Free Design programs?

[88FieroGT]

I pretty much cant ask questions about my design without giving anything away. But as far as modeling/ construction techniques and how to's definitely can ask questions about that.

My biggest concern is engaging wear , big downward spiral on my design if it cant hold I see the motor being completely destroyed. But the advantage is with more mechanical advantage the motor revs at lower rpm for the same hp so that wear will be reduced exponentially......At the peak stresses , that is where there is the least contact area. I am unsure if I can overcome this with more robustness and keep timing from going completely out of whack and make it so it will not being able to be regulated and if that extra robustness will just exponentially create more stress to where the design cannot work or create too much inefficiency.
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If I make a model out of wood , I need a way to test it , assuming my best options is on the crankshaft with an electric motor for the input and measure the output , plot and graph a bunch of points and compare. This way would incorporate all the same friction as making the input force on the piston face vs on the crankshaft because everything is still moving , while having an easier and cheaper test method. Since the piston face would need an actuator with a timed event. While the electric motor can have a constant run since the crankshaft pretty much always rotates at the same rpm acting as a flywheel unlike the pistons with their full accel and decel , So as long as each model has as best possible tolerances to each other as possible to make them run as smooth as I can get them. Using a fully balanced engine design or as balanced as possible greatly helps here , especially with subpar testing , materials and manufacturing I imagine I should be able to do the test and make the models out of wood. I will do the test free flowing , as far as no heads to minimize pumping losses since the electric motor input mimics a constant air/fuel mixture and volume , Even though pumping losses will still exist , I suspect it will give me a more better reading on the engine efficiency.

How I think I should measure the outputs is , since electric motor efficiency changes from rpm to rpm , run each engine at the same rpm , and measure its amp draw. That way I can compare the amp difference from one motor to the other giving me an efficiency reading. Do this for various rpms , I could then measure the amp draw of the electric motor not being hooked to the engine. Then if there are any specs for the electric motor as far as what its efficiency ratings are at each rpm , do a little math , and calculate what the efficiency of each engine is at a given rpm.

My question is does anybody see any improvements in testing methods? On either making the testing easier , suggestions , and problems or overlooks I have? along with a discussion on them so I can know exactly why it is a problem and why to use a different method?

[88FieroGT]

I might post this in the hybrid area like you suggest will probably get more input

[Smurf]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Thumbs up on Sketchup. It would have been my next suggestion, but the .obj export is kind of 'sketchy' [yuck yuck] for my purposes. I do like that you can snap protractors onto a face to read angles in Sketchup, though.

File>Export>3D Object. You can export as .3DS or several other formats for Falcon or other use.

[88FieroGT]

I have a secondary idea , hopefully can impliment into this one without adding to but just modifying ...but ill do that after this one is done. its killing me to no be able to talk about them I really want to be able to bounce information and ideas back and forth.

Thanks I will look into the sketchup stuff , and exporting. Eventually but right now its 11pm and I didnt workout today instead I was installing parts back on my car that I took off to add a heatsink to.

[freebeard]

I have a secondary idea , hopefully can impliment into this one without adding to but just modifying ...but ill do that after this one is done. its killing me to no be able to talk about them I really want to be able to bounce information and ideas back and forth.

I hope I didn't make you more paranoid with the 'ixnay' part, I just wanted to use the word.

One reason to open up a bit about it is the possibility you will find that it already been done, saving yourself a lot of work.

An example of what's possible through on-line open source collaboration is www.localmotors.com. They are mostly working with whole vehicles; their first success was the Rallyfighter, but they gave out $6000 in prize money for designing a door handle for the Edison 2 VLC. They have Seimens Solid Edge CAD software priced from Free 30-day trial to $300 for the top package.

[88FieroGT]

I found an old video that shows a bunch of mechanisms as a tribute , and its in there , but not in an engine , it just shows the free movement which turns out is exactly the same thing I need to put the an engine just bigger and designed to work with the bore and stroke. So as far as being used in an engine I cant find any documentation or proof. But I know the component already exists. So whether or not it will interfere with me being able to patent it for this use after a working version is made ,I'll just have to see how that goes , worse comes to worse ill have it for my personal vehicle unless im ordered to not be able to use it. I dont know what type of name the patent would be under if there is an existing one , so hard to search , reason not on vehicles now could be there is no patent and just isnt designed to work for one yet or the patent is taken and just sitting , unused , unsold.

Nah I am trying to be as secretive as I can be already regardless of the word , I am already changing the way I word things to prevent a slip.. I just never heard of the word

[freebeard]

Maybe you could find something in here:

Unusual Internal-Combustion Engines

[88FieroGT]

I looked through every engine design there , nothing

I need to see about getting on the ball with making a prototype , just dont have the tools or really room to store them. *sigh* it would be so nice if legos somehow could make my engine if they supplied these other components. Then just compare two lego motors lol.

[freebeard]

I looked through every engine design there , nothing

That's a good thing, the link served it's purpose. Put them all inside your laptop, it's already taking up space.

I haven't got a lot else to add.

[88FieroGT]

So far it seems like no documented engine has been made with my design , I decided making out of wood , would be my easiest option. It would be nice to work with a bandsaw and a drill press but I can take my time and hopefully get good enough results with a jigsaw and a cordless drill. file as needed , and hopefully have working prototype just need to figure out dimensions for equal displacement for the test comparison engine since component ratios are different.

You were a huge help and as soon as I start making progress , i'll post my findings and results.