The term "steam engine" often evokes the image of a steam locomotive or Stanley Steamer cars, but these types of machines have many other uses besides transportation. Steam engines, which in their most rudimentary forms were first invented about two millennia ago, have become the main driving force over the past three centuries, with steam turbines currently producing over 80% of the world's needs. of electricity. In order to gain a greater understanding of the physical forces that come into play in a steam engine, you can build your own with common materials by following one of the methods described in this article! To get started, start reading the following steps.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Build a Steam Engine with a Can (for Kids)
Step 1. Cut an aluminum can about 6.5 cm
Use a tin cutter or a pair of shop scissors to make a clean horizontal cut about 1/3 from the base of the can.
Step 2. With a pair of pliers, fold and squeeze the edge
To hide the sharp edge of the can, fold it over on itself. Be careful not to cut yourself.
Step 3. The bottom of the can needs to be pushed out to flatten it
Most cans have a circular base that is convex towards the inside of the can. Push it out to flatten it with your fingertips or using the bottom of a shot glass or small jar to make it smooth.
Step 4. About 1.3 cm from the top of the cut can, drill two holes opposite each other
You can use a sheet punch, or a nail and hammer. You will need to make two holes that are slightly larger than 3mm in diameter.
Step 5. Place a tea candle in the center of the can
Crumple up some tinfoil and place it all around and under the candle to hold it in place. Tea candles are usually contained in small tin cans, so the melting wax should not leak into the aluminum can.
Step 6. Around a pencil, wrap the central part of a small copper tube 15 to 20 cm long 2 or 3 times to obtain a kind of coil
A 3mm diameter copper tube bends easily around the pencil. It is necessary to have a coil long enough to pass over the entire diameter of the can, plus another 5 cm on each side.
Step 7. Thread the ends of the tube through the holes you made in the can
Center the coil over the candle wick. Try to let the tube come out roughly the same length from both sides of the can.
Step 8. With a pair of pliers bend the ends of the tube 90 degrees
You need to bend the end that has remained straight, so that the two ends point in opposite directions. Then fold them again to fit under the base of the can. Eventually you should have the part of the tube bent into a serpentine that remains above the candle, and then extends down the sides of the can with two opposing nozzles.
Step 9. Place the can in a container filled with water with the ends of the tube submerged
This kind of "little boat" should float calmly. If the ends of the tube are not fully submerged, try increasing the weight of the can slightly, but being careful not to sink it.
Step 10. Fill the tube with water
The easiest way to do this is by sticking one end into the water and sucking the other end like a straw. Otherwise, you can hold one end of the hose closed with your finger, and the other end is slipped under an open tap.
Step 11. Light the candle
The water in the tube should slowly heat up to a boil. As soon as it evaporates in the form of water vapor, it will begin to forcefully come out of the "nozzles" of the tube, pushing the can to rotate on itself inside the container.
Method 2 of 2: Build a Steam Engine with a Can of Paint (for Adults)
Step 1. Near the base of an approximately 3 liter tin of paint, cut a rectangular hole
On the side of the jar near the base draw a rectangle horizontally with sides measuring 15 x 5 cm.
Pay attention to the fact that for this paint can (and for the other one you will need later) you will need to make sure that it only contained latex paint or water-based paint, and that it has been thoroughly cleaned and washed with soap and water before you can use it
Step 2. Cut a piece of wire mesh approximately 12 x 24 cm in size
Fold it about 6 cm at both ends of the long side into a right angle. In this way a square "platform" of 12 x 12 cm per side is formed with two "feet" of 6 cm. Place the mesh inside the jar, with the "feet" facing down, and aligned with the edges of the hole in the jar.
Step 3. Make a series of holes along the perimeter of the lid
Eventually, it will be necessary to use charcoal to burn in the jar to get the heat needed to run the steam engine. If coal doesn't have a regular source of oxygen, it won't burn properly. Ensure proper ventilation by drilling a series of holes with a drill or punch in a semicircular pattern along the edge of the jar lid.
Ideally, these ventilation holes should have a diameter of approximately 1 cm
Step 4. Make a coil with a copper tube
Take a ductile copper tube about 6 m long and about 6 mm in diameter, and measure 30 cm from one end. Starting from this point, wind the tube in 5 coils with a diameter of about 12 cm. The rest of the tube is wound in 15 coils with a diameter of about 8 cm. There should be an approximately 20 cm piece of pipe left.
Step 5. Pass both ends of the tube through the ventilation holes
Then fold both ends so they are pointing up, and insert them into another hole in the jar lid. If you don't have enough tubing left, you may need to unroll one of the coils slightly.
Step 6. Insert the coil and coal into the jar
Place the coil over the mesh platform. Fill all the spaces in and around the coil with the charcoal blocks. Close the lid tightly.
Step 7. Drill holes in a smaller paint can to pass the copper pipe through
In the center of the lid of a 500 ml jar, make a hole of 1 cm in diameter. On the side of the jar make two holes of the same diameter: one near the base and one on the same vertical but close to the lid.
Step 8. Insert a capped plastic tube into the holes on the side of the jar
To punch holes in the center of two corks to size, use the ends of the copper tube. Insert a 10-inch piece of plastic tubing into one of the caps and a 10-cm piece into the other so that they are tight and watertight and just protrude on the other side of the caps. Insert the cork stopper with the longest tube into the hole you made at the bottom of the smaller jar, and the other stopper with the shorter piece of tube into the hole near the lid. Secure the tubes in the corks with zip ties.
Step 9. Connect the tubes of the large jar to the tubes of the small jar
Place the small jar on top of the large jar, with the tubes with the caps facing away from the ventilation holes. With a metallic adhesive tape, connect the tube that comes out of the lower cork to the copper tube that continues from the lower part of the coil. Then, in the same way, connect the tube that comes out of the top cap with the one that continues from the top of the coil.
Step 10. Run a copper tube inside a junction box
With a hammer and a screwdriver, remove the central part of a metal electrical junction box. Attach a wire clip for electrical cables to the box with the retaining ring inside. In the wire holder, pass 15 cm of a copper tube with a diameter of 1.3 cm, so that the tube protrudes a few centimeters below the hole in the junction box. Round off the edge of the inner end of the tube with a hammer. Insert this end of the tube into the hole made on the lid of the smaller jar.
Step 11. Insert a skewer into a wooden lath
Take a regular wooden barbecue skewer and thread it into a 1.5 cm long lath of hollow wood with a diameter of 1 cm. Place the strip with the skewer inside the copper tube in the junction box, with the skewer pointed upwards.
The skewer and strip will function as the "piston" of the engine when it is running. To make the piston movement more visible, a small paper "flag" can be attached to the top of the skewer
Step 12. Prepare the engine to start
Lift the junction box from the smaller jar and fill it with water, letting it flow into the coil, until the jar is 2/3 full. Check all connections for leaks and make sure all plugs are tight. Tightly close the lids of the two jars using a hammer. Replace the junction box in its place on top of the small jar.
Step 13. Start the engine
Crumple up some newspaper and tuck them under the net at the bottom of the large jar. When the charcoal has caught fire, let it burn for about 20-30 minutes. As the water in the coil warms up, steam should begin to build up in the top jar. When sufficient pressure is reached, the piston skewer is pushed upwards. Once enough pressure has been released, the piston is pulled back by gravity. If necessary, a few pieces of the skewer can be cut to reduce the weight of the piston - the lighter it is, the thicker it rises. Try cutting the skewer to reduce it to such a weight that the piston moves with a constant frequency.
The speed of the combustion process can be increased by using a hair dryer to pump air through the ventilation holes
Step 14. Don't neglect safety
It probably goes without saying that the operation of this DIY steam engine needs due attention. It should never be turned on indoors. Never go in the vicinity of flammable materials such as dry leaves or tree branches. Only light it on a sturdy, non-flammable surface, such as concrete. If there are children nearby, make sure there is an adult to keep an eye on them. Do not allow children to approach while the coal is still burning. If you have no idea what temperatures the engine can reach, consider that it is too hot to touch without getting burned.
Also, make sure that the steam can escape from the "boiler". If the piston becomes jammed for any reason, the pressure in the top can increases dramatically. At worst it could explode, and it would very dangerous.
Advice
Put the steam engine in a plastic boat, with the ends of the tubes facing out in the back, and you have a steam toy. A very simple boat can be cut out of an old plastic bottle of a soft drink or detergent, in order to make the project "eco-sustainable"
Warnings
- While the engine is running, if you need to move it, use a pair of tongs, tongs, or an oven mitt.
- If you are not sure how to build it, do not try to make a steam engine with a boiler that is more complex than the one illustrated above. The explosion of a boiler, even a miniature one, can lead to serious injuries.
- If you need to move the engine while it is running, be careful not to point the ends of the hoses towards people, as they could get burned by the steam or boiling water.
- Under no circumstances should copper pipes be plugged; you can only immerse the ends in water. Otherwise, the high pressure could burst the hose resulting in potential serious injury.
