Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Mechanic
The se-saw logic of eliminating the cost of accelerating and decelerating reciprocating masses, is something I would tend to believe would make Newton laugh out loud.
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Actually a se-saw is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. One kid pushes up send the other down, no laws of physics broken and no measurable inefficiency in the mechanical linkage (the plank).
Yes a se-saw is a lever and yes a crank is also a lever that is able rotate
In situations when you have few pistons or only one, a fly wheel becomes increasingly necessarily as stored energy is needed to change the direction of the piston.
What I'm talking about doesn't break the laws of physics but upholds it. You have to ask your self when the piston is decelerating where does the energy go, because the laws of physics doesn't let it disappear. To find out you simply have to look at what is resisting its inertia. If its some hind of friction loss that's stopping the piston then yes the energy is wasted as heat but that's not the case, its simply changed into rotational momentum via the con rod and crank, and same rotational momentum will be used for accelerating the piston or the other pistons.