the bottom into a copper tube. A fire is lit under the spiral, which heats the copper container. Hot steam rises up the tube.

In order for the mechanism to be completed, it is necessary to attach a piston and flywheel to the upper end of the copper tube. Eventually thermal energy combustion will be converted into mechanical forces rotation of the wheel. There is a huge amount various schemes to create such an external combustion engine, but in all of them two elements are always involved - fire and water.

In addition to this design, you can assemble a steam one, but this is material for a completely separate article.