| Originally designed in 1965 as an engineering student project. The idea being that function follows form using off the shelf inexpensive parts. See pics at following link: s805.photobucket.com The Rebel turbo-jet Engine 1. Designed by David C. Chovanak as a project in pre-Engineering Frsehman student @ Nevada Southern University in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Now UNLV) 2. . Blue-print completed March 1965, construction August , 1965 - February, 1967. 3. Parts were derived from off-the-shelf components. Design philosophy was, " function follows form. " For example, the 'compressor' was a Hoover 6000 rpm hand held auto carpet cleaner vacuum unit, the exhaust guides and turbine was built from stainless steel apple core slicers, the mainframe, from the Handi-butler accessory kit of a Kirby vacuum system. The combustion chamber is a hardware funnel and a family size tuna fish can and asbestos tape. The bearings are copper alloy plumbing fittings. The shaft is shaft quality steel rod. The exhaust nozzle is a plated steel flour sifter and the exhaust cone inside is a flat head V-8 chrome oil cap Prototype named "The Rebel" after NSU athletic mascot, Chovanak was on the University track team '65-'66. Description : The Rebel is a 'paddle wheel' centrifical-flow compresed engine. Noisy, but can 'beat' a large volume of air at velocity. Air guides/ diffusers in the Kirby section slow down the velocity and increases the pressure so that the combustion chamber can further raise the pressure ... |
