How to Build a Jet Engine!

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I'm a Mechanical Engineer who has been a part of this community for over 10 years! My interests hav… More »

I have wanted to build a functioning, jet turbine engine for quite a long time. To me, there's something awesome about the way in which so
many different aspects of a jet engine come together to make a functioning unit, that is able to propel massive objects into the sky. I actually
tried to make a jet engine out of tin cans years ago! It was one of my first instructables: https://www.instructables.com/id/The-Recycled-Jet-
Engine/. Perhaps one of the biggest lessons from that project, was that jet engines shouldn't be made out of tin cans.

This past summer, I had the opportunity of a lifetime to be accepted as an Artist in Residence at Instructables. With all of the new resources I
knew I'd have available, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try to do a massive project, something that I knew I wouldn't be able
to do at home. I knew I had to try to make a functioning jet engine, like I've always wanted to, but knew I didn't have the resources to do so. I
poured all of my efforts into the project, and learned so much by doing it.

With that said, I'd suggest you grab a beverage if you intend to read all the way through. The actual complexity of this project didn't hit me until
I was discussing it at my final Artist in Residence presentation. To read more about my AiR experience, feel free to check out my forum post
here: https://www.instructables.com/community/Fozzy13s-AiR-Experience/

Step 1: Testing - Video

Testing was difficult to actually do. I just performed the first round of testing, and didn't exactly get the results I wanted. That said, I filmed most
of the first round of testing in eight inches of snow, so I think some credit should be granted. Further testing will be done when I'm not away at
school, because jet engine testing isn't exactly possible on campus.

The engine naturally wanted to run backwards, and so in these tests, I let it run that way. In the next round of testing, hopefully with some dry
conditions, I hope to have a larger air supply to help force the compressor into functioning better than it did in this first round. That said, the
engine did in fact propel itself during short portions of my testing, even if it isn't completely obvious in this test.

Handmade Jet Engine First Test Run | FozzTech

Handmade Jet Engine Second Test Run | FozzTech

Following

Step 2: Theory of Operation: How a Jet Engine Works

 0:03 / 0:20

Projects
Before oneback
being build a jet engine, it's important to first know how a jet engine works. Luckily, the internet is a fantastic resource for this sort
Allone
of thing, and Projects
can spend hours researching and watching YouTube videos on how they work, and different homemade versions that people
Circuits
are showing off.
back
All
Let's break everything down simply before we proceed.
Apple
1. Intake: TheArduino
"compressor/intake turbine/intake fan" pushes and compresses air into the engine.
Art The air flows past the "flame tube/flame holder", mixing with the fuel. The fuel/air mixture is then ignited and burned.
2. Mix and Burn:
Assistive
3. Exhaust: The burnedTech
fuel and air moves out the back of the engine, and forces the "exhaust turbine/exhaust fan" to spin. This in turn
rotates theAudio
shaft, which causes the intake turbine to continue to spin, and continue the cycle.
Cameras
Simple, right? I made
Clocksup an animation to help visualize the whole thing. It's a .gif. If it's not moving, click HERE!
Computers
The first place I Electronics
started when I first became curious about jet engines was HowStuffWorks, so I'd like to direct your attention to their article
here: http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/turbine.htm
Gadgets
Lasers
LEDs
Step 3: Working Linux
Design/Overview
Microcontrollers
Microsoft
 Mobile
Raspberry Pi
Remote Control
Reuse
Robots
Sensors
Software
Soldering
Speakers
Tools
USB
Wearables
The following explains
Websites the different components of the jet engine I built. Consider this applying what we learned about how a jet engine works
in the previous step,
Workshop to the more specific design of what we'll actually be making.
Wireless
back
Intake: I chose
All a centrifugal compressor for my intake compressor. A centrifugal compressor sucks air in from its center and forces it to its
outside edge.3D IDesign
chose this type of compressor because this would allow me to place my flame tubes on the outside of the engine, and keep
the heat of3D combustion
Printing away from the shaft of the engine. Keeping heat away from moving parts as much as possible will keep the engine
running longer
Cars and safer (hopefully). Additionally, I knew that I could find a centrifugal compressor in a vacuum cleaner motor, so that
was one part CNCI wouldn't have to make.
Don't knowElectric
what aVehicles
centrifugal compressor is? Check out THIS, or THIS.
Mix and Burn:Energy Using propane as our fuel of choice will make mixing with air extremely easy, since it's a gas at room temperature.
Therefore,Furniture
the fuel will not have to be atomized before burning, as with liquid fuels. Tungsten spark plugs are used to ignite the fuel. The
idea is to light
Home theImprovement
fuel, and have a sustained flame within the engine.
Exhaust: The Homeexhaust turbine was cut using the Omax water-jet cutter at the shop. I decided that this would be the easiest way to get the
Theater
most perfectly symmetrical turbine possible, and be able to make it to fit the rest of the body of the engine.
Hydroponics
Knives
Laser Cutting
As an overview,Lighting
here are some things to keep in mind while we set forth on this adventure of building together.
Metalworking
Most, if not all, of the cutting for this project was done on a vertical band saw, with cutting fluid.
Molds & Casting
Most, if not all, of the drilling was done using a drill press, where holes were marked, struck with a hammer and nail to form a dent, and
Motorcycles
then drilled.
Organizing
All welding was done using a TIG welder. I was fortunate enough to have an experienced metalworker and previous AiR,
Pallets
sheetmetalalchemist, teach me TIG welding. I am eternally grateful.
Repair
All metal used in this project unless specified otherwise is Stainless Steel 316
Science
WHY: When researching the various grades of stainless for this project, and the different ballpark temperature estimates for jet
Shelves
engines, all the numbers looked like NO grade of stainless steel would be able to withstand the heat generated by a jet engine.
Solar
Therefore, I chose 316, because it has a nice balance of a lot of different properties, was available in a lot of different shapes and
Tools
sizes, and I had worked with it in small amounts in previous project
Woodworking
Workbenches
Step 4: Main Ingredients
This step is titled "Main Ingredients", because as I keep reading and writing Instructables, a full, detailed, list of materials seems somewhat
redundant. Therefore, here are main components that were used in making the jet engine.
Craft
back motor fan, 4.7835" diameter
Vacuum cleaner
All square tubing 1.5" diameter, 2 feet long
Stainless steel
Art square tubing 1" diameter, 2 feet long
Stainless steel
Books
Stainless steel & Journals
plate 6"x6"x1/8"
Cardboard
Stainless steel plate 12"x12"x1/16"
Cards
Stainless steel plate 12"x12"x3/32"
Claybar 1" wide 6ft. long
Stainless steel
Costumes
5/16" diameter & Cosplay
stainless steel threaded rod, bolts, washers, lock washers.
Digital
5/8" diameter 12" Graphics
long round stainless steel bar stock
DuctI bought
Ball bearings. Tape two sets, as close to the appropriate size as possible.
Three spark Embroidery
plugs
Coleman campFashion
stove propane and regulator
A variety ofFelt
plumbing adapters, see step
Fiber
5/8" diameter Artstubing
vinyl
Gift Wrapping
5/8" hose clamps
Stun gun Jewelry
Knitting & Crochet
Alligator clips/wire
Leather
Mason Jars
-copper tubing. No-Sew
-stun guns/sparkPaper
generator
-propane source. Parties & Weddings
regulator?
Photographysilicone stuff for in between joints
-probably high temperature
-3 brass barb tees Printmaking
-3 spark plugs Reuse
-silicone tubing Sewing
Soapmaking
Wallets
Step 5: Flame Tubes Pt. 1: Taper

Cooking
 back
All
Bacon
BBQ & Grilling
Beverages
Bread
Breakfast
Cake
Candy
Canning & Preserving
Cocktails & Mocktails
Coffee
The Flame Tubes are made primarily using 1/5" diameter and 1" diameter stainless steel square tubing.
Cookies
Cupcakes
A 5" long sectionDessert
of 1.5" diameter stainless was cut, and each end had to be shaped differently. One end will need to be tapered, taken from a
larger diameterHomebrew
to a smaller diameter.
TAPER: Main Course
Pasta
Mark two lines
Pie one inch in length on the top of the piece, immediately next to the walls of the tube.
Mark two spots
Pizza toward the middle of the tube, so that the distance between them is one inch.
Cut along the two lines using the vertical band saw. Be sure to cut as close to the wall of the tubing as possible.
Salad
Cut a wedge shape out of the tubing on each side, but cutting from the two spots to the end of each cut line.
Sandwiches
Use needle-nose
Snacksvice grips, and any other means possible, to bend the cut sides toward the center of the tube.
& Appetizers
Once bent,Soups
use the& vertical
Stews band saw to trim away excess metal on each side. These will be triangle-shaped pieces similar to what we
marked onVegetarian
the top side.
& Vegan

In my turbine engine there will be three combustion chambers. These will be built and tested before anything else is done to make sure that the
core of the engine is working.
Living
1. Using a bigback
spinning wet circular saw thing, cut a 5" length of 1 1/2" diameter stainless steel square tube.
2. Make a cutAllat an angle on one end of the cut piece to form the angled end that will connect to the fan shroud.
3. Make 2-4 angled
Beautytriangle cuts on the other side of the tube to form the compression end of the tube.
4. Weld all the joints that were just cut.
Christmas
Cleaning
dfsdfds Decorating
Education
1. Cut a 5" length of 1" diameter stainless steel square tube.
Gardening
2. Use a drill press to drill holes for the fuel input and spark plug.
Halloween
3. Weld the section of 1" tube to the section of 1.5" square tube.
Health
dksfs Hiding Places
Holidays
Homesteading
1. Cut a 3" length of 5/8" stainless steel rod.
2. Orient the Kids
3" section vertically in a vise or clamp, and use a drill press with a 1/4" bit to drill all the way through the length of rod.
3. On one endKitchen
of the rod, use a 3/32" drill bit to drill multiple small holes horizontally through it.
4. Weld the 3"LEGO & K'NEX
section of stainless rod to square tubing in the fuel input hole.
Life Hacks
Test the flame tube
Musicby attaching the propane source to the fuel inlet. Turn on the gas and light the flame by hand. Use a shop vac or a small fan
to blow air into Office
the orifice
Supply
thatHacks
will later connect to the fan shroud.
Organizing
Pest Control
Step 6: Flame Pets
Tubes Pt. 2: Angle
Pranks, Tricks, & Humor
Relationships
Toys & Games
Travel
Video Games

Outside
back
All
Backyard
The other end ofBeach
the 1.5" diameter section needs to be closed off, at an angle to direct the air that will be flowing into the engine.
ANGLE Bikes
Birding
Mark two lines
Boats1.5" long on the top of the piece, immediately next to the walls of the tube.
Clamp the Camping
piece in a vice, and use a hacksaw to cut along the lines that were just marked. It is important here to cut through just the top
side of the Climbing
tube, not also through the bottom. This is why a hacksaw is used, and not the vertical band saw.
Use a vice, Fire
and carefully angle the piece that was just cut in it, so that the corner of the jaws of the vice will bend the cut section inward. I
was not able to bend the cut flap fully down to the bottom of the tube, but it was close enough to be welded in place.
Fishing
Use a vertical band saw to cut away excess metal surrounding the cut flap that was just bent downward.
Hunting
Kites
Knots
WELDING: Launchers
Even though all Paracord
the metal was bent into place as best as possible, a multitude of clamps had to be used to hold everything in place, and squish it
together to be welded.
RocketsThis was largely made up as I went along, and so I'd advice looking at the pictures.
Siege Engines
Step 7: Flame Skateboarding
Tubes Pt. 3: Burner
Snow
Sports
Survival
Water

Teachers
back
The first image ofAllthis step is a good picture of what we will make in this step.
ELA
Math
I used two one-foot long, one-inch diameter sections of square stainless steel tubing for the second half of the flame tube. These pieces are
Micro:bit
where the fuel will be ignited, burn, and be routed to the exhaust turbine.
Science
I decided that theSocial Studies
smaller diameter portion of each flame tube should be 5 inches long, like the former, but instead cut three 6" pieces. I decided
that cutting down Engineering
each completed flame tube to the appropriate size would be easier to do at the end, then try to make everything match up
MakeyMakey
perfectly after all of the cutting and welding was done.
- Coding
BURNER: Electronics
Robotics
Cut a 6-inchArduino
piece of 1" diameter stainless steel tubing.
CNC a 5/8" diameter hole for the fuel inlet. Mine was centered, 3/4" from the end of the tube that will be welded later to the
Mark and drill
tapered end Laser
of theCutting
1.5" diameter tube.
Mark, drill,3D
andPrinting
tap a 1/2" diameter hole for the spark plug. This hole was centered roughly 3/4" from the center of the hole for the fuel
inlet. 3D Design
Art
FUEL INLET: Music
Theatre
Using the vertical
Wood Shopbandsaw, cut three 3" sections of 5/8" diameter stainless steel rod.
Carefully affix
Metal each section in a vice, and use a drill press to drill a 3/8" diameter hole all the way through the length of the rod. This will
Shop
be no easyResources
task. Patience is key here, as is proper placement, and plenty of cutting fluid.
Use drill press andK-2
Grades vice again to drill many small holes, around 1/8" diameter through one end of the tube. This will help disperse the fuel
and air in the engine,
Grades 3-5 so that a sustained flame can be created. Many times, this is called a "flame holder". This again will not be easy, and
you may orGrades
may not 6-8break a lot of drill bits in the process.... (sorry). It would be a good idea to use some sandpaper to make the outer
surface of the rod 9-12
Grades rougher, to allow the drill bits to take hold.
This piece University+
will but pushed firmly into the 5/8" diameter hole that was drilled in the section of 1" diameter square tube.

Step 8: Flame Tubes Pt. 4: Welding/Finishing

Welding was done kind of as I went along, and so writing specific directions for this seems unnecessary. Welds should be placed:

Along all the seams that were made as different parts of the tube were cut and bent
Around the edge where the fuel inlet contacts the flame tube
Where the tapered 1.5" diameter square tube comes in contact with the 1" diameter tube

A multitude of clamps were used to push and squish everything where it needed to be in order to make all the welds possible. Referencing the
pictures is likely the best way to understand what I mean, and what might work best for your welding needs. Unsightly weld beads were
ground down using an angle grinder.

A 7/8" hole was drilled in the center of the 1.5" diameter tube close to the angled end.
The 1" diameter end will then need to be cut/ground so that the 7/8" diameter holes are all the same height if all of the tubes are standing up
next to each other.

Step 9: Build: Exhaust

The exhaust consists of an end plate, and two sections of bar stock bend into a circle, all welded together. The exhaust turbine goes inside of
that housing.

The end plate is made of 3/16" stainless steel plate. This was cut on the water-jet cutter in the Instructables shop, that way all the holes could be
perfectly spaced out along the outside. The three square holes needed to be 120° apart, where the exhaust will enter the exhaust turbine.
Because the water-jet cutting didn't turn out perfectly, a few weld beads needed to be placed on the inner circle, to allow the bearings to have a
tight fit.

A 6-foot long section of 1" wide bar stock was purchased, and bent into two large rings, using a combination of the metal bender in the shop, a
vice, and brute force. The appropriate perfect-circle-making metal bender was not available in the shop.

The exhaust turbine was cut using the Omax water-jet cutter at the shop, after being drawn in Inkscape. It was then placed in a vice, and vice
grips were used to carefully bend each blade to a 10° angle. A mark was drawn on the vice with marker to easily identify how far each blade
needed to be bent. Ideally, the exhaust gases would come into contact with the blades at a 90° angle. Because this isn't possible with our design,
the impact angle will be slightly wider.

Throughout this process, I kept checking to make sure everything fit appropriately. In the pictures you can see a piece of wood cut in the rough
shape of a turbine in place of the actual one. This was a test piece used for sizing, to avoid risk of damaging the actual turbine while lining
things up.

-
1. Inkscape is an open-source vector graphics creator. If you've heard of Adobe Illustrator, this is like a free version of that program. I'm using it
because it's free and available, but feel free to use your vector-graphics editor of choice. Inkscpae is able to save files in *.dxf, which is the
format the Omax wants.

Step 10: Build: Intake

The intake for the engine is probably the "least clean"/"most poorly planned" part of my project.

The original plan was to use the shroud from the vacuum cleaner motor to snap/bolt on to the engine. Due to the thin walls of the shroud, this
wasn't going to work. I was stuck, and kind of scrapped together a shroud using left over 1" bar stock from making the exhaust. The following
Contests for what I should have done from the start, and did some version of as I struggled to fix a flawed design.
are directions
Teachers

Use a laser cutter to mark a 6"x6" piece of stainless steel sheet.

Use a vertical band saw to cut out as much of the circle as possible, and use a vertical belt sander to smooth out the edges. This will make
our "intake plate, similar to the "end plate" in the last step.
Use a drill press and vice to drill a 3/4" circle out of the center of the piece. This is where the bearing will sit.
Align the flame tubes, intake plate, and end plate, all together, using the threaded rod that will become the shaft. Weld the intake plate to
the flame tubes.
Using a vertical band saw, cut three, 3-4" long pieces of 1" stainless bar stock.
Using a hammer and vice, bend each piece into an arch to match the circle of the intake plate as best as possible.
Place each piece on the engine in between each flame tube, and weld each in place.

If all of this is done. Flame tubes welded to the end plate and intake plate, you should have something resembling the last image, minus the
turbines.

Step 11: Finishing Pieces

Intake shroud pt. 2: Pictures 1-4

Using leftover sheet metal, cut out rectangles, arrange them with a hole in the center, and weld them together.
Weld three stainless steel nuts to the stainless bar stock portions of the intake shroud made in the last step.
Drill and tap three holes, aligned with the nuts, so that the sheet metal rectangle can be bolted on to the intake shroud from the last step.

Fuel fixture: Pictures 5-11

This will be used to disperse the propane to each of the three fuel inlets, on each of the three flame tubes, of the engine.

Drill a 3/8" hole through the center of left over 5/8" stainless rod.
Cut the rod into four pieces.
Drill two 5/8" holes in a small pieces of leftover 1" diameter stainless square tube.
Place a piece of the 5/8" rod in each end of the square tubing, and the two holes that were drilled.
Weld all the pieces in place

Step 12: Fuel System

We will use propane as our fuel source for the jet engine, as explained previously. The companies who make small propane bottles try really
hard to make sure you can't easily get to the wonderful flammable goodness, which makes this part challenging. I first bought a Coleman
propane stove regulator, so that I would be sure no propane would leak out of the adapter at the bottle.

The regulator came with a second valve built into the end of the regulator, which I decided to use as a sort of on/off valve. This was
accomplished by bending brass rod into strange shapes, and forming a sort of hook-and-latch assembly to slide into the end of the regulator
and push the built-in valve open. This involved drilling through the end of a brass elbow, and using epoxy to affix a small piece of brass tube in
place so that a gas-tight, yet slideable junction was made.

A variety of plumbing adapters were then used, and epoxied together liberally to form a system of valves and fittings that would regulate the
flow of propane with no leaks, and end in a 5/8" hose barb adapter. This entire process was challenging, and there has to have been a better
way to do it, but this is what I made work.

Step 13: Electrical System

The "electrical system" of this project is hardly of note. I chose to use an inexpensive stun gun to generate the sparks for the spark plugs to light
the fuel inside the engine. Alligator clips were used to connect the output terminals of the stun gun to the connections for the spark plugs.
Because the gap of the spark plug is shorter than that of the stun gun, the spark will chose the path of least resistance at the spark plug. The
flow of the burning fuel will allow other flame tubes to ignite once the first one is successfully lit.
Step 14: Conclusion

This project as mildly successful. I'd like to reiterate that this by completing this project, I learned a great deal, and it was incredible to have the
opportunity to do so. Some things I would have done differently are as follows:

Math!: Truth is, a great deal of more calculations and measurements probably should have been done before building began. I should
have approached this project less as an artist and more as an engineer.
CAD: For the most part, the extent of my design was done with pencil and paper, and I went ahead and attached my drawings. I reached a
certain point in the project where I looked back and it seemed silly why I didn't take the time to learn some AutoCAD to improve the
overall quality of my project, and help avoid some bumps I experienced during the build.

More things will be added as I think of them, as well as improvements that have been made.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave a comment, rate this Instructable, and/or subscribe. Getting feedback on my projects is always
motivation to keep building and publishing. Thanks!

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83 Comments

Kennmar8283 a year ago

I'm no expert but I have done a lot of reading on the topic (as well as in the process of building my
own) and roughly 80% of thrust in an axial turbine comes from the air moving around the
combustion chamber/s, in a housed jet engine. As you already know, the purpose of the combustion
chambers is to take the compressed air, mix it w fuel and you are left with a force that turns the rear
blades, in turn exerting the energy through the stator to start the process all over again in the front.
So the front fan blades are turned at a faster and faster pace (Depending on how much fuel of
course) so not only is the air compressed into the comb chambers but it is compressed around them
too as it flows through the narrowing spaces between the comb chambers and the engine housing,
producing around 80% of the thrust out of the rear, if all is calculated correctly. Just my two cents
but I really like your project! Wish I had the resources you do! Kudos to you and keep at it, you have
the makings for something great! And thank you so much for sharing your process and final piece!
Inspiring!

Reply

shinehtetaung 8 years ago

please language change to myanmar

Reply

1 reply

BecooL1 6 years ago

Hi my friend you should try to enter the air from the other entry and you have to check if there is air
leaks
You did a great job and you have nice ideas you are so smart I think you have the big fan is shaking
you just have to check it please my friend

ByteScout BarCode Reader.lnk

Reply

guds777 6 years ago

Did this ever work.

Reply

AbhilashM13 8 years ago

you could connect a motor to axle

Reply

rikkebobbie007 8 years ago

2 questions,
1. How light can this engine get?
2.What would be the maximum thrust posssible?

Reply

Gaige Kerns 8 years ago

So you look like you know a little. I´m 15, A DIY Engineer My self and want to submit somthing for a
scholarship science fair, I want to build my own jet engine, I had alot of questions I got answers to
on google and stuff, and I am to this: I am going to Get Sheet metal and Cut the propeller blades, then
Im going to build my combustion chamber using an old oil filter by taking out the part where its just
a tube with holes, Im going to enclose it with a can(like canned beans, that kind if can) then Iḿ going
to use a spark plug for ignition, and it will be ran on propane, I got the nozzle and hose off an old
grill. Iḿ going to get a gauge, and an open close nozzle to control the pressure. The axle will be A
threaded Rod. But I also Need Help as far as fastening the blades into place. Should I take a Bearing
and use bolts and put the bolts around the bearing? then I can just have something around the
bearing which will hold the whole thing in place.(Keep In mind I will have a bearing on each side.)
Because I am guessing that the air and combustion will keep the engine moving. I´ve been thinking
this up the past couple of days. s how does it sound and also I am clueless on an enclosure for it.

Get back to me whenever you can and help me please!!. Then I can make an instructable on this!!!
 Reply

2 replies

T0BY 9 years ago

This is very impressive, I want one!

Reply

BartholomewH 9 years ago

Now how awesome is that!!

Reply

JesseM2 9 years ago

I'm no expert but I have done a lot of reading on the topic (as well as in the process of building my
own) and roughly 80% of thrust in an axial turbine comes from the air moving around the
combustion chamber/s, in a housed jet engine. As you already know, the purpose of the combustion
chambers is to take the compressed air, mix it w fuel and you are left with a force that turns the rear
blades, in turn exerting the energy through the stator to start the process all over again in the front.
So the front fan blades are turned at a faster and faster pace (Depending on how much fuel of
course) so not only is the air compressed into the comb chambers but it is compressed around them
too as it flows through the narrowing spaces between the comb chambers and the engine housing,
producing around 80% of the thrust out of the rear, if all is calculated correctly. Just my two cents
but I really like your project! Wish I had the resources you do! Kudos to you and keep at it, you have
the makings for something great! And thank you so much for sharing your process and final piece!
Inspiring!

Reply

vtstruct 9 years ago

Kurt Schreckling made one of the first model working turbojet engines using a 3 tube design very
similar to this one in confguration. And it used plywood in the compressor stage housing, and a steel
aerosol spray can as a turbine housing. There is a photograph of this prototype in his book -- he
along with Thomas Kamps made great early contributions to model turbojet engines. So it is possible
to make working jet engines, as experimental devices with very limited materials and simple
designs. The point is not to necessarily to make an efficient engine in terms of performance, RPM,
power etc. But to make an engine that is efficient in terms of experience, learning, and experiment.
That certainly can be achieved without CAD, CNC, and Titanium necessarily. The intent here wasn't
to move 100 passengers at 600 mph. But to make a modest try at spinning a rotor through self-
sustaining link between a fan and a turbine. Good try, and don't get discouraged!
 Reply

JediDude6205 10 years ago

do you think this would work in a rocket? and how much newton thrust does the engine itself
produce + how much does it weigh?

Reply

2 replies

JediDude6205 10 years ago

About how much time did this take to assemble?

Reply

rimar2000 10 years ago

Very good work, congratulations.

Reply

1 reply

waldosan 10 years ago

just as a suggestion: if you look at diagrams of get engines as they are professionally made the
compression stage uses moving left handed blades and stationary right handed blades to form the
compression, basically something looking like this \ / the compression occurs when the moving blade
slides over the stationary blade. the stationary blade interferes with the forward moving current
causing it's direction to change from moving rotationally to moving forward.

just something you might think about if you're trying to increase compression, the trick might not be
to add another fan blade but might be to add a stator. also you're design is kind of funky having
three different flame tubes being fed by a centrifugal fan you might decrease the tolerances by
adding a stator and a sheath to keep the compressed air compressed.

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2 replies
 dsherman1 10 years ago

An easier shortcut would be to take automotive turbo chargers and superchargers to make your
routers and stators and shroud your combustion area to make an anular combustion chamber.

Reply

erronius 10 years ago

I'm certainly not an engineer, but if you are really going for the centrifugal compressor, why not cut
off your existing fan blades, mount radial blades on the remaining fan disk (maybe even spiral them
outward) and put a cowling (a plate with a hole in it) on the front to mitigate pressure loss? I've seen
electrical submersible water pumps designed in that manner (with water channeled between the
motor housing and the outer housing); and squirrel cage fans work in a similar manner. I may be
full of pewp, but it seems to me that maybe you could push more air into your combustion chamber
that way???

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1 reply

iwantanto 10 years ago

Sorry, I don't have experience with jet engine. But it looks like you weld the flame tube in wrong
way. If you like to compressed the air, then the wide-side of the flame tube should be at the intake
fan (bigger one) and the narrow-side at the exhaust. That's I learned from the gif animation.

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2 replies

Daemoncoder 10 years ago

Should be titled " How NOT to make a jet engine"

Reply
 AJMansfield 10 years ago

It looks like the fins on the intake rotor are backwards. You should try flipping it around, using the
jet end as the intake and the intake as the propulsion end; that way you could install a stator
underneath the rear rotor, and modify the fin pitch to force air laterally into the channels. You could
get some major improvements to compresion efficency that way.

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1 reply

astral_mage 10 years ago

shop vac will give you the volume that u need.

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jacobkoski 10 years ago

May I ask what type of welding table is that with the holes? Is it a strong arm table or another
commercially available one? Or is it custom?

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1 reply

dpagan12 10 years ago

jknickel is right ,the speed necessary is too high for your mechanics and the air flow drive your
using has to go the other way or you don't get compression . How about scaling it down , it would be
safer and you can build the high precision parts easier and a dremel would work for startup . my 2
cents

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 zikzak1 10 years ago

As others have said, Balance. VERY important! That thing will become quickly uncontrollable and /
or fly apart, if it's not balanced and starts to drive itself hard. As you know, jet engines run at a very
high RPM. None of us here want to see you hurt yourself or anyone else! Nice project though. Would
like to see the next revision of this after you put some more R&D time in. CAD will help you a lot!

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masynmachien 10 years ago

Great to see the Ible on your "baby" I saw getting "born" this summer.

Good documenting of your learning experience and promising results!

I see some helpful comments appearing below (and more will probably follow). Apart from
important safety tips, I think the "cowling" on the front compressor fan to force the air into the
combustion area, is the first next thing to try.

With this kind of work I expect the better it starts to work, the more dangers will appear.

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1 reply

AndrewDouglasBird 10 years ago

A few tips for drilling holes in round stock. First off, use a V-block to hold the stock. This prevents it
from spinning/rolling and also keeps it straight up and down.

Before you start drilling, use a punch to center mark the stock. This will keep the drill from
wandering when you are first starting the hole.

With any drill size over 1/4" in diameter, drill the hole first with a smaller drill as a pilot. For a 3/8"
hole, I would drill a 3/16" hole first, though the drill only really needs to by slightly bigger than the
web of the larger drill.

Be sure to use the correct speed for the size drill you are using. An easy calculation is to take the
cutting speed of the material you are using (measured in surface feet per minute (SFM), found in a
machinist handbook or online) multiplied by 4, then divided by the diameter of the cutter you are
using. This also works for speeds of end mills and other tools that spin. So a 3/8" drill in steel would
be 130x4 / .375 = ~1300 RPM. Keep in mind this is just a starting point and may need to be adjusted
up or down.

If you have access to one, use a lathe to drill the holes. Mount the stock in the chuck of the lathe,
then put your drills in the tailstock. Don't center punch it though. Instead, use a center drill to make
a dimple in the stock. Then go to your normal drills.

If you are unsure of some of the terms I used, google them and it should become apparent what I am
talking about.

Properly done, you should NEVER break or burn up a drill.

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1 reply
 xarlock667 10 years ago

Hi, you are going to kill yourself if you dont lock that nut on your fan down. Also, balancing your
blades is a great idea. If you ever get it going hard it will vibrate apart. That said, enclose your fire to
build more pressure for more power. Have fun and try not to die!

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gdecol 10 years ago

I like the idea of a homemade or DYI

turbine.

Very nice job so far, I'd like to point out a couple of things that may help.

After studying your design and putting some thought to it it

seems as if your igniters might be relocated out of the tubes and into a
funneling combustion chamber built around the shop vac impeller with
the igniters at the escape end.

At their present locations you are

igniting your fuel in the tubes/ fuel lines which is not allowing a
build up of pressure. Sort of like lighting a fuse inside a firecracker
with open ends or just the powder by itself or igniting gas inside the fuel injector
instead of the piston cylinder.

Having some pneumatic and hydraulic

background I've learned that a container volume under pressure is more
powerful than a tube under pressure.

Combustion in this
application needs to be a controlled, contained explosion in a partially
enclosed volume with a directed pressure escape.

Or I could be completely off base and may just need a beer:)

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Nevala 10 years ago

People have covered most of everything I had to add, but I wanted to suggest that you consider
balance in your further progress. When you get one to kick off proper, you're going to want to
ensure that it doesn't shell out. Balance is the key in that case. I would presume that any automotive
engine rebuilder would be able to balance your shaft and turbine assembly pretty easily.

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TwinMustang 10 years ago

Also, as I see you noted in a further step, steel doesn't hold up particularly well under jet combustion
conditions. If possible, I recommend using Aluminum and Titanium in the construction, as
aluminum disperses heat well, and titanium has an extremely high melting point (both are used in
commercial jet engines specifically because of these properties).

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TwinMustang 10 years ago

As an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer I don't really have much to add to the comments, except to
emphasize Eye Protection, and the shaft was far too small for safety. In the future, you might try
using 3/4" aluminum round stock, and using a die to cut the required threads. This will ensure the
integrity of the shaft by minimizing stress concentrations. Something else you might consider is that
a jet engine works on a pressure differential. By this I mean that once ignited it should need nothing
more than a fuel source in order to run.

In aviation, jet engines are run up before igniting the fuel. I would advice caution in doing this, but
you will likely have better results if you do. I recommend using a dremel, drill, or angle grinder to
spin the impellers up to a minimum of 2500 rpm before igniting the fuel source. Higher is better in
this case. I'm uncertain as to the viability of propane in an experiment like this, but I would also
recommend priming the engine before ignition, and lighting with the modified stun gun you
mentioned

Hope that helps

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Hazmatt 10 years ago

This will be a major rework but I think you need the exhaust outlet from the combustion chamber to
be larger than the intake. For the gasses to go the correct direction the air intake has to be a higher
pressure than exhaust. The exhaust is lower pressure with a much larger flow

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loachridge 10 years ago

Wow. Nice work for what I would say is a hand built turbine.

I would like to direct you to Tesla for smaller turbine designs.

The only thing I would suggest that hasnt been said already, is work out a system for centering and
getting a more circular rotation.

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dhanhurley 10 years ago

 Hi from Tübingen University,Schwaben,S. Germany...You should check-out V. SCHAUBERGER
(Austria) and his VORTEX RESEARCH... Also maybe you should use PULSES ... Ciao ... Dhan Hurley

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Bill WW 10 years ago

Here are comments from a retired mechanical enineer:

Just keep doing what you are doing. New engineering graduates with practical
hands-on experience are rare. Your enthusiasm and curiosity are admirable.

I am not convinced that AutoCAD skills are essential for your current projects or your future career.
I now use cad, but did not in my career (hey, I started with a slide rule!).If I were now starting out, I
would learn software intended to convey concepts and ideas to others, such as Adobe Creative Suite.

The impeller you are using appears to be from a Shop Vac. If so, it is likely aluminum, not
stainless.Also, I measured my Shop Vac motor speed with a digital tach: 30,200 RPM!

Use eye protection and think about how your creations would disintegrate if they fly apart. Then
don’t stand in the way of projectiles.

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