Can a Hydraulic Engine with a Single Moving Part Function?

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The discussion explores the feasibility of a hydraulic engine design featuring a single moving part, specifically a piston assembly that operates using a two-stroke internal combustion mechanism. Concerns are raised about the impedance mismatch between the hydraulic fluid and air, as well as the challenges of achieving sufficient hydraulic pressure without compromising engine function. The necessity for a pressurized mixture for the two-stroke engine's operation is questioned, highlighting potential issues in starting and maintaining the engine. Suggestions are made to adapt the design for use as an air pump to pressurize a hydraulic accumulator instead. Overall, the concept faces significant mechanical and operational challenges that may hinder its practicality.
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Imagine a bar, say 3inches dia by 15inches long, the bar is turned down to
1inch dia 3inches in for 3inches, and again at 9 inches for three inches, this
forms 3, connected (pistons), this piston assembly is enclosed in a cylinder
the outer pistons are moved by internal combustion using the 2 stroke principle,
the inner piston is used as a hydrulic pump, when say the right cylinder fires, a valve opens
on the left of the centeral pump piston, and the reverse as the left cylinder fires, the hydraulic pressure is such that it will not allow the ic pistons to (bottom out), thus forming
a hydraulic motor with only one moving part, will it work.
Second draft as first was nonsence.
 
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Sounds like a bad impedance mismatch, the viscosity of the hydraulic fluid is many times that of the air. Since a 2-cycle engine can maybe operate at 1200 RPM, then you're asking the fluid to pump at 20 Hz and you have a gas pressure of something like 1000psi for 5msec and a mechanical ratio of 1:1.

Maybe if you reduced the volume in the hydraulic areas you could gain more mechanical advantage, but the moving mass would still be quite large and getting the balance correct for operation sounds difficult.

A 2-cycle needs the downstroke of the piston to compress the mixture in the crankcase so that when it uncovers the intake port the mixture can be introduced. You're sort of trying to use that to pressurize hydraulic fluid, so where is the pressurized mixture coming from?

And how would you start this thing? :smile:
 
OOps, silly idea any way. LOL
 
You could, however, use your design as an air pump to pressurize a bladder-type hydraulic accumulator. You'd probably need some kind of air-bleed valve in the system to prevent over-pressurization or stalling the engine.
 
Sounds like a multi-stage piston as is used in some air compressors.
 
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