Flame-licker engines and how they work

Here I show two similar chinese flame-licker engines (aka vacuum engines) and explain how they work. I got them from Ebay for only 53€ each (shipping included).
To find them, just search ebay for "flame licker engine".
Transcript of annotations :
Welcome to my demonstration of two chinese Vacuum engines.
They were available from Ebay for only € 53 (shipping included)
I have never seen a vacuum engine for that incredible price.
The burner contains methlylated spirits.
The size, form and position of the flame is very critical.
Normally I add 10% of water to the ethanol to prevent soot.
But this doesn't work with vaccum engines.
They are so unefficient (Efficieny less than 5%) that they don't work with a cooler flame.
These engines are also called flame-licker engines or flame-gulpers.
At the end of this video I will explain how they work.
They have no practical use. But it's fun to play with them.
It runs better on a solid surface than on the wobbly rotary table.
The cylinder head looks like a face.
With a bit of fantasy the engine looks like an eating animal.
I lubricate the cylinder and piston with molybdenum disulfide powder.
This is similar to graphite but lubricates even better.
Even thin oil would cause to much friction.
Unfortunately the cylinder has no fins. After a few minutes the cylinder is too hot and the engine will stop running.
This is the second vaccum engine which is very similar to the first one.
It didn't work when it arrived. The timing of the valve was wrong.
But it could be easily fixed by changing the angle between the flywheel and the crank of the valve.
The problem was caused by a set screw that was loose.
Often the engines stop running after a while, when water from the flame has condensed in the cylinder.
But after a while the cylinder is so hot that no water condenses any more.
The touch field of my stove doesn't want to be touched.
How does it work?
Valve open
Valve closed
Inertia of the flywheel pulls piston to the right.
hot gas from flame is sucked into cylinder
Gas cools down, pressure decreases, makes "vacuum" in cylinder
Vacuum sucks piston to the left. (*) In this phase work is done.
Remaining gases thrown out
hot gas from flame is sucked into cylinder
Gas cools down, pressure decreases, makes "vacuum" in cylinder
Vacuum sucks piston to the left. (*) In this phase work is done.
Remaining gases thrown out
(*) Precisely: Higher pressure in atmosphere pushes piston to the left. That's why these type of engines are called atmospheric engines.
once again

Видео Flame-licker engines and how they work канала Latheman's crazy machines