Air Compressor Pump

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February 22nd, 2007 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

Air Compressor pump
Would it be possible to turn an air Compressor Pump into a steam engine?

I have been thinking about making a steam engine, but i dont feel up to doing the general engineering, bore, piston, rings, lube system etc, i read an article on the net about turning a car a/c comp into a steam engine but it wasn't a great article, then i figured a normal compressor would probably be better, any ideas?

It will depend upon the type of compressor. A typical Automotive A/C compressor is a rotary vane while a home air compressor is reciprocating.

A rotary vane compressor would work where gas(steam) entering under pressure would push against a vane. As the shaft rotates, another vane is brought into position as the gas(steam) makes its way to the exhaust.

A reciprocating air compressor would not work. Normally a motor drives the piston up and down causing air to be drawn in and compressed to the outlet. The valves are located on one side of the piston.

For a reciprocating piston to be driven by steam you would have to apply steam to one side of the piston then the other as the piston reaches the ends of the stroke. On a steam engine this is done with a shuttle valve that redirects the steam and exhaust from alternating ends of the piston. The shuttle or slide valve is operated with a linkage that is connected to a cross-head attached to the piston rod.

The output from a rotary vane engine would be smoother compared to a reciprocating engine. A reciprocating engine will produce a pulsating power output as the piston reaches the ends of the stroke there is a noticeable delay. To smooth the rotary power from the crankshaft you would need a flywheel.