Unique Solenoid Engine - Curved Spoke Flywheel

[cfellows]

Give it some legs and a battery, it might be able to walk around the room....

Interesting idea, watching along here too.   

Yeah, I guess it does have the look of the beginnings of a multilegged robot...

Thanks, Don, Brian.  I've been deciding where to put the microswitches that will control the solenoids.  I've decided on the face of the engine, behind the flywheel since there isn't much room on the solenoid side.

The micro switches are .5" x .25" x .25" and are single pole, double through.  So each one will direct current to one solenoid or the other in teeter-totter fashion.

[cfellows]

I wanted to show off a little my progress in learning Fusion 360.  Here is the drawing of my latest version...



First, instead of redrawing the curved spoke flywheel from scratch, I was able to import the DXF file that I created from Visio where I had drawn it to begin with.  It's the same DXF file that I had used in CamBam to create the g-code used by Mach3 to cut the flywheel.  After importing the 2D DXF drawing into Fusion 360, it was a simple matter to extrude the various elements to the correct thickness.

Also, I figured out how to change the materials  of the various components.  It was a simple matter to select brass for the flywheel, aluminum for the frame, black plastic for the micro switches, and steel for the remaining parts.

[bruedney]

Hi Chuck

I was inspired by your flywheel and did my own rework. Here is the result in Cast Iron

Regards

[cfellows]

Nice, bruedney, did you use CNC or did you do it manually with a fixture?

Chuck

[bruedney]

CNC - about 1 hr to ensure nothing was going hit the clamps and about 45min cutting time

[cfellows]

After another fruitless day with the horizontal twin valves, I returned to the solenoid engine, hoping to accomplish something that actually worked.  I made one of the rocker arms, starting with 3/16" thick x 1" wide steel.  The bar on the right is what it looked like going to the lathe and the part on the left is what emerged...



Here are the parts super imposed.



And here's what the rocker arm will look like on the engine.



The rectangular cross piece is 1" long, 3/16" wide, and 3/32" thick.  The shaft is 1/8" diameter x .613" long.  The holes in the yoke at the end of the solenoid plunger are 5/64" diameter.  I'll likely use roll pins to hold the rocker to the plungers.

It turned out pretty good so, tomorrow, I'll make a second one for the other end.

Chuck

[cfellows]

Finally settled on the design for the linkage from the solenoids to the crankshaft and started making chips.  Here are some pictures of the rocker arms...







And here is the engine with the primary arms installed...



Next will be the secondary arms that connect to the crankshaft.

Chuck

[crueby]

Looking fine! Going to be interesting to watch it run. Will there be a way to regulate speed, or will that be a function of the solenoids picked. Never played with them, do solenoids change travel speed with voltage changes?

Also, Are you going to be able to run this with power from another engine powering a generator? That would be fun.

[zeeprogrammer]

Also, Are you going to be able to run this with power from another engine powering a generator? That would be fun.

Cool idea!

[cfellows]

Looking fine! Going to be interesting to watch it run. Will there be a way to regulate speed, or will that be a function of the solenoids picked. Never played with them, do solenoids change travel speed with voltage changes?

Also, Are you going to be able to run this with power from another engine powering a generator? That would be fun.

Most solenoid engines will run faster as you increase the voltage.  It's really the amount of current that determines the speed but increasing the voltage normally also increases the current.

You could run the engine from a generator driven by another engine as long as the generator had the right voltage.  The solenoids I'm using are rated at 24 volts, but could be run at high voltages since their operation is intermittent.

[Don1966]

Looking good Chuck I hope to see a runner soon....... if I remember right you mention that these were push solenoid so not pull right?

Don

[cfellows]

Looking good Chuck I hope to see a runner soon....... if I remember right you mention that these were push solenoid so not pull right?

Don

Yep...

[Alan Haisley]

Chuck,
Your builds are always fun to watch. Where did you source the solenoids?
Alan

[cfellows]

Chuck,
Your builds are always fun to watch. Where did you source the solenoids?
Alan

Thanks, Alan.  I picked the solenoids up on Ebay several years ago.  I have a shoebox full of different types of solenoids that I hope to use eventually.

Chuck

[cfellows]

Today I got the linkages all finished and installed.  Here is a short video showing how the whole thing moves and works.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP9Uh2zwypo" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP9Uh2zwypo</a>

Now I have to make and install the cam, install the switches and get it all wired up.  Guess I should also make a base for it...

Chuck