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How to build your own Jet Engine

by russwmoore on April 17, 2006

Table of Contents

intro: How to build your own Jet Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 1: Come up with a basic design for your engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 2: Get yourself a turbo charger and hide away in the garage building your insane jet powered contraption! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 3: Figuring the size of the combustion chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 4: Assembling the combustion chamber - preparing the end rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

step 5: Assembling the combustion chamber - welding on the end rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

step 6: Assembling the combustion chamber - making the end caps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

step 7: Assembling the combustion chamber - bolting it together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

step 8: Making the flame tube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

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step 9: Plumbing the fuel and oil systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

step 10: Have fun making lots of noise and shaking the ground while impressing friends and neighbors with your new toy! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/
intro: How to build your own Jet Engine
You don't have to be Jay Leno to own a jet powered motorcycle, and we will show you how to make your own jet enigne right here to power your wacky vehicles. This is
an ongoing project, and plenty of additional info will be available on our website soon. See the full build at http://www.badbros.net

This information is brought to you by Bad Brothers Racing and Gary's Jet Journal
http://www.badbros.net
http://www.garysjetjournal.com

Warning! Building your own jet engine can be dangerous. We highly suggest that you take all appropriate safety precautions when dealing with machinery, and use
extreme care while operating jet engines. Serious injury or death can occur while operating a jet turbine engine in close proximity, due to explosive fuels and moving
parts. Extreme amounts of potential and kinetic energy are stored in operating engines. Always use caution and good judgment while operating engines and machinery,
and wear appropriate eye and hearing protection. Neither Bad Brothers Racing or Gary's Jet Journal accept any liability for your use or misuse of the information
contained herein.

Image Notes
1. This is the turbocharger
2. This is the oil pump
3. This is the combustion chamber

step 1: Come up with a basic design for your engine

I started the build process of my engine with a design in Solid Works. I find it much easier to work this way, and creating parts using CNC machining processes turns out
a much nicer end result. The main thing I like about using the 3D process is the ability to see how the parts will fit together before fabrication, so that I can make changes
before spending hours on a part. This step is really not neccesary, as anyone with decent drawing skills can sketch out the design on the back of an envelope rather
quickly. When trying to fit the entire engine into the final project, the jet bike, it will certainly help a lot.

I would also suggest that to get the best answer to questions if you are attempting to build a jet engine or turbine based project, subcribing to a user group is the way to
go. The years of combined experience from various users proves invaluable, and I am a regular on the Yahoo Groups DIY Gas Turbines forum.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/
step 2: Get yourself a turbo charger and hide away in the garage building your insane jet powered contraption!
Use care when selecting your turbocharger! You need a large turbo with a single (non-divided) turbine inlet. The bigger the turbo, the more thrust your finished engine will
produce. I like the turbos off of large diesel engines and earth moving equipment. The use of one of these turbos will yield enough thrust output to move a vehicle of some
sort pretty well. It is best to buy a rebuilt unit if possible. Ebay is the way to go here, as you can really save some money.

As a general rule, it is not so much the size of the whole turbo as it is the size of the inducer that matters. The inducer is the visible area of the compressor blades that
can be seen when looking at the turbo's compressor with the covers (housings) on. Looking at the turbo here will show that the air inlet is quite large at almost 5 inches in
diamter, while the visible blades of the inducer are only 3 inches in diameter. This is plenty for creating enough thrust to drive a mini motorcycle, go kart, or other small
vehicle.

The turbo in the picture is a Cummins ST-50 off of a big 18 wheeler truck.

Image Notes
1. The inducer of the turbo is the little area of the compressor blades here that can be seen while the housing is on the turbo.

step 3: Figuring the size of the combustion chamber

Here is a quick rundown of the process of how the jet works and how to figure the size of the combustion chamber you will be making for your jet engine.

The combustion chamber works by allowing compressed air coming from the turbo's compressor to be mixed with fuel and burned. The hot gasses then escape through
the rear of the combustion chamber to move through the turbine stage of the turbo where the turbine extracts power from the moving gasses and converts them to
rotational shaft energy. This rotating shaft then powers the compressor attached to the other end to bring in more air to make the process continue. Any additional energy
left in the hot gasses as they pass the turbine create thrust. Simple enough, but actually a bit complicated to build and get it right.

The combustion chamber is made from a large piece of tubular steel with caps on both ends. Inside of the combustion chamber is a flametube. This flametube is made of
another smaller piece of tubing which runs the length of the combustion chamber and has many holes drilled in it. The holes allow the compressed air to pass through in
certain ratios which are beneficial for 3 steps. Step one is mixing the air and fuel. The combustion process also begins here. Step to is to provide air for the completion of
combustion, and step three is to supply cooling air to lower the temperatures before the airstream comes into contact with the turbine blades.

To calculate the flametube dimensions, you double the diameter of the inducer of your turbocharger, and this will give you the diameter of the flametube. Multiply the
diameter of the inducer of the turbo x 6, and this will give you the length of the flametube. Again, the inducer of the turbo is the part of the compressor blades that can be
seen from the front of the turbo with the covers (or housings) on. While a compressor wheel in a turbo may be 5 or 6 inches in diameter, the inducer will be considerably
smaller. The inducer of the turbos I like to use (ST-50 and VT-50 models) is 3 inches in diameter, so the flame tube dimensions would be 6 inches in diameter by 18
inches in length. This is of course a recomended starting point, and can be fudged a little. I wanted a slightly smaller combustion chamber so I decided to use a 5 inch
diamter flametube with a 10 inch length. I chose the 5 inch diameter flametube primarily because the tubing is easy to aquire as diesel truck exhaust pipe. The 10 inch
length was figured because the engine will be going into the small motorcycle frame of the mini jet bike eventually.

With the size of the flame tube calculated, you can then find the size of the combustion chamber. Since the flametube will fit inside of the combustion chamber, the
combustion chamber housing will have to be a larger diameter. A recomended starting point is to have a minimum 1 inch space around the flametube, and the length
should be the same as the flametube. I chose an 8 inch diameter combustion chamber housing, because it fits the need for the airspace and it is a commonly available
size in steel tubing. With the 5 inch diameter flametube, I will have a 1.5 inch gap between the flamtube and the combustion chamber housing. Try to use steel tubing
instead of pipe when possible. The difference between 8 inch tubing and 8 inch pipe would be that the tubing would be measured at 8 inches outside diameter and you
then select the thickness of the "wall" you need. I chose a 1/8th inch wall thickness for my engine. 8 inch steel pipe would have an inside dimension of roughly 8 inches
and the wall thickness is determined by a schedule or strength number such as "schedule 40" or "schedule 80" Steel pipe tends to be much thicker in the "wall" than
tubing, and can add considerably to the overall weight of the engine.

Now that you have the rough dimensions you will be using for your jet engine, you can proceed to putting it together with the caps on the ends and the fuel injectors. All of
these parts combine to form the complete combustion chamber.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/
 Image Notes
1. This is the turbocharger
2. This is the oil pump
3. This is the combustion chamber

step 4: Assembling the combustion chamber - preparing the end rings

To make the combustion chamber result in a simple bolt together piece, I use a method of constructing rings that will not only provide a surface to which the end caps can
be bolted, but they will also hold the flametube centered in the combustion chamber.

The rings are fabricated to an outside diameter of 8 inches with an inside diameter of 5 and 1/32nd inches. The extra space provided by the 1/32nd inch will make
inserting the flametube easier when construction is complete, and will also serve as a buffer to allow for some expansion of the flametube as it gets hot.

The rings are made from 1/4 inch plate steel and I had mine laser cut from my 3D drawings I created in solid works. I find going this route much easier that trying to
machine the parts. You can use a milling machine, water jet, or hand tools to make the rings. Any method which gives acceptable results will work. The 1/4 inch thickness
will allow for the rings to be welded on with less chance of warpage, and will provide a stable mounting base for the end caps. They will also allow for the flametube to be
constructed 3/16ths of an inch shorter than the total combustion chamber length to allow for expansion in the axial plane as it gets hot from the combustion process.

12 bolt holes are provided around the ring in a circular pattern for the mounting of the end caps. By welding nuts on the back of these holes, bolts can be threaded right
in. This is a requirement since the back side of the rings will be inaccesible for holding nuts with a wrench once mounted on the combustor. You could still replace a nut
inside of the combustor if one were to strip out, making this a better method that tapping the holes in the rings for threads. Three tack welds placed on every other flat of
the nuts should hold them tight enough to keep them in place.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/
step 5: Assembling the combustion chamber - welding on the end rings
With the end rings ready, they can be welded on to the combustor housing. The housing must first be cut to the proper length and have the ends squared up so that
everything will align properly.

Start by taking a large sheet of posterboard and wrapping it around the steel tube so that the ends are squared with each other and the posterboard is pulled tight. It
should make a cylinder shape around the tube, and the ends of the posterboard will be nice and square. Slide the posterboard to one end of the tube so that the edge of
the tube and posterboard cylinder ends are almost touching, making sure there is enough room to make a mark around the tube so you can grind down the metal flush
with the mark. This will square one end of the tube. Most metal suppliers cut the tubing with a bandsaw, and the margin of error for their cuts is plus or minus 1/16th inch,
which could make for a less than perfect cut and a wobly end if you don't square it up first.

Next measure from the squared up end towards the other for the length you want the combustion chamber and flame tube to be. Since the end rings that will be welded
on are 1/4 inch each, be sure to subtract 1/2 inch from your measurement first. Since my combustor will be 10 inches in length, my measurement will be taken at 9.5
inches. Mark the tube, and use the posterboard to create a nice mark all the way around the tubing as before.

I find that using a cut off wheel in an angle grinder does the job of cutting through the 1/8th inch thick tubing very nicely. Make nice even strokes with the wheel, and
rotate the tube as you go cutting a little deeper with each pass. Don't worry about making the cut perfect, in fact you should leave a little material and clean it up later. I
like to use flap discs in the angle grinder for the final cleanup.

Once the cut is made and cleaned up, use the flap disc to bevel the outside edges of both ends of the tubing just a bit to get good weld penetration. The tube is then
ready for welding.

Using magnetic welding clamps, center the end rings on the ends of the tubing and make sure they are flush with the tube. Place tack welds on 4 sides of the rings, and
allow to cool. Once the tacks are set, use stitch welds of about 1 inch length to close the weld bead all the way around the rings. Make a stich weld, then alternate to the
other side and do the same. Use a fashion similar to tightening the lug nuts on a car, also called the "star" pattern. Do not overheat the metal, so you can avoid warping
the rings.

When both rings are welded on, grind the welds smooth for a nice look. This is optional, but it just makes the whole combustor look much nicer.

step 6: Assembling the combustion chamber - making the end caps

With the main combustor housing complete, you will need 2 end caps for the combustor assembly. One end cap will be the fuel injector side, and the other will route the
hot exhaust gasses to the turbine.

Fabricate 2 plates with the same diameter of your combustion chamber, in our case it will be 8 inches. Place 12 bolt holes around the perimeter to align with the bolt
holes on the end rings so they can be attached later. 12 is just the number of bolts I use, you can use more or less on the rings and end caps.

The injector cap need only have 2 holes in it. One will be for the fuel injector, and the other for a spark plug. You can add more holes for more injectors if you like, as this
is a personal preference. I will be using 5 inejectors, with one in the center and 4 in a circular pattern around it. The only requirement is that the injectors be placed so that
they end up in the flametube when the parts are bolted together. For our design, this means that they must fit into the center of a 5 inch diamter circle in the middle of the
end cap. I used 1/2 inch holes for mounting the injectors. Offset from the center slightly, you will add the hole for your spark plug. The hole should be drilled and tapped
for a 14mm x 1.25mm thread which will fit a spark plug. Again, the design in the pictures will have 2 spark plugs, and this is just a matter of preference for me in case one
spark plug chooses to go out of service. Make sure that the spark plugs are also within the confines of the flametube as it will relate to the end cap.

In the photo of the injector cap, you can see the little tubes that stick out of the cap. These are for mounting the injectors. As I said, I will have 5 of them, but you can get
by with one in the center for your first attempt. The tubes are made from 1/2 inch diameter tubing with a 3/8th inch inside diameter. The length is cut to 1.25 inches, after
which a bevel is placed on the edges by chucking them in the drill press and rotating them while the angle grinder is used to make the bevel. It is a neat little trick that
turns out decent results. Both ends are threaded with a 1/8th inch NPT tapered pipe thread. I hold the tubes in a vise under the drill press and chuck up the pipe tap so
that I can start the threads nice and straight in the tubes. after starting the threads, I finish them by hand turning the tap to the required depth. They are welded in place
with 1/2 inch of the tube protruding from each side of the plate. The fuel supply lines will attach to one side and the injectors will screw into the other. I like to weld them to
the inside of the plate to make the outside of the combustor have a clean appearance.

To make the exhaust cap, you will need to cut an opening for the hot gasses to escape from. In my case, I sized it to the same dimensions as the entrance to the turbine
scroll on the turbo. This is 2 inches by 3 inches on our turbo. A small plate, or turbine flange is then made to bolt to the turbine housing. The turbine flange should have
the same sized opening as the turbine inlet as well, plus four bolt holes to secure it to the turbo. The exhaust end cap and the turbine flange can be welded together by
making a simple rectangular box section to go between the two. In the photo of the exhaust manifold below, you can see the turbine flange to the right and the exhaust
cap face down on the ground. The transition bend had to be made for the application this engine will see in the jet bike, but it could have easily been made with just a
simple straight in rectangular section created from sheet steel. Weld the parts together keeping your welds on the outside of the pieces only so that the air flow will not
have any obstructions or turbulence created by weld beads inside.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/
 Image Notes
1. Turbine flange

step 7: Assembling the combustion chamber - bolting it together

You are now getting closer to having a finshed jet engine. It is time to bolt the parts together to see if everything fits as it should.

Start by bolting the turbine flange and end cap assembly (the exhaust manifold) to your turbo. Then the combustor housing bolts to the exhaust assembly, and finally the
injector cap bolts to the main combustor housing. If you have done everything right so far, it should look similar to the second picture below. If it doesn't, back up and see
where you made your mistake.

It is important to note that the turbine and compressor sections of the turbo can be rotated against each other by loosening the clamps in the middle. Different turbos use
many kinds of clamps, but it should be easy to see which bolts must be loosened to make the parts rotate.

With the parts attached and the orientation of your turbo set, you will need to fabricate a pipe which will connect the compressor outlet opening to the combustor housing.
This pipe should be the same diameter as the compressor outlet, and will eventually be attached to the compressor with a rubber or silicon hose coupler. The other end
will need to fit flush with the combustor and be welded into place once a hole has been cut into the side of the combustor housing. It does not matter so much where the
hole is on the side of the combustor, so long as the air has a nice smooth path to get in. This means no sharp corners, and keep the welds on the outside. For our
combustor, I chose to use a piece of 3.5 inch diameter exhaust tubing which was mandrel bent. The image below shows a hand fabricated pipe which is designed to get
bigger and slow the air down before entering the combustor.

You should now have a nice clean path for the air to take all the way from the inlet of the compressor, down the pipe to the combustor, through the exhaust manifold, and
past the turbine section. Everything should be pretty much airtight, and you should check all welding to make sure that it is solid. Blowing a leaf blower through the front of
the engine should cause the air to flow through and turn the turbine blades.

Image Notes
1. This is the turbocharger
2. This is the oil pump
3. This is the combustion chamber

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/
 Image Notes
1. Combustor inlet pipe

step 8: Making the flame tube

Well, for many builders, this is considered the hardest part. The flame tube is what lets the air enter into the center of the combustion chamber, but keeps the flame held
in place so that it must exit to the turbine side only, and not the compresor side.

The picture below is what your every day flametube looks like. From left to right, the hole patterns have special names and functions. The small holes to the left are the
primary holes, the middle larger holes are the secondary, and the largest to the right are the tertiary or dilution holes. (note that there are also some additional small holes
in this design to help create a curtain of air to keep the flametube walls cooler)

The primary holes supply the air for fuel and air mixing, and this is where the burn process begins.

The secondary holes supply the air to complete the combustion process.

The tertiary or dilution holes provide the air for cooling of the gasses before they leave the combustor, so as to not overheat the turbine blades in the turbo.

The size and placement of the holes is a mathmatical equation at best and a logistical nightmare at worst. To make the process of calculating the holes easy, I have
provided a program below that will do the work for you. It is a windows program, so if you are on a Mac or Linux box you will have to do the equations longhand. The
program, Jet Spec Designer, is a great program, and can also be used to determine the thrust output of a particular turbo.

For the long hand calcualtions of the flametube holes and an in depth explanation of things, please go to our website at http://www.badbros.net/jetbike5.html

Before making any holes in the flametube, you will need to size it to fit into the combustor. As our combustor is 10 inches long as measured from the outside of the ring
ends one side to the other, you will need to cut the flametube to that length (make sure you cut to fit your combustor length). Use the posterboard wrapped around the
flametube to square up one end, then measure and cut the other. I would suggest making the flametube almost 3/16ths of an inch shorter to allow for expansion for the
metal as it gets hot. It will still be able to be captured inside of the end rings, and will "float" inside of them.

Once cut to length, get going on those holes. There will be a lot of them, and a "unibit" or stepped drill bit is very handy to have here. The flametube can be made of
stainless or regular mild steel. Stainless will of course last longer and hold up to the heat better than mild steel.

Image Notes
1. Primary zone
2. Secondary zone
3. Tertiary or Dilution zone

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/
File Downloads

JetSpecs.exe (420 KB)

[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'JetSpecs.exe']

step 9: Plumbing the fuel and oil systems

Now that you have the flame tube drilled, open the combustor housing and insert it between the rings until it snugs down into the back against the exhaust cap. Replace
the injector side cap and tighten the bolts. I like to use hex head cap bolts just for the look of them, but the convenience is also nice as you dont have to fidle with a
regular wrench.

Now you will need to get some fuel to the system, and some oil to the bearings. This part is not as complicated as it may first seem. For the fuel side you will need a
pump capable of high pressure and a flow of at least 20 gallons per hour. For the oil side of things you will need a pump capable of at least 50 psi pressure with a flow of
about 2-3 gallons per minute. Fortunately, the same type of pump can be used for both. My suggestion is the Shurflo pump model number 8000-643-236. Other
alternatives are power steering pumps, furnace pumps, and automotive fuel pumps. The best price I have found on the Shurflo is from http://www.dultmeier.com and is
currently $77 US. Do not skimp out and buy the other Shurflo pumps which look the same but are cheaper. The valves and seals in the pumps will not work with
petroleum based products and I can not guarantee that you will have much luck with them.

I have provided a diagram for the fuel system, and the oil system for the turbo will work the same way. If your pump does not have a bypass return directly on it (the
Shurflow does not, but some furnace pumps do) then you can omit the pump bypass as it is only there to catch blowby from the pump itself.

The idea of the plumbing systems is to regulate pressure with a bypass valve setup. The pumps will always have a full flow with this method, and any unused fluid will be
returned to its holding tank. By going this route, you will avoid back pressure on the pump and the pumps will last longer too. The system will work equally well for fuel
and oil systems. For the oil system you will need to have a filter and an oil cooler, both of which would go in line after the pump, but before the bypass valve.

For an oil cooler, I suggest B&M transission coolers. Oil filters can be the regular screw on type by using a remote oil filter mount. Make sure that all lines running to the
turbo are made of "hard line" such as copper tubing with compression fittings. Flexible line such as rubber can blow off and end in disaster. Oil or fuel hitting a hot turbine
housing will burst into flame very quickly. Also of note is the pressure involved in these pump systems. Rubber hose will soften with heat, and the high pressures from the
pumps will cause the lines to rupture and slip off of fittings. Be safe and use hard lines. It is just as inexpensive as flexible lines. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED OF THE
DANGERS, SO I ACCEPT NO LIABILITY FOR YOU UNWILLINGNESS TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS!

When plumbing the oil lines to the turbo, make sure that your oil inlet is on the top of the turbo, and the drain is at the bottom. The inlet is usually the smaller of the two
openings. If you are using a water cooled turbo it is not neccesary to use the water jacket at all, and nothing need be hooked to these ports. It will only be useful if you
would like to supply a flow of water for cooling the turbo upon shutdown.

Tanks for fuel can be any size, and oil tanks should be capable of holding at least one gallon. Do not place the pick up lines near the return lines in tanks, or the aeration
caused by the returning fluids will casue air bubbles to get in the pick up lines and the pumps will cavitate and lose pressure!

For fuel injectors, I recomend HAGO nozzles from McMaster Carr http://www.mcmaster.com Look on page 1939 of the online catalog for the water misting nozzles in
stainless steel. An engine of this size will need a flow of approximately 14 gallons per hour at full bore.

For my oil system I use Castrol fully synthetic 5w20 right now. A fully synthetic oil with a low viscosity is a must. The fully synthetic will have a much higher flash point and
be less likely to ignite, and the low viscosity will help the turbine to get started rotating easier.

For more information about calculating fuel requirements and such, I suggest you join a user group such as the Yahoo Forums "DIYgasturbines" user group. There is a
wealth of information there, and I am a regular member.

Ahh, you will need a source of ignition! Since there are numerous ways to get a spark from a sparkplug I will not even try to go too in depth. I leave it to you to search the
internet for a nice high voltage circuit to get a spark, or you can cheap out and wire an automotive flasher relay to a coil and get a rather slow, but usable spark out of
your plug.

For the power to all of the 12 volt systems, I like to use 12 volt 7 or 12 amp hour sealed gel cell batteries such as are used in burglar alarms and battery back ups. They
are small, light, and well suited to the task, plus they fit easily on a jet kart or other small vehicle.

Ok, so you've made it this far. All you need now is a stand on which to mount your engine. You can see the test stand I made in other pictures here and get an idea of
how to make one for yourself. Do you have your leaf blower ready? Ok, lets get it started!

Image Notes
1. Model number 8000-643-236

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/
step 10: Have fun making lots of noise and shaking the ground while impressing friends and neighbors with your new
toy!
This is the fun part! Starting your new engine for the first time. The parts you will need are...
1) The engine
2) Ear defenders (ear muffs)
3) Lots of fuel (diesel, kerosine, or jet-a)
4) A leaf blower
5) a washcloth

This is where things get interesting. Firstly you set up the jet in a place where you can actually start it without making anybody mad with the loud noise. Then you fuel it
up with your choice of fuel. I like to use jet-a because it just works well and has the right "smell" of a jet engine. Switch on your oil system and set the oil pressure to a
minimum of 30 psi. Put on your ear defenders and spool up the turbine by blowing air through the engine with the leaf blower. Yes, you can use electric or air starting on
these engines, but it is not the norm, and it is much easier to just use the leaf blower. Turn on the ignition circuit and slowly apply the fuel by closing the bypass needle
valve on the fuel system until you hear a "pop" when the combustor lights. Keep increasing the fuel and you will start to hear the roar of your new jet engine. Gradually
pull the leaf blower away and see if the engine speeds up on its own. If it does not, reapply the leaf blower and give it more fuel until it does. Lastly enjoy the sound of
your new engine and remember to use the washcloth to clean up in case you poo your pants! There is so much power in these engines that it will startle you to the point
of losing bodily control.

Videos of our running engines are available as flash movies below. We hope you enjoy them! You will probably need to size your browser down when viewing them so
they are not pixelated.

That is about it. Our websites cover all of the build processes and hopefully will get you started on the journey of making your very own jet engine. Be sure to send us
pictures if you make your own.

Combustor kits can be purchased by contacting Russ at Bad Brothers Racing. Different kits and configurations are available to help you in creating your jet engine. Fully
assembled engines are also available to qualified buyers who sign a release of liability. The plans in this documentation and kit designs are Copyright 2006 Bad Brothers
Racing, and may not be reproduced in any way, nor may they be sold.

Please remember that our websites are funded by donations and clicks on advertisements. If you feel generous, please help out with a monetary donation. If you are
cheap, give us a few "clicks for the cause" to help the projects keep coming! See you soon, and we hope that you enjoy the sites!

This information was provided by Bad Brothers Racing and Gary's Jet Journal. Please visit our sites to see what is new as we update often with new and exciting
projects.
http://www.badbros.net
http://www.garysjetjournal.com

Image Notes
1. This is a mock-up of the jet bike with the original combustion chamber and jet engine mounted in it.

File Downloads

jet_movie.swf (641 KB)

[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'jet_movie.swf']

garys_jet_kart.swf (3 MB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'garys_jet_kart.swf']

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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 133 comments

Captain Kirk says: Dec 31, 2007. 12:05 PM REPLY

Ive seen a lot of these home made Jet's now. Whilst they seem to make a shed load of noise and produce impressive blue flames with an afterburner. They
are still very low on thrust output. I belive to resolve this problem a seccond compressor is needed to run in serries with the first. Obviousley the first would
need to be of a much greater diameter. such as a Diesel Locamotive Turbo compressor then pushing into a Garret T4 Compressor. Finaly before the
Combustion chamber a large size (high Pressure) Intercooler could also help. The real task for a home Builder is how the bloody heck to drive both shafts
with only one Turbine.

But by Pre- compressing the air, then feeding it into a seccond compressor, then cooling the very hot gases with an Intercooler. You will have a far greater
concentration of Oxygen and at a much cooler temerature as it first enters the combustion chamber. The result is a very efficient and powerfull combustion
process.

Last of all even a single stage turbine system could benefit from the use of an Intercooler. You just have to make sure you build one that can handle the very
high pressures.

crezzyman says: Sep 30, 2008. 4:09 PM REPLY

Or, instead of doing all that work and finding a very high pressure intercooler, you could just inject some straight nitrous oxide into the system, either
directly into the inducer on the turbo or after the air has been compressed. It would give cooler air temps, and more oxygen as well. It would be useful for
short runs at least, but really, who uses a DIY jet engine for anything other than short runs?

lordevilpoptart says: Jul 15, 2008. 8:07 PM REPLY

gr8 instructions guys this is just what i was looking for we got a project going here to basicly build a hover craft in which i will need 4-6 engines depending
on how we do it but i will need no where neer 1500hp per engine
though i do have a question we plan on designing to use hydrogen and karosen mix what affect do you think this would have? more power? would it be
bad on the engine? i plan on running everything normal but cutting down the karosen and mixing hydrogen with oxygn prior to combustion do you think i
should have a second oxygen intake to have more oxygen? i appricate any sugestions

da_huss says: Mar 9, 2008. 8:39 PM REPLY

That's the same way real jet engines run.. air enters a larger compression area first, turning a turbine shaft while forcing the air into a tube with a quickly
shrinking diameter.. the air leaves the tiny end of the tube at a much higher rate into a smaller sharper finned compressor, further compressing the air
while turning a secondary turbine shaft. The shafts run between the compressors, intake prop, and a 3rd turbine behind the combustion chamber. The
extremely dense and fast moving air coming from the secondary compressor enters the combustion chamber and mixes with fuel, which ignites and is
forced out the rear through the 3rd turbine. Both compressors share an outer turbine shaft "shell" to help each other run, while the 3rd turbine runs the
second "internal" shaft which turns the intake prop.

da_huss says: Mar 9, 2008. 8:52 PM REPLY

Correction.. there are 2 turbines behind the combustion chamber. The first is a low compression turbine which turns the compressors.. the second is
a high compression turbine which turns the intake prop.

Captain Kirk says: Jan 4, 2008. 4:32 AM REPLY

Whoop's, I meant the Promary Compressor would need to be larger than the Seccondary. Obviousley the Primary will feed into the Seccondary. In this
way it is possible to increase the compression ration. However massive amounts of heat are generated during the commpressing process. Have you
ever felt the end of a Bicycle pump after using it, well its the same thing. That is why an Intercooler is needed to reduce that heat. It will also have the
additional benefit of reducing the pressure at the intake to the combustion chamber, whilst increasing Oxygen density.

Captain Kirk says: Jan 4, 2008. 4:33 AM REPLY

Primary Compressor !!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/
 Captain Kirk says: Jan 4, 2008. 4:35 AM REPLY
and Compression Ratio ... Sorry my keyboard is having an off day LOL.

Gdz2010 says: Jan 9, 2008. 11:02 AM REPLY

It might even be possible (and very ambitious) to make your own axi-centrifugal compressor for higher compression ratios. You would need to
be good with 3D CAD, CNC machining, and casting, not to mention familiar with fluid dynamics and turbo machinery design.
It would be a really fun project...one of these days....

Captain Kirk says: Jan 10, 2008. 4:30 AM REPLY

Its not necesary to Make a Compressor !!. At the very most the ability to be able to make a custom shaft. There is nothing wrong with
Turbo Compressors as has been shown may times with working versions of these Jets. But to build a twin compressor version, you would
need to be able to join two standard Compressors together using a single shaft. Both Compressors must be rotating in the same direction.
This is where it gets complicated. A custom manifold would be needed at the intake of one of the compressors to allow the custom shaft
to pass through it, whilst still allowing air flow. At a potential 200,000 rpm the alingment of this shaft is uber critical !!. The hardest part
would be to create these two components, neither of which requier emense skills in fluid dynamics. Just simply very good machinary and
operator skill.

Gdz2010 says: Jan 10, 2008. 5:31 AM REPLY

I know that turbochargers work, I'm just saying it would be a fun project to attempt and it would have the benefit of being smaller and
therefore more suited to a propulsion application.

Somebody made a one stage compressor from scratch and posted a vid on youtube. http://youtube.com/watch?v=oO37TNF1TjU

I was thinking of something along those lines; having the stator vanes from the first stage feed into the inlet of a coaxial second stage.
I only suggest it because I like making as much as I can from scratch before buying anything premade. Nevertheless, any homebuilt
turbojet deserves respect.

Captain Kirk says: Jan 10, 2008. 4:08 PM REPLY

The Maifold on the front of the seccondary compressor would have to come off the intake and then turn through 90 deg. A normal
Hi pressure Turbo hose could then be connected to the output of the Primary Compressor. The shaft would need to pass through
the wall of the manifold, with a flange and bearing assembly mounted on the side of the manifold. The primary compressor wheel
could then be attached complete with standard turbo compressor housing.

As I said before the hardest part would be to make the manifold. Getting the parts to produce a good compressor would be easy.
Its making sure that everything lines up correctly. Also the Shaft would need to be manufactured with the uttmost precision. The
rest could be achived with some quality alluminum welding and accurace machining.

The resulting Twin Compressor Jet, would be very compact and produce an incredible high thrust output.

Dms12444 says: Jul 24, 2008. 1:08 PM REPLY

Nice job on the jet tutorial this was one of the best I have seen, usually I would just get a schematic drawing, don't get me wrong the schematic works but not
as well as a tutorial and well 20% of the time the schematic is read wrong and the jet doesn't work or explodes.

ps, dont build a jet powered veichle or it will be illegal to use under the U.S. federal law.

gangstabrutha says: Aug 19, 2008. 6:58 PM REPLY

Isn't everythung fun illegal? XD

randallpw says: Sep 25, 2008. 2:37 PM REPLY

I know right!

totimothy says: Sep 21, 2008. 12:23 AM REPLY

Any software can help me to design the engine?(I want the software which is safe and free)

evangelist90210 says: Sep 3, 2008. 1:18 PM REPLY

yeah 2 things #1 i cant wait till yous all blow your selfs up one day lol jk jk thats more something id do >.> #2 can like um idk say put it on a bike and make a
rocket bike? p.s. BANG!

chriswillb says: Aug 26, 2008. 2:56 PM REPLY

Also can it be made out of aluminium

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/
 chriswillb says: Aug 26, 2008. 12:52 PM REPLY
When you say bolt holes; what size should they be and how far apart should they be?

dciocoiu says: Aug 13, 2008. 8:20 AM REPLY

nice job you inspaier me alot!

handyds says: Apr 16, 2008. 5:04 PM REPLY

Quite possibly the coolest instructable ever...the danger factor somehow increases the cool factor.

On that "danger" note, how in the world do you confidently mount a jet engine on your go cart with no protection in case it flies off? Now, maybe you
addressed this and I missed it (likely since I just gawked at the pics). If so, forgive me.

Otherwise...very cool. I hope you're website is long gone before my children grow up and get adventurous! :-)

dragonlaviz says: Apr 17, 2008. 6:49 AM REPLY

idk dude I think this thing is going to be around for a while. Besides when have kids ever needed the help of a web site to cause trouble? ;)

chansingh says: Jun 27, 2008. 11:05 PM REPLY

i want ask that where is the spark plug placed in the combustion chamber for ignition of the feul and air mixture

Tomcat94 says: May 15, 2008. 4:30 PM REPLY

That would be funny if you started it up on the table in the pic, then it like, flew away. XD

aceshigh4753 says: Mar 20, 2008. 4:02 PM REPLY

Hey. I'm building my own jet engine and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for igniting the spark plugs. I think rigging up a flasher relay will be
too slow and was wondering if anyone could suggest a different type of relay to use or a completely different system? This is the last kink I need to iron out....

helix2000 says: May 7, 2008. 4:09 PM REPLY

I'm using a simple PWM circuit with a LM555 and a 2N3055 power transistor. I tried it and it works very good. Before having this circuit I was using a
power pack and was switching it on and off 2 times to ignite the combustion chamber. I wanted something more automatic though. My sparkplug
frequency is about 65 Hz at 50% duty cycle. I'll try other gaps, frequency and duty cycle configuration later, but for now it works really well and costs
about 20$. Don't forget to buy a heat sink for that transistor, as it heats quite a bit.

bridge7605 says: May 7, 2008. 12:23 PM REPLY

Hello, depending upon your DC voltage, (6 V, or 12 V DC) I would recommend that you use an old GM diesel glow plug, which come in 6 V, (fast glow
system) or 12 V, (slow glow system). Both systems use cooling system controllers, and relays, (which cycle the glow plugs on and off, for cold operating
conditions). The fast glow system, (which uses 6 V glow plugs) cycle the glow plugs on and off much faster than the 12 V, (slow glow system) so as not
to burn up the glow plugs. The slow glow system, (12 V glow plugs) don't burn up nearly as quickly as the 6 V glow plugs can, since both systems are
operated on 12 V. Anyway, both systems are used for cold start situations, and in both systems the glow plugs are cycled on and off for a while after the
car starts, to aid in burning the diesel fuel more efficiently, until the engine reaches a predetermined internal temperature so as the heat from
compression is sufficient to ignite the diesel fuel. After the car reaches a certain temperature, the glow plug controller, (which is located in the intake
manifold, directly in contact with the engine coolant) turns off the glow plug system in both systems, because they are no longer needed. I don't think you
would have any trouble using the 12 V slow glow plugs in combination with a relay, and 12 V battery source, or 6 V fast glow, glow plugs, in combination
with 6 V relay, and battery source. My only suggestion would be that you give whichever glow plug you choose to use a sufficient amount of time to get
hot, prior to trying to ignite your engine.

iq_abyss says: Apr 30, 2008. 7:44 PM REPLY

Don't use a spark-plug, use a glow-plug. I have no idea how to do it but a glow-plug would be much better.

chaydgb says: May 2, 2008. 8:36 AM REPLY

The problem is that a glow plug wouldn't stay above the fuel flash point for long due to the high speed airflow cooling it down, they're really designed
to ignite a relatively static fuel/air mass (like in a diesel) - whereas a spark plug will always generate a high enough temperature spark to ignite the
fast-moving fuel/air stream.

iq_abyss says: Apr 30, 2008. 9:39 PM REPLY

Dose the spark plug need to be pulsing, why not use a glow plug?

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/
 iq_abyss says: Apr 30, 2008. 8:33 PM REPLY
What is the horse power on one of these?

GreenAC4 says: Apr 17, 2008. 7:46 AM REPLY

I wonder IF you could use a Centrifical Supercharger? Like a Vortech A-trim

-Aj- says: Apr 27, 2008. 9:38 PM REPLY

yes i was thinking a similar thing. only using an old turbo i have around. the turbine on that would be absolutely awesome for it.
i think it would work fine. especially since theyre machine build and balanced and everything.

kamathln says: Apr 23, 2008. 8:10 AM REPLY

Is it difficult to build a tiny one ? People bight want to build different things with it.. Like toy planes, Hovercrafts , etc..

danielsb7676 says: Apr 20, 2008. 9:29 AM REPLY

how much does this cost about

savagefukeronsteroids says: Apr 20, 2008. 3:37 AM REPLY

killer wats the power to weight ratio i might try one see wat i cook on the exhaust

Kopolis777 says: Apr 19, 2008. 8:12 PM REPLY

totally cool!!! u actually built a jet engine.
you rhould make a rocket next.

twhaley says: Apr 18, 2008. 12:57 PM REPLY

Awesome! I'm SO gonna do this this weekend!

ll.13 says: Apr 16, 2008. 2:54 AM REPLY

cool!

JamesRPatrick says: Apr 15, 2008. 9:28 PM REPLY

I clicked your ads like twenty times.

bowmaster says: Apr 15, 2008. 5:37 PM REPLY

Does this have an afterburner? If not how can I add one?

russwmoore says: Apr 15, 2008. 3:37 PM REPLY

Well we finally made it to the home page of Instructables as a featured project! Things have been very hectic around here as we moved to a new shop
location in the last year, but Bad Brothers Racing is still very much alive and building all kinds of crazy projects!

Anyone interested in building this engine should note that we offer kits and even completed engines (just add a turbo). For more information you can contact
me directly at russwmoore@badbros.net Happy building to all, and please remember to stay safe when attempting this project!

Video available at www.youtube.com/badbros

Armyb0y says: Apr 5, 2008. 8:25 AM REPLY

If anybody has an idea for my comment please email me at carronrobert@yahoo.com, or try robert.carron@us.army.mil

thanks army.

Armyb0y says: Apr 5, 2008. 8:23 AM REPLY

Lets suppose that designing a jet bike was the key thing to design, what if i wanted to make a model jet with full capabilities. I would need to find a way to
greatly condense the engine posted. Jet length maxes at 6ft. with a wing span of 5ft.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/
 banna says: Mar 22, 2008. 4:45 PM REPLY
guys this site is great nice job

hiigaran says: Mar 12, 2008. 10:28 PM REPLY

suppose you make some of these jets and then add them onto an aircraft of 12m wing span and 6m fuselage length. would 2 or 3 be sufficient? and before
anyone says that it wont produce enough thrust, consider this:

the jet would have an intercooler, a secondary tank around the combustion chamber (main fuel tank delivers fuel here. purpose is to cool combustion
chamber, and pre-heat the fuel for better combustion), and fuel injectors at the start of the exhaust nozzle for extra burning.

nasda says: Mar 16, 2008. 6:32 AM REPLY

I think ure right and I think it would be sufficient.oh? if ure building an aircraft can u help me

hiigaran says: Mar 17, 2008. 1:51 AM REPLY

sure - what do you need to know?

view all 133 comments

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-your-own-Jet-Engine/