Vacuum powered engines?

[Novian]

Compressors can run out of air power quickly for some engines that require alot of it. Shop vacs and regular home vacs can get pretty powerful and are constant compared to compressors. Any possibility of of running an engine using a vacuum? Ofcourse the engine would run in reverse, with the vacuum PULLING the piston up the cylinder, instead of the pressurized air PUSHING the piston. Or, you could attach the vacuum to the exhaust ports and run it as normal.

Anyone with experience with this sort of thing?

 

[mklotz]

Vacuums don't "pull" anything. The piston would be driven by the atmospheric pressure (14.7 psi) pushing on the other side of the piston.

All flamesuckers are vacuum engines (in the above sense) and most of them can't produce enough power to get out of their own way.

 

[stevehuckss396]

I have never seen one myself. Are you going to design something that operates that way?

 

[b.lindsey]

While I suppose it would work in theory, I rarely have problems with even a small compressor running out of air. I would think you would also be limited to a maximum pressure differential of 15 psi or so (atmospheric pressure vs, perfect vacuum) which is probably enough for all but the larger or less efficient engines. Still I would rather listen to the cyclical on and off of a compressor than the constant noise of most vacuums.
Bill

 

[kcmillin]

Do a search on You Tube For Lego Vacuum Engines. There are a lot of kids powering their Lego Steam Engines off of a Vacuum.

Kel