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Forum Index : Other Stuff : An Oscillating Air Engine
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MacGyver Guru  Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
A different Way To Store Wind Energy: I have retired and once again have begun building little projects. First up is a small aluminum and brass air engine. It's what is called an "oscillator". I'm waiting on some micro-millimute (really small) fittings to arrive and be installed in the inlet and outlet ports on its back side. When they arrive and I've got them installed, I'll run it on air and shoot a video for Youtube. For now here's what I've accomplished: 
This shows the cylinder and piston connected to the crank pin. The piston / cylinder slides on the vertical body of the engine as the crank pin throws the cylinder up and down as it changes direction at TDC and BDC. 
This shot shows the base plate and vertical wall (aluminum) and the crank pin assembly, piston and cylinder as well as the brass flywheel. 
Here we see the outboard side of the flywheel and the spring tensioner, which regulates the pressure the sylinder sliding base contacts the vertical wall, which houses the inlet and outet ports (two little holes). As the piston arrives at either TDC or BDC, the inertia of the flywheel causes the crank pin to toss the bottom of the cylinder and piston to the opposite side which covers/uncovers either an inlet or exhaust port. 
Continuing around the engine, this shows the back side. The only part that doesn't show is the brass backing plate, which is welded to the cylinder. It slides on the vertical wall and its motion exposes ports to let air into or out of the cylinder to make it run. 
Here it is from the top side. All the cuts in the base plate as well as the squaring of the vertical mounting wall were done on a 3-axis milling machine. The wall fits so tightly in the slot, it does not need any screws to hold it there. So what does all this have to do with windmills and the like? Well, while the rest of the crew here builds mills that directly convert masses of moving air directly into electricity atop the tower, all my windmills (of late again) pump air into a receiver on the ground. There (standing safely on Mother Earth) I can control the amount of air through any number of air engine applications and do all manner of work whether it be manufacturing electricity, pumping water or blowing metal filings from my workbench. The amount of energy I'm able to procure from the wind is based solely on my ability to capture and store it as compressed air. I'm old and fat (but I'm working on that part) and I feel much safer being able to lower my windmills on a hinged tower in order to service them. I also feel much safer building electricity in my shop where I'm not having to climb down from some break-neck height to retrieve this wrench or that screwdriver. Batteries or grid tie are great for storing energy; I merely choose to use compressed air. . . . . . Mac Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Nice work Mac and thanks for sharing. I have a little oscillating steam engine somewhere in my collection, good fun. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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Oscar4u Regular Member  Joined: 23/02/2011 Location: New ZealandPosts: 42 |
Hello Mac at school I once built an oscarlating steam engine as well. Do these not have a problem of getting started if they stop on top or bot DC? Would it be difficult to make a two cilynder to overcome that? Any ideas what for an efficiency these run at? Keep up the good work. Best wishes Oscar Oscar4u - for all your rotary cowshed repairs |
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| MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
Oscar In order to make it past TDC or BDC without a flywheel's momentum doing the task, it is necessary to make two, double-acting cylinders and mount them in a 90* "V" formation. Doing it this way, there's always one cylinder on its power stroke and therefore, there are no "dead spots". I've currently got a 6-cylinder engine on the drawing table as well as a 6 cylinder swash-plate pump. As soon as I come up with a working, easy-to-manufacture check valve that I can bury in the center of the pistons, I'll build more toys and post them. Presently, I'm working on a single cylinder air pump, but when you see how it's mounted, you'll see I've thought ahead and made the cam follower such that I can merely add 5 more stages without having to redesign the whole thing. IMHO, capturing and storing wind as compressed air beats the socks off direct production of electricity at the top of the tower. I guess that's an old fart's perspective, but it seems to work for me. As things progress and assuming the world doesn't come to a screeching halt on December 21st, I'll be building and posting several more smaller projects along with air motors coupled to alternators for the benefit of the nay-sayers. I'm also going to manufacture a very tiny air core direct-coupled windmill that lights up a couple LEDs. These will be given to my two oldest grand kids and when the wind blows at night, their names engraved in clear lucite will light up. . . . . . Mac Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1344 |
Well Mac, If as you say Yellowstone is going to blow on the 21/12/2012 you must have some Mayan in your blood or have some thing going on your own well spill the beans as for one thing it will blow you guys off the earth and from what I read last night you yanks SHOULD be scared....... Cheers Bryan |
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| MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
Bryan1 This is going to be another one of those "hide and watch" scenarios I think. I remember when everyone was all a twitter about Y2K and nothing happened. Nothing! Whether or not there's anything to the Mayan thing is something all of us will just have to wait and see. Right or wrong, there's absolutely nothing anyone can do about it, so my advice is keep a bottle of Jack handy and if the Mayan prediction comes true, go out with your shot glass held high! So what exactly did you read last night that convinces you one way or another? . . . . . Mac Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
The way I see it, if the Mayans were such an advanced culture and could predict the future, how come they died out? Anyway, getting off topic. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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yahoo2 Guru Joined: 05/04/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1166 |
I KNEW there was a reason for the new invincible's avatar  Mayan predictions of impending doom, of course!!!
I was beginning to wonder if the scooter had been raided for parts for the air motor. 
It looks tiny in the photo's could you give us a measurement of something so I can get a feel for the size. thanks yahoo I'm confused, no wait... maybe I'm not... |
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| MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
Oops! Not only have I not gotten the little valves yet nor shot any video, but I totally forgot about this thread. I'm building R/C airplanes now for a while. I'm using Coroflute wings and controlling surfaces. Anyway, to answer your questions, yahoo2, the base is about 2 1/2" by 4" and the actual "engine" part is about as big as a playing card (though thicker, of course). My retirement life behaves like sound. Not only do my interests run up and down in waves, but the intensity of my incentive runs in compressions and rarifactions. Just like sound; I like that analogy. I think any further actual "windmill" builds will be nothing but compressors from here on in. Compressing air just makes way more sense to me than all the rest. I like simple stuff. . . . . . Mac Coroflute Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Mac he big advantage of compressed air is it doesn't need changing state to be used. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
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