# Electric Solenoid Engine



## n4zou (Aug 7, 2011)

I was looking for a few electrical parts I need for a project and came across this Solenoid for only $5 and thought it would be nice for a solenoid engine.

*Rare Gigantic DC Solenoid*





http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=g18521

I may replicate the solenoid engine in this youtube video. 
[ame]http://youtu.be/Mk_ayHYFmXQ[/ame]


----------



## cfellows (Aug 7, 2011)

Hey... That's my engine in that video! Glad you like it. I actually love solenoid engines and have built several. Here's another one I built that uses 2 solenoids...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwR1LPngBHE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwR1LPngBHE[/ame]

And another...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3tcdiO2HCc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3tcdiO2HCc[/ame]

Chuck


----------



## JackG (Aug 7, 2011)

Chuck,

Have you ever built a solenoid powered hit & miss motor? Theres a guy that I see at NAMES every year with several. If I could find the right solenoid Id kind of like to try to build one. 


Jack


----------



## cfellows (Aug 8, 2011)

JackG  said:
			
		

> Chuck,
> 
> Have you ever built a solenoid powered hit & miss motor? Theres a guy that I see at NAMES every year with several. If I could find the right solenoid Id kind of like to try to build one.
> 
> ...



No, I've not built a hit n miss solenoid engine. Wouldn't be too hard to do. In hit n miss mode, your could over-drive the solenoid by probably 4 or 5 times the rated amperage since it would only be about 15% duty cycle. That's assuming the insulation would stand the higher voltage.

There's a guy, maschobe, on youtube who has built a number of hit n miss solenoid engines.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/user/mascobe#p/u/71/wdIRWXHwhlM]http://www.youtube.com/user/mascobe#p/u/71/wdIRWXHwhlM[/ame]

Chuck


----------



## n4zou (Aug 8, 2011)

Hit and Miss would be easy to implement by electronic control. An RPM circuit that would use the same timing circuit could be added that will cut power when the RPM exceeds it's cutoff point. I'm going to play around with some large capacitors in the circuit. The capacitors will be connected across the battery so they recharge between "Hits". The capacitors would discharge into the solenoid much the same way a fuel charge would ignite on the power stroke of a gas engine. The capacitors can dump their energy much faster than a battery. The discharge should be audible in much the same way a Strobe Light circuit sounds when it's capacitor dumps stored high voltage into the flash tube. I was thinking of using a magnet on the flywheel for timing but adding an eccentric and rod would provide added motion for eye appeal. The magnet system would allow easy rotation changes but their really is no reason to make it reversible.


----------



## bentprop (Aug 8, 2011)

Great engines,Chuck.Did you draw up any plans?I have a few solenoids lying around just waiting for the right project ;D


----------



## n4zou (Aug 8, 2011)

bentprop  said:
			
		

> Great engines,Chuck.Did you draw up any plans?I have a few solenoids lying around just waiting for the right project ;D



Just treat the solenoid as if it were a steam engine cylinder and piston. Just replace the cylinder in any steam engine drawing using the solenoid.
Here is a perfect example.

*Grasshopper Beam Engine 
*
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz_a4aKQoF4[/ame]


----------



## Coilmotorworks (Aug 10, 2011)

Hey there, I am Mascobe from the link above (see the YouTube channel link in the prior thread). I have been building Solenoid motors since 1983. The hit and miss versions seem simple but are quite hard to make run right. Making them with electronic hit and miss kills the mechanical movement aspect and makes for a rather dull motor. I could use solid state switches but again it kills the visual aspect that drive people crazy. I am the one that had the motors and Solenoid powered tractor at NAMES. 

What I have learned from trial and error I will share here:

A couple of tips that will get you going in the right direction. Use 6 volt solenoids and drive them with 18 VDC @ 5A(minimum). Use large aluminum flywheels. There is a fine balance that must be made between the amount of pull pressure and the mass that must be spun. Brass and steel are just too dang heavy. When you see my videos of the hit and miss solenoid motors you may notice that the flywheels are quite minimal. Reduce friction! Keep the slug as cluse to top dead center without letting it strike the top. Stroke length is very important. Too long and there will be more friction than pull. too short and the leverage at the crank will be too low. I tend to lean toward a shorter stroke as that is where the solenoid makes it's power. If your solenoid has a flywheel diode you may need to either get rid of it or adjust the timing switch so that the cut off happens well before TDC. The resistance in the coil and the flywheel diode will slow the rate that the EMF collapses in the coil wich will keep the field built long after the switch shuts off the current to the solenoid. Use a D frame and not a C or open coil type solenoid. Fully enclosed are even better. Use a micro sitch not a open set of leaf type points. the micro switch switches the current faster and has better contact pressure. a 125V @ 5 A switch and it will last for lots of cycles without a problem. 

If you need to know more contact me at my YouTube channel.

Mascobe

Good luck.


----------



## cfellows (Aug 13, 2011)

Coilmotorworks  said:
			
		

> Hey there, I am Mascobe from the link above (see the YouTube channel link in the prior thread). I have been building Solenoid motors since 1983. The hit and miss versions seem simple but are quite hard to make run right. Making them with electronic hit and miss kills the mechanical movement aspect and makes for a rather dull motor. I could use solid state switches but again it kills the visual aspect that drive people crazy. I am the one that had the motors and Solenoid powered tractor at NAMES.
> 
> What I have learned from trial and error I will share here:
> 
> ...



Thanks for checking in, Mascobe. I've long been a fan of your motors and I have some serious tractor envy for your John Deere D!

Chuck


----------



## MachineTom (Aug 23, 2011)

Those are nice little motors Chuck, they even have a cool sound. Gives me more ideas for my busier retirement. I'm gonna have to live another 40 years just to finish the current List! LOL


----------



## glue-itcom (Apr 10, 2013)

Thought I would just post a couple of links to my solenoid motors:
http://www.glue-it.com/model-engineering/gallery/solenoid-engine.html#.UWXQQ6XFVaU

and the next is rather mad as it is a v-twin 4-stroke
http://www.glue-it.com/model-engineering/gallery/solenoid-engine-vtwin.html#.UWXQiqXFVaU

They are quite fun to make, but I think the efficiency is very low.


----------



## glue-itcom (Mar 6, 2021)

I've just sat and made a video of me talking through my single armature solenoid motor. Plus I've taken some of the basic elements apart so you get a feel for this very simple build.


----------



## SmithDoor (Mar 6, 2021)

It is was on first motor 
Build coil is simple on lathe witch can be done using a modified pedometer for counting the turns.

Dave 



glue-itcom said:


> I've just sat and made a video of me talking through my single armature solenoid motor. Plus I've taken some of the basic elements apart so you get a feel for this very simple build.


----------



## glue-itcom (Mar 10, 2021)

SmithDoor said:


> It is was on first motor
> Build coil is simple on lathe witch can be done using a modified pedometer for counting the turns.
> 
> Dave



Hi Dave, 

A proper coil winder and counter would be good. I ended up estimating the number of windings based on the overall size of the final coil and thickness of the wire. I used a circle close pack ratio of 0.9 as an adjustment, but it is only an estimate. I should have weighed the armature before and after as that probably would have been a better estimate as I would have got total length of wire.

I ought to have a got at developing a better coil independently of any engine as the coil I made is very very basic.

Best regards, Nigel


----------



## stackerjack (Mar 11, 2021)

cfellows said:


> Hey... That's my engine in that video! Glad you like it. I actually love solenoid engines and have built several. Here's another one I built that uses 2 solenoids...
> 
> [ame=[MEDIA=youtube]XwR1LPngBHE[/MEDIA]]
> 
> ...


Here' on I built many years ago. I'm into aeroplanes and engines, and, being an electrician I thought this would be a good idea, It has 5 cylinders and at the top of each one is a small LED. This is connected in reverse, so as the current in the coil collapses, it lights the LED very briefly, just like a spark....
It has now been finished and a 4-blade propeller fitted.
Jack


----------



## a41capt (Mar 11, 2021)

glue-itcom said:


> Thought I would just post a couple of links to my solenoid motors:
> Solenoid Engine --> glue-it.com
> 
> and the next is rather mad as it is a v-twin 4-stroke
> ...


Excellent idea and a fun project that I would love to share with my grandchildren Nigel.  We’ve already built an LTD Stirling together and had a great time doing it.  Unfortunately, the Glue-It webpage isn’t loading correctly for me on either your single or V-Twin versions, including the link to the running video of your V-Twin which looks like a really great project.

Additionally, as I’m a complete newbie to electric motors, I have no idea where to start regarding wire gauge, number of turns, length of the bobbin or armature, etc.  Do you have a link to any plans available?  Once I get the general hang of the concept, I’d love to start experimenting on my own.  I’ve already had visions of a hit and miss version circling around in my brain!

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide,
John W


----------



## glue-itcom (Mar 18, 2021)

Just made a video talking around the design of the v-twin, thought it might just be a good way of explaining some of the design


----------



## glue-itcom (Mar 18, 2021)

a41capt said:


> Excellent idea and a fun project that I would love to share with my grandchildren Nigel.  We’ve already built an LTD Stirling together and had a great time doing it.  Unfortunately, the Glue-It webpage isn’t loading correctly for me on either your single or V-Twin versions, including the link to the running video of your V-Twin which looks like a really great project.
> 
> Additionally, as I’m a complete newbie to electric motors, I have no idea where to start regarding wire gauge, number of turns, length of the bobbin or armature, etc.  Do you have a link to any plans available?  Once I get the general hang of the concept, I’d love to start experimenting on my own.  I’ve already had visions of a hit and miss version circling around in my brain!
> 
> ...



Hello John, hopefully the solenoid motor link works now, I've spent some time trying to improve the loading of pages. This gives more details of the design. I think it would be good to experiment with the solenoid design on it's own first. I used 28SWG enameled copper wire and around 700 turns, but this solenoid could be dramatically improved with a laminated iron core rather than the turned wood bobbin. Best regards, Nigel


----------



## glue-itcom (Aug 25, 2021)

I've been looking at ways to improve the solenoid motor. My first modification is looking at magnetic confinement:



I now just need to think of a design for this that is not just flat strips....


----------

