On Nov 21, 10:45*am, steamer wrote:
* * * * --Remember the time they tried to make an I.C. engine run on
gunpowder? A bunch of us were talking about this the other day and we seemed
to have vague memories of this actually working once, maybe in the 1800s.
Anyone got a reference? Also looking for anything on engines running on
acetylene. Fear not! Not going to put one in my car; just thinking of the
pyrotechnic spinoff for a *very* remote location, heh.

--
* * * * "Steamboat Ed" Haas * * * * : *Never thought I'd live to see
* * * * Hacking the Trailing Edge! *: *our "iron curtain" crumble...
* * * * * * * * * * * * *www.nmpproducts.com
* * * * * * * * * *---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

I saw the Mythbuster episode where they tried to make an engine run on
Blackpowder.

I am not sure exactly when the first semi-automatic rifle was
Patented (John Browning?) but it seem to me that it would be pretty
simple to place a piston attached to a rod in the place of a bullet in
a rifle barrel. Have an exhaust port close to the end of the barrel
that reloads a new charge of powder just like the gas mechanism used
in autoloaders. A return spring would bring the rod and piston back in
the barrel to allow another shot. Have the rod and piston in the
barrel set up with a rack & pinion gear to provide power. Black
powder might burn to fast to make it work but with different rates of
burn with modern powders the combustion processes could be fine tuned
and might make the idea work. It would probably be too inefficient to
be practical but it would be an interesting project. If anyone does it
I sure would like to see another episode about it on Mythbusters.

Dennis