The Modular Tower Engine - a new, experimental design

[Brian Rupnow]

I have seen this attempted before. The biggest problem is the wear and associated backlash that results between the crank gear and the cam gear. When the engine fires, the gears get a concentrated load on one side of the meshing gear teeth. As the flywheel carries the load thru and over the points in the crankshaft where the con-rod is not creating power, the meshing gear teeth see some fairly intense loading on the opposite side of the teeth. It doesn't keep the engine from running, but it is a very high wear area.

 

[awake]

Brian, I've been worried about the stresses on the gears. You don't happen to have any links to where this has been done before, do you? (Or maybe I shouldn't ask until after I have presented the complete design - I surely wouldn't want to ruin my concept by seeing any facts actual experience someone else's work. )

 

[awake]

I'd like spell checker to cope with the word pefrectionist?,

pefrectionist

Owz that

Actually, the word you're both looking for is "pre-fectionist," where "fection" is a technical term referring to the acquisition of wisdom through experience. Based on that definition, my work is definitely pre-fectionist!

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Awake--Sorry, I don't have a link to give you. It's just one of those things I've picked up over the last 55 years.---Brian

 

[awake]

Understood! Thanks.

 

[Canyonman]

Hey Longboy, What is that engine you have in your Avatar? Might you have plans for it?
Ken

 

[ShopShoe]

Awake,

You said: "Actually, the word you're both looking for is "pre-fectionist," where "fection" is a technical term referring to the acquisition of wisdom through experience. Based on that definition, my work is definitely pre-fectionist!"

Do you also know if that means that "feckless" is a actually a word based on this knowledge-gaining, or rather the lack of it. I had always thought someone somewhere had created the word from random thought.

Language can always be interesting......

--ShopShoe

 

[Ken I]

The amount of energy in a flywheel is its polar mass moment multiplied by is speed (in radian per second) squared.
So a half speed flywheel delivers 1/4 the amount of inertial energy - that's non-negotiable physics for you.

I did a write up on scaling issues in this post :-

Reduce engine size.

Regards,
Ken

 

[awake]

Awake,

You said: "Actually, the word you're both looking for is "pre-fectionist," where "fection" is a technical term referring to the acquisition of wisdom through experience. Based on that definition, my work is definitely pre-fectionist!"

Do you also know if that means that "feckless" is a actually a word based on this knowledge-gaining, or rather the lack of it. I had always thought someone somewhere had created the word from random thought.

Language can always be interesting......

--ShopShoe

ShopShoe, I must apologize - I was saying that with tongue-in-cheek, not meant to be taken seriously. I did not actually know the origins of the root word for- "fection"; I was just making it up to [try to] be funny.

As I thought about it seriously, I guessed that the root for "fection" comes from the Latin facere, "to make or do." Perfection would then be to make or do thoroughly and completely; confection would be to make together - to combine things into something made; and so on. Sure enough, a quick search on the internet seemed to confirm this (from more reliable sources than a trying-to-be-funny hobby machinist!); meanwhile it looks like "feck" may be a Scottish word, so totally different roots.

Again, I am sorry for misleading; I should have made it more obvious that I was attempting to be funny. Or at least, that's what my family regularly tells me ... !

 

[ShopShoe]

Humor is OK, too. And I think we all need it now........

--ShopShoe

 

[Richard Hed]

ShopShoe, I must apologize - I was saying that with tongue-in-cheek, not meant to be taken seriously. I did not actually know the origins of the root word for- "fection"; I was just making it up to [try to] be funny.

As I thought about it seriously, I guessed that the root for "fection" comes from the Latin facere, "to make or do." Perfection would then be to make or do thoroughly and completely; confection would be to make together - to combine things into something made; and so on. Sure enough, a quick search on the internet seemed to confirm this (from more reliable sources than a trying-to-be-funny hobby machinist!); meanwhile it looks like "feck" may be a Scottish word, so totally different roots.

Again, I am sorry for misleading; I should have made it more obvious that I was attempting to be funny. Or at least, that's what my family regularly tells me ... !

If you are going to get onto that, then, I am post-fection profectional in my anti-fectual ways. I notice that ante-fectual, being nearly the same as pre-fectual, that I must be sub-fectual as you must all be superiour to me as superfectuals. Godz--I thimk I will slash my ankles with a rusty spoon!

 

[Richard Hed]

Humor is OK, too. And I think we all need it now........

--ShopShoe

I don't needs humour now--I have crashed my lathe, ruining one of those @#$^&&d**mned plastic gears on the gear train on my crapply lathe. I wasn't paying attention and did it but even so (I'd like to blame some else or kick something soft), I needs to get the pulley on the main spindle off. the retainer nut unscrewed easily, but the pulley is thin alum. and won't come off easily (maybe that is a goo thing). so . . . any advice? (besides don't kick the lathe?) I've been trying to imagine a circular piece of wood around the base, inside the setup and some kind of lever.

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Richard, A bit of heat might not go amiss !

 

[Richard Hed]

Hi Richard, A bit of heat might not go amiss !

Goo Idea, I was thimking I might try that, just don't feel comfortable with heat anywhere near the bearings. I can try it carefully. Thanx.

 

[BaronJ]

Goo Idea, I was thimking I might try that, just don't feel comfortable with heat anywhere near the bearings. I can try it carefully. Thanx.

I would use a hot air paint stripper ! Much easier to control where the heat is applied.

 

[Richard Hed]

I would use a hot air paint stripper ! Much easier to control where the heat is applied.

Ah, wouldn't you know it? My son and I were out trying to get the pulley off, thimking of heating it. Of course, I didn't want to do it, (didn't thimk of a hair dryer or paint stripper) and my son was against it too. As we were considering what to do, I tried various wood pieces, then I spotted a nail puller, that is, like a crowbar but flat. I tried it from the side, as I had been trying from the top with the wood, Well. from the top, it bound the thing, but with the metal nail puller, I managed to get it just right and it slid right off. Howl-a LEW-ya! Easy. Now I have to find some spare plastic or aluminum 80 tooth gears. Enco must have know what crap they were selling as they had the fore-sight to put in an extra one so for now, I'm OK. I don't feel secure without a spare, however. I would like to build my own gears (cut, I mean) but will have to build many pre-cursor tools to do so. Well, I'm on that track but in the mean time, I suppose, I should try to find a spare or two.

%Thanx for the goo advice.

I've put this CAD drawing in, as I drew it off an old dwg from an old mag. I don't really like this, but I might try to build it. I doesn't like the fact that there are so many "wiggle" spots. I'm thimking that I could maybe weld a few spots reducing the flexure. Any advice?

 

[BaronJ]

Ah, wouldn't you know it? My son and I were out trying to get the pulley off, thimking of heating it. Of course, I didn't want to do it, (didn't thimk of a hair dryer or paint stripper) and my son was against it too. As we were considering what to do, I tried various wood pieces, then I spotted a nail puller, that is, like a crowbar but flat. I tried it from the side, as I had been trying from the top with the wood, Well. from the top, it bound the thing, but with the metal nail puller, I managed to get it just right and it slid right off. Howl-a LEW-ya! Easy. Now I have to find some spare plastic or aluminum 80 tooth gears. Enco must have know what crap they were selling as they had the fore-sight to put in an extra one so for now, I'm OK. I don't feel secure without a spare, however. I would like to build my own gears (cut, I mean) but will have to build many pre-cursor tools to do so. Well, I'm on that track but in the mean time, I suppose, I should try to find a spare or two.

View attachment 117751

%Thanx for the goo advice.

I've put this CAD drawing in, as I drew it off an old dwg from an old mag. I don't really like this, but I might try to build it. I doesn't like the fact that there are so many "wiggle" spots. I'm thinking that I could maybe weld a few spots reducing the flexure. Any advice?

Hi Richard,

Milling on a lathe is not for the faint hearted ! I certainly wouldn't do it any more unless I absolutely had to !

 

[Richard Hed]

Hi Richard,

Milling on a lathe is not for the faint hearted ! I certainly wouldn't do it any more unless I absolutely had to !

Yeah, I hears ya, but I has no choice. No access to a real mill. Was thimkking that if the local jr. college opens this fall, I could take a credit class (1 credit, that is) and have access to good mills and other goo tools for almost nothing. In my Soviet of Washington, peeps over 60 can go to the colleges for a mere 5$ per credit plus some upfront fees and books. I doesn't needs books but this is a real cheap way to get access to quality tools that I cannot afford.

 

[BaronJ]

Yeah, I hears ya, but I has no choice. No access to a real mill. Was thimkking that if the local jr. college opens this fall, I could take a credit class (1 credit, that is) and have access to good mills and other goo tools for almost nothing. In my Soviet of Washington, peeps over 60 can go to the colleges for a mere 5$ per credit plus some upfront fees and books. I doesn't needs books but this is a real cheap way to get access to quality tools that I cannot afford.

Hi Richard,
That would be a good way of getting access to machinery that you can use.

 

[awake]

Work has been rather demanding, so this is my first chance to get the next part finished. Here is (most of) the crankshaft - I just realized I still need to make and fix the crank pin, but that will be a relatively simple operation.

Here is the plan:

And here are the finished parts (note that the gear/hub has already been loctited into the web at this point):

Here it is assembled:

And in place on the "tower":

Finally, a picture showing things to come - here it is with the camshaft (mostly done), tappet cage, and flywheel in place. The action of the gears is very smooth, with very little backlash:

Hopefully I will get some time this week to finish up another part or two ...