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Everyone should build an engine, right?

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John Hill:
Now that I have a lathe, a hacksaw and a few hammers I should be able to build an engine, right?

It would have to be something simple and it cant be some tiny precision thing as such has never yet emerged from the lair of The Artful Bodger.

So how about an atmospheric engine?  (aka flame licker, flame gulper, etc)

I have in mind something with, say, 75mm bore, single cylinder and a single spring valve covering the head orifice.  The cunning bit is that I would use two cams to operate this valve, one to open and another to close so that the cycle can be adjusted for best running.

Now, as far as I can understand these engines rely on the ingested hot gases being cooled by contact with the cylinder walls to cause contraction and the power stroke under atmospheric pressure.  Considering that the ratio of volume to cylinder surface area changes with diameter does that mean a larger engine would be less likely to run?

bogstandard:
Actually John,

Flame lickers (correct name, vacuum engine) were used full sized in the 19th century. But because of their very low power output, they quickly disappeared from use.

I have seen a vertical one running at a steam fair, that must have had a piston about 2" to 3".

Send me an email, and I will send you a set of vertical engine plans to show what is required, and you may be able to scale it up.


John

John Hill:
Well John I am hoping for at least enough power to turn its flywheel!

bogstandard:
This is mine



BTW, you don't know what you are letting yourself in for. They are a real pig to set up and getting to run correctly. But once done, away they go.

John

John Hill:
I figured they would be a bit toucy John, that why my design includes variable valve timing.

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