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MarkG

Anyone seen this yet? A very sophisticated project. I don't see much potential for the design, but there some aspects that are interesting.

Marcin

Amazing work - we have considered the solenoid-controlled steam inlet cutoff and concluded that would be challenging due to the response time of the solenoid at higher RPM - but this guy seems to be doing it effortlessly. We should work with this guy - this is definitely relevant to our work on the modern steam engine. The uniflow design constitutes a modern design. This one appears to have a bump valve assisted by a solenoid for timing. I would like to see if this works with larger scale models, where heat would be an issue for the solenoid.

Coloredcoat

Heat can easily be isolated from a solenoid if designed right. Also, electronically speaking, controlling anything mechanical is relatively easy from an electronics perspective. The micro circuitry for this sort of controller is waiting most of the time before acting on pre-set parameters. A micro-second is a long time to a system that deals in speed of light response ability.

The disadvantages of steam power are still the same with this concept engine, regardless of the electronics controlling the inlet valve duration. I have yet to see anyone who wants the limitations of steam power for anything other than toys, grid power, or museum demonstrations. Small scale steam wasn't competitive in the late 1800s when the diesel cycle was invented.

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