Air engine: CAD to manufacture

The project

An air-engine project connecting assembly modeling, flywheel mold design, manufacturing process planning, fit analysis, and mechanism testing. The early flywheel deliverable and final report document different stages of the same project.

My contribution

I developed the individual CAD and manufacturing deliverables, planned the flywheel mold, and documented assembly and testing. The project combined manufactured and purchased components.

From question to method

• Designed a flywheel and an oak mold cavity, then developed machining toolpaths.
• Documented the casting, CNC turning, milling, and plasma-cutting steps needed for the assembly.
• Worked through practical fit problems, including a bent rod and the flywheel coupling interface.
• Compared simulated and measured rotational behavior, considering the effect of friction assumptions.

Inside the project

Results & perspective

The final presentation records mechanism testing at an average pressure of 3.32 psi and compares speed fluctuation in simulation and experiment. The manufacturing record captures both the planned process and the adjustments needed during assembly.

What I took from it

The most useful lessons came from the interfaces between components: small fit errors could affect the operation of the entire mechanism.