Valved Compressed Air Engine

thingiverse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9QeCIgOXYA This is an engine design inspired by Tom Stanton's compressed air engine. It's a work in progress and being refined and optimized as we speak. Currently, the engine uses the inner half of a VW beetle generator pulley as a flywheel, but any object can be used if you can create your own connector. The engine relies heavily on M3 bolts with a few M2 bolts thrown in for good measure. Two 6mm X 11mm springs power the valves, while an air brush hose is designed to supply input. Rubber gaskets and paper gaskets are used for sealing the head. To achieve optimal results, all moving parts require sanding, preferably with at least a 400 Grit finish. The crankshaft is engineered to work in tandem with two 3/4 inch wheel bearings. Be aware that the cam for the intake will wear quickly, but I've found that the engine still runs fine for now. Unlike many other air engines, this one only operates in one direction. If the input and exhaust are swapped, the engine can run in reverse. I printed all parts with a .1 mm layer height and an infill density of 60-80%. Results may vary depending on your printer, so use a number within that range for optimal performance. Temperature settings were set to 210 C, with supports enabled. To achieve the best results, build all round pieces upright. To add some extra finesse to the threads, I used a 3mm X .5 Tap to cut them. Depending on your printer's capabilities, this may or may not be necessary. If you have any questions about the process or design, feel free to send me a message. Thanks for watching! - Andrew