Engine Design

Want to see our designs and make them yourself?

Goal

Our goal was to determine the functional requirements of a pneumatic engine such that it could be easily machined in the Cooper Union Machine shop and built to power a small wheel. The engine needed to have demonstrated the engineering design process and should transcend our class and hopefully be the design that all Mechanical Engineering Students build in the required course EID103.

(See our other video here: https://youtu.be/nLpsUUzOHqI)

Process and Methods

In order to understand how different types of engine work and how they power various mechinacal systems, we prototype different engines and analyze the 4-step stroke system in the engine - intake , compression, power, and exhaust - in action. After simulating each design with CAD programs, we use 3D printers to print them and machine parts for the final assembly.

Current Status

Up until now, we have successfully made a sterling engine and have created numerous prototypes of pneumatic and twin-cylinder wobbler engines in SolidWorks. The stirling engine is powered by a heat gun and provides torque to rotate a small wheel using a glass syringe.

We have chosen the final design of the engine to be a pneumatic engine based on simulations and have finished machining the engine completely.

Engine Team: TK Lee and Nikhil Iyengar