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Help with engine identification please


Steve M
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I’ve just come across this engine which was made by a family friend. He has asked me to try and find the identification of this model as he can’t remember and has lost the documents. I believe it was from a engineering in miniature magazine issue.

Any help would be appreciated.image.jpg.a5d8d06c4680ad340a3be6f6884ef9c0.jpgimage.jpg.92150763a787aa822907247e2101b116.jpg

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It appears to be a 3 cylinder radial engine. The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front. They're also known as 'Star Engines'. The radial configuration was commonly used for aircraft engines before gas turbine engines became predominant. They are always configured to have an odd number of cylinders, i.e. 3, 5, 7, 9 etc.

 

Follow the link - How do radial engines work ? – MechStuff

 

Davey

Edited by Davey
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I think it’s an air-powered radial, operating like a compressor in reverse.

 

I can’t find a model 3 cylinder one on-line, but here is a 5 cylinder 


Trying to fathom how the OP’s one works, I think it must use the crankcase as the exhaust chamber, and probably has a slot milled part-way up the bore, so that the cylinder is exhausted a bit like a two-stroke, but I’m not totally sure. Also, I think there must be a ported rotary valve on the crankshaft to deal with inlet.

 

Edit: here’s one that uses flats machined on the crankshaft as rotary valves https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/three-cylinder-radial-steam-engine-brian-swan I don’t think the OP’s is quite the same in its workings, but it may be.

 

 

Edited by Nearholmer
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  • 2 months later...

My initial thought was that it’s a CO2 engine, I suspect there is a point on top of each piston, which will displace a ball valve from its seat very close to TDC.  There appears to be a feed pipe up the “back” of each cylinder connected to the main feed pipe.  The exhaust would presumably be piston-ported in the cylinder wall but I can’t see where.

 

then looking again, it appears that the gland on the crankcase might be the pressure feed, or an oil feed, as there is a threaded gland at the back.  Maybe the slash cut upright pipe is actually the exhaust…


Does it turn freely?  Make sure it’s lubricated.
 

try turning it by hand, and see if it pumps air.  If so, does it pump the same way if you turn it the opposite way?  Or perhaps not at all one way, or perhaps neither way.

 

if it pumps air, where does it suck, and where does it blow?

 

try blowing some air into the gland on the back, it might need a flick to get it started.

 

the conrods must be very flat, the cylinders do not appear to be offset.

 

good luck

Simon

 

 

 

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And the build is here

 

https://www.madmodder.net/index.php/topic,2317.0/prev_next,next.html#new

 

drawings attached to a post here

 

https://www.madmodder.net/index.php/topic,2317.125.html

 

cracking build.  My guess regarding the valves was way out.  It’s an orbital valve.  Very neat.

 

thanks for the rabbit hole!

Simon

Edited by Simond
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