Engines Under Development

5/18/99

Here is where we will show you some of our ideas and/or plans for new engines, engines that we hope will be unique and of interest to our readers. We also invite your comments or suggestions as to how these ideas can be improved (via our Guest Book or email).

  We have returned from the 10th annual North American Model Engineering Society Exposition in Wyandotte, Michigan and are trying to get caught up with everything that was pushed aside while we completed the projects that were taken to the show. (We get more done when we are under a deadline!)

     One of the new engines we took with us is the Double Acting Ringbom.

DAR6C.JPG (23714 bytes)

 This engine was completed just two days before our departure and proved to be quite popular with the Hot Air enthusiasts. As with all Ringboms, the engine will rock back and forth while warming up and this engine will then start spinning continuously in either direction at random. Several builders asked for plans and construction details and we will provide them. Please be patient! 

For photos of the finished engine, please click here. The rest of this page was written while the engine was under development.

   As with "Thumper", Richard's previous Ringbom, the inner workings of this engine will be visible through the use of Pyrex. And again like "Thumper" the power cylinders will oscillate. We have prepared an animation of the running engine. Click here for the animation. (Note - large file size - approximate download time 47 seconds with a 28.8 modem.)

What makes this design unique is its double acting displacer pushrod. This feature combined with the two 180 degree opposed power pistons results in an engine that could be pressurized with no crankcase enclosure.

d2.jpg (8932 bytes) This view shows the progress to date.  The power cylinders, crankshaft and flywheel remain unfinished.
d1.jpg (8532 bytes) The displacer assembly consists of two test tubes joined by a plexiglass center. The plexiglass forms the cylinder for the pushrod connecting the two displacer pistons.  Cigar tubes are used for the pistons.
d4s.jpg (6286 bytes) d3s.jpg (4392 bytes)
Click on this photo for a larger view. Note the arrows that point out the passageway for the air to get from the displacer cylinder to the power cylinder. Click on this photo for a larger view. The arrow is pointing to the hole that works with the passageway described at left.
d7.jpg (6709 bytes) Brass doorknobs are modified for use as alcohol burners.

     We have not found reference to any similar engine ever being built. Of course, there may be a reason why we’ve never heard of such a design: it may not work. But if it does, the world will see it first in Wyandotte! Post script, 5/7/99 It does and they did!