This is an incredible piece of art and beauty! Billed as the world's smallest 12 cylinder engine.
Fascinating!
http://www.wimp.com/tiniestengine/ (http://www.wimp.com/tiniestengine/)
Sorry, this isn't really bus related, other than I can't imagine a single bus nut who won't be fascinated by the workmanship that goes into this engine.
Please move it to off topic in a day or two, if you would.
And I have a question for you engine guys...
After he machined the crankshaft, why did he flatten the pieces next to where each piston attaches (what's the proper name for that piece?)
I'm sure someone knows why that's done.
I found my answer. They are counterweights which offset the weight of the pistons for balancing. And the piston attachments are called pins, or rod journals.
Quote from: gumpy on November 22, 2011, 09:33:22 PM(snip) After he machined the crankshaft, why did he flatten the pieces next to where each piston attaches (what's the proper name for that piece?)
I'm sure someone knows why that's done.
I found my answer. They are counterweights which offset the weight of the pistons for balancing. And the piston attachments are called pins, or rod journals.
Back when I worked for Norton motorcycles, we called those "crank cheeks". I'm not sure that they'd be called by anyone who knows about engineering from later than the 19th Century, though. And only 2 valves per cylindro??? What a wimp!
Thanks for posting that video Craig! That was about the coolest video I've seen in awhile.
Appears to be a two stroke diesel, though. Am I right?
So is this a 12V05 Detroit?
I was thinking 12v01
Very cool and nice attention to detail.
Looks to me like he's running it on compressed air.
Bob
I have a friend who has to remain nameless ::) that was part of a project that built a ceramic ICE that developed 250 hp with immeasurable heat rejection and could be held in the palm of your hand - makes you wonder :o
Its a 4 stroke but does look air driven
There are a few 12 cyl engines on youtube that actually run on fuel and spark
Yes, this is impressive but by no means state-of-the-art model engineering. There are indeed fully working examples out there, including one (a V12 also I think) I've seen that is about the same scale as this one, but is fitted into an entire scratch-built Ferrari (one of the '60s Le Mans racers from memory). Not only is it a fully-working spark-ignition engine, but it attached to a fully operational gearbox, and the entire rest of the car.
Jeremy
Maybe he made it using this:
http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/jordan.htm (http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/jordan.htm)
Just like mine, only littler...
Brian
I wonder if anyone has built a miniature 2-stroke Detroit? Or how about a miniature Napier Deltic - 18 cylinders, 36 pistons, 3 crankshafts (one counter-rotating!), but not a single valve. If he made a mini-Detroit, how would he make it leak oil and smoke?
Seriously, that's an exquisite example of workmanship. Wow!
John
I'd like to get a large scale Wankle engine for my bus! Wonder if a Wankel will run on diesel?
If the lobes and combustion chambers could be shaped to produce enough compression ratio, why not? However, lobe tip seals may be an insurmountable problem with Compression-Ignition pressures - look at the problems NSU and Mazda had to make them seal for gasoline Wankels. Didn't Rolls-Royce try to develop a multi-fuel Wankel for military use?
I suppose a Wankel is a no-stroke engine?
If I eat too much turkey tomorrow, even I'll be doing Suck/Squeeze/Bang/Blow.
John
http://www.der-wankelmotor.de/Motoren/Rolls-Royce/rolls-royce.html (http://www.der-wankelmotor.de/Motoren/Rolls-Royce/rolls-royce.html)
The R6 version made 350 HP at 4500 RPM. They don't quote torque, but I'm guessing Wankels are low there. The stated fuel consumption at 2500 to 3500 RPM is 161 grams per HP per hour. That seems high - about 17 gallons per hour, under full load?
Too bad that even Mazda seems to be giving up with their Wankels. On paper this design has everything going for it.
John
Wow :o Horas de trabajo 1260. 1260 hours of labor. It took a long time to do that, and all in his kitchen, too. Very impressive.
Quote from: niles500 on November 23, 2011, 10:11:41 AM
http://www.der-wankelmotor.de/Motoren/Rolls-Royce/rolls-royce.html (http://www.der-wankelmotor.de/Motoren/Rolls-Royce/rolls-royce.html)
Yeah, the Wankel epithrochoid compression system has a maximum compression of about 7:1 so it would not appear to work as a diesel engine but the Rolls-Royce engine (pictured) and a similar Curtiss-Wright engine were "compound" engines. An ordinary Wankel three-corner rotor first compresses the air about 6:1 acting like a supercharger; the output is then ported into the main engine epithrocoid rotor and cylinder block where it's further compressed and fuel is injected. So you get a Wankel diesel. But it's big, heavy complicated engine -- which negates a Wankel's advantages of being small, light, and simple.