Lego triple expansion steam engine;

December 21, 2007. This month, I have tried to convert the reversible steam engine into a machine that looks like a triple expansion steam engine with reverse bars. This machine does not work yet, but it looks nice.

There are many photographs and descriptions of these machines available on the internet. A search in Google images with the keyword "triple expansion" will lead to pictures of real engines for marine ships and pumping stations, models of such engines, and very nice models made from Meccano!

 

In order to get a better understanding of the machine, the reader is strongly recommended to read the pages about my previously built engines.
Oktober 2005 Lego pneumatic engine , reversible LPE	February 2006 Vacuum cleaner powered 2 cylinder engine	May 2007 LEGO train steam engine with reverse bar	December 2007 Lego reversible steam engine simulator powerd with a vacuum cleaner

 

 

 

 

By shifting the crown gears on the central axis, it is possible to change the phase shifts between the pistons. It is also possible to inactivate 1 or 3 cylinders. In this way , and by blocking the airflow to inactivated cylinders, I could test each cylinder separately. Each cylinder worked very well, but the combination doesn't work :-( I assume that there is to much leakage of air.