Things made of Lego they never intended.
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| Here is an electricity generating turbine that (except for the LED) is 100% LEGO, just like the rest of my engines! |
Lego turbine generator lighting an LED
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Here you can see the action! Running on a vacuum, this engine probably
does about 400 rpm. There are some gif animations and audio files that
you can view!
The engine can start from any position of the crankshaft.
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Two-cylinder lego engine runs on vacuum
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Here's a complete construction sequence for a LEGO
engine. This is a real smooth runner, and being double acting, it can
start from almost any degree of the crankshaft's rotation. I wish I had
the LEGO rpm sensor to test it for sure, but from the sound it makes,
my guess is that it reaches 700 rpm under full (and I do mean full)
'steam.'
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The double-acting 4x4 single cylinder steam engine
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| Building a working model of a steam engine out of Lego wasn't easy. I
built my first engine when I was 15, (that's been quite a few years
ago) and still learning this! Building a solid structure, keeping
friction down, and keeping things balanced are important in the design.
I found that the engine's rpm improves with a design that allows air to
escape during the exhaust stroke. |
Single acting one cylinder
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It's been a lot of fun over the years building better and better
engines. It seems the main challenge in building these engines is
keeping the friction down. Simplicity is also a big plus, and building
the engine's base solidly also goes a long way. And of course, the
square piston runs in a square cylinder!
All of the engines I've built are the oscillating cylinder type.
This one I built to sell in kit form.
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The all new mini one-lung engine
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