Basically my first steam engine

Timonade · Basically my first steam engine

Well, I guess one could call it a steam engine.

In fact, it runs on Co2 steam. Yup, it's a co2 engine. I got it by a lucky chance in June, 24th. It came with a small model airplane, but I first ran it on it's (homemade

) stand. I uploaded a video of its maiden run after I had taken it into pieces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUWQ2LkZ2Es

Hope you like it

Ps: I would write the story how I got it and how did I get it to run, but unfortunately I have already written the same thing in Estonian about 3 times now. Why 3 times? Firefox kept closing while navigating away to another folder. I'm tired, but happy that I got it done.

Long story short, the 12g co2 cartridges were too big for the co2 charger, so I had to make a new one. Ended up drilling three holes in a (bolt and)nut two times, connecting them with long bolts.

I was sooooooo happy when I first heard it run.

I had so many failed tries to get it run on compressed air... I was so dissapointed at first, but then... It finally ran!

Bugsy

That's amazing, never seen one of those before!
Now you'll have to get it to run on ordinary steam, those CO2 cartrides are more expensive than Esbit!

johnreid

That is cool. I noticed how the cartridge iced up too,

gd9704

Neat! Reminds me of the Cox .049 engines I used to play with as a kid, but MUCH quieter. Never saw one of those before.....

Timonade

Aye mate, it should be more quiet. The timing is off right now...I need to run it some more to get the timing right. It should be more powerful, I'm pretty sure. It has 870 psi pressure maintained in its tank, for h--k sake.

Nevertheless, it's Russian. And Russian engines are loud

Bugsy, I'm going to keep this one on Co2. I don't have an boiler, can't build one either. I've been thinking on a small, "real", steam engine as well - won't be long before I start building that one I guess. I'll try to maintain the needed pressure at it's lowest - so I can run it in my room with a small compressing system (maybe even a small, quiet compressor).
Oh, and by the way, co2 cartridges here are £8 for a box of ten.

Bugsy

metalhead100

Gasparin is the man when it comes to co2..

http://www.google.com/search?q=ga...-US:official&client=firefox-a

Jim

tmuir

Cool!!!

I remember when they first came out about 20 years ago.
At that point the battery technology wasn't there to make small powered quiet planes so co2 was the only way.

I so wanted one but they never made it to any shops where I lived. The Internet was around but the WWW wasn't and overseas phone calls were very expensive so no chance back then for me to order one from the UK.

jakesm

waaaaaaaay cool! or should that be freezing cold??

Timonade

Phil, I haven't done a full charge yet, so right now I don't know how long it will run. The manual only states the minimum running time (15 sec). I'm guessing - about 15 minutes straight

Gas flow can't be regulated(, although I wish it was possible). Nevertheless, it's not needed. Once started, this engine is supposed to run at full speed and give full torque to keep that plane flying. If the engine happens to stop mid-air, the plane is supposed to gently glide down.

Jim, those Gasparin engines are just amazing! I found their website shortly after being introduced to the world of co2 models. I was absolutely stunned...The smallest one amazed me the most. Such a small engine, and it's running. And the V12, the radials... Just brilliant. I shall buy one someday.

logoman

I remember having CO2 planes so well, I was from the 'Sodastream' generation

they were a breath of fresh air, inbetween rubber power and the little cox glow engines, perfect for young teenagers.

I must still have them somewhere

IndianaRog

Tim,

Thanks for sharing that...I never heard of or saw a CO2 plane, now I have!!!

Very cool indeed,
Roger

Timonade

Bloody hell!!!
I think I just hit the maximum power timing

I ran two capsules of co2 trying to set the timing right. After I had just turned the cylinder a bit (that's the way how to set the timing as the amount of gas let in to the cylinder), gave the propeller a flip...

I literally jumped away

. It started in such a fury, that white smoke was blown out the exhaust ports. There were some leaves in front of the engine..(ran it outside) About 15 cm away. The engine revved so powerfully that those leaves were literally sucked closer to the engine (luckily not into the propeller..). Of course, there was the bad side. It ran out of gas in about 10 seconds...
I didn't get the timing right at all, I think. I got to set it manually and just guess, what timing is best. Right now I have to take it apart - I'm afraid something bad happened (ice in the piping I hope - that will melt eventually). Last time I ran it, it revved up and then just started cranking slowly... Even more so, it ran, but started to miss strokes(hit-miss-hit-miss and so on).

I'll take it apart and see what happened.

Timonade

Well, took it apart. For some odd reason it opens the intake ball valve two times... per one stroke. The engine still has its own compression, and is able to crank under the created pressure (take the pressure tank off and just put a finger on top of the engine to close the valve case). I think the missing was because the cold weather outside. It is supposed to run in warm temperatures (min 15 degrees I think..). Well, right now it's about -1,1

I have only 4 capsules left... Tomorrow I shall go to Tallinn and buy more of them.