Manson engine
The Manson engine is a hot air engine that was first described by A. D. Manson in the March 1952 issue of Newnes Practical Mechanics-Magazines.[1] Manson engines can be started in either direction (clockwise or anti-clockwise).[2] It has a stepped piston. The front part acts as a displacer and the back part acts as a work piston (the displacer and the work piston move as a single component).[3][1] The engine only requires three moving parts: piston,[3] piston rod, and crank.
The engine is double acting,[1] using both the expansion of the warmed air and atmospheric pressure overcoming the reducing pressure of the cooling air to do work.[3][4][5]
The engine currently has no commercial or practical applications. The engines are built mainly as desk toys, physics demonstrations, and novelties.[2]
Functioning mechanism
- Phase 1 (cooling down the work medium, suction stroke)
- when the Piston is moved toward the heat source, the hot gas inside the engine is moved to the cool side of the cylinder.
- the gas is cooled there, resulting in pressure dropping below atmospheric, further moving the piston toward the heat source.
- Phase 2 (top dead centre)
- When the piston reaches top dead centre, the inlet valve is open, releasing the vacuum.
- the flywheel keeps the piston moving
- Phase 3 (heating up the work medium, expansion stroke)
- when the piston is moving away from the heat source, the air is pushed toward the heat source.
- the air is then heating up, resulting in the air expanding and the piston being further pushed away from the heat source
- Phase 4 (bottom dead centre)
- when the piston reaches bottom dead centre, the exhaust valve is open, releasing the build up pressure and hot air.
- the flywheel keeps the piston moving
Differences from Stirling engines
Stirling engines are typically closed systems, while Manson engines are open systems.[3][5][8][2] The displacer and work piston of the Manson engine have zero phase angle.[4]
Variations
The valves and gas paths are considered by some to be complicated to manufacture, so various variants exist with improved, modified, or simplified valves and gas paths.[9][10]
Sources
- ^ a b c d "The Manson experimental double acting engine". stirlingengines.org.uk.
- ^ a b c "Nano Disc Manson-Guise Engine". stirlingengine.co.uk.
- ^ a b c d "Manson". techref.massmind.org.
- ^ a b "New generation of hot air engines: Manson engine". (gone)
- ^ a b "Manson". geocities.ws.
- ^ "Principes de fonctionnement du moteur Manson". December 22, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-12-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Manson-Motor". w-haag.de.
- ^ https://journeymans-workshop.uk/images/downloads/manson.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b C2 DE 19904269 C2, Michael Ruppel, "Heißluftmotor - Heat engine has a simplified design with combined piston and valve and with alternate sides of the piston vented in either limits of the piston movement", published 2000-11-9, issued 2001-6-5
- ^ GB application 2554458A, Christopher Guise, "Improvement to Manson engine", published 2000-11-09
