3/4 Motor Radial Compressor
by Joe Laleman |
| JL: Attached are photos of the latest development.
It's amazing how fast it runs on three motors.
With three motors it begins to run your (PK's) radial engine. |
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I'm pleased with the modular nature of the design. The same frame can run one to eight pumps and one to four motors by simply adding or subtracting the
components. I'm also pleased that I have held true to using all basic Lego parts without altering or gluing the pieces to get it to work. So far,
it performs better than any compressor design I've tried. |
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I'll send you the updated MLCad file when I get a chance to add the third and fourth motor. Thanks for your thoughts on my design.
Remember that the inspiration came from you (PK, of course). |
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Front view
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| You'll see by the photo that I linked the motors
together by inserting four, four-stud lengths of Lego tubing
through the small holes in the 16T gears. It creates a strong
coupling between the motors. |
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| The odd thing about this design is that it seems to be building itself. The ideas have come
together smoothly and quickly. |
| (Yes, I've had this
kind of feeling, too, myself many times. And somehow, you know it's going to work. But of
course, there are also times when you just get stuck and nothing seems
to work the way you wanted. - CS) |
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Left view
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| JL (just an email later): I have attached the
latest MLCad data file of the compressor. The file has the reinforced base, the four electric
motors, and a detail of the motor expansion module. Please excuse the crudeness of the MLCad representation. It's my first attempt with
MLCad and designing a Lego machine. |
| I plan to disassemble and group the different parts of the design. I have started reading Kevin
Claque's Lego Power Tools book and I will update you with clearer date files ASAP. All the information is in the file attached here, but for
now you will have to pull it apart to look into the structure. |
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Side view
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I'm not sure if it's the answer to the lack of a great Lego based compressor, but it's the best solution I could come up with. I personally
believe that the nature of the construction of the Lego parts greatly limits their application. I identify the value in the components as a
teaching and learning tool, but the long term performance and lifespan of a machine built with Legos is questionable. |
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For example, I suspect the chain will eventually fail because it cannot withstand the constant wear and the plastic may stretch. I question whether the
electric motors can withstand the loads for a long period of time. All in all, it's still an interesting discovery process no matter if it fails to
meet expectations. That in itself is informative. |
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I am pleased with the performance so far. The power drain is substantial, though. The batteries don't last long. I'm planning on putting
together a 9 Volt DC transformer linked with a jack attached to a Lego power wire. I'm going to try to measure the Amp draw to ensure I
have a large enough transformer. |
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The construction should be very straight forward. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I don't have a web site. You may
use all the information as you choose. I hope that many people will find better ways to improve upon my design. |
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I would like to give credit to Paul Krieg as the inspiration for the Radial concept. After building his Radial Engine, I kept looking at it wondering to myself how I could use
the radial design as a compressor? If I had not had it in front of me, the idea would not have been spawned. If the compressor needs a
name, I'd like to name it after my daughter. It should be named The Alexis Radial Compressor. |
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