Answers.Body: <p>Assuming that you're asking about the engine in particular, it seems to be a large number of pneumatic engines that have been coupled together in order to supply the required torque. LEGO pneumatic engines typically consist of a pneumatic cylinder driving a crankshaft. Here's a basic picture to give you an idea:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/SnCML.png" alt="cylinder and crankshaft"></p>
  
  <p>The shaft usually also controls a pneumatic valve that switches the direction of the piston to allow continuous rotation as shown here:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/yHPdh.png" alt="valve control"></p>
  
  <p>This allows the engine to run on air pressure being directed to the pneumatic valve without the use of any electrical components.</p>
  
  <p>These images come from a fairly simple single cylinder pneumatic engine by nico71 <a href="http://rebrickable.com/catalog/nico71/single-cylinder-engine" rel="nofollow noreferrer">on Rebrickable</a> that includes <a href="http://nicolas.lespour.free.fr/fichiers/images/Lego/Manipulateur/The_BI_LPE1_By_Nico71.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">instructions</a> if you are curious about more of the details of how these work, or if you would like to build your own.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-19T17:04:23.103Z
Answers.Text: Yes I'm talking about the engine. Is this working with electricity?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Adam Arold
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-19T17:25:58.183Z
Answers.Text: Air engine runs on compressed air. Or with a straw if you blow hard enough :)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Stephane Delcroix
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-19T18:06:18.047Z
Answers.Text: This does technically run on air, but the air has to be compressed. This is often done using an electric compressor.
Answers.UserDisplayName: jncraton
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-19T16:48:39.003Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-12-19T18:04:47.240Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2013-12-19T18:04:47.240Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: jncraton
Body: <p>I've recently read an article about a car which is made entirely of LEGO and it <strong><em>runs on air</em></strong>. I'm curious about how it works. Can someone explain the details of it?</p>
  
  <p>Here is the car:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/pjupm.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>These are all the details I have:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Super Awesome Micro Project is: A car made of Lego, that drives, has
    an engine made from Lego which runs on air. (wheels and some load
    bearing elements are non-Lego)</p>
    
    <p>Super Awesome Micro Project Factoids</p>
    
    <ul>
    <li>More than 500,000 LEGO pieces were used.</li>
    <li>The car engine is made from standard Lego pieces and runs on air!</li>
    <li>The engine has four orbital engines and a total of 256 pistons.</li>
    <li>Top speed is not very fast, around 20-30km</li>
    </ul>
  </blockquote>
  
Tags: <motor><vehicle>
Title: How does the Super Awesome Micro Project work?
UserDisplayName: Adam Arold
ThreadText: # How does the Super Awesome Micro Project work?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2013-12-19)
  
  I've recently read an article about a car which is made entirely of LEGO and it ***runs on air***. I'm curious about how it works. Can someone explain the details of it?
  
  Here is the car:
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/pjupm.jpg)
  
  These are all the details I have:
  
  > Super Awesome Micro Project is: A car made of Lego, that drives, has
  > an engine made from Lego which runs on air. (wheels and some load
  > bearing elements are non-Lego)
  >
  > Super Awesome Micro Project Factoids
  >
  > * More than 500,000 LEGO pieces were used.
  > * The car engine is made from standard Lego pieces and runs on air!
  > * The engine has four orbital engines and a total of 256 pistons.
  > * Top speed is not very fast, around 20-30km
  
  **Tags:** motor, vehicle
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2013-12-19. Score: 6
  
  Assuming that you're asking about the engine in particular, it seems to be a large number of pneumatic engines that have been coupled together in order to supply the required torque. LEGO pneumatic engines typically consist of a pneumatic cylinder driving a crankshaft. Here's a basic picture to give you an idea:
  
  ![cylinder and crankshaft](https://i.sstatic.net/SnCML.png)
  
  The shaft usually also controls a pneumatic valve that switches the direction of the piston to allow continuous rotation as shown here:
  
  ![valve control](https://i.sstatic.net/yHPdh.png)
  
  This allows the engine to run on air pressure being directed to the pneumatic valve without the use of any electrical components.
  
  These images come from a fairly simple single cylinder pneumatic engine by nico71 [on Rebrickable](http://rebrickable.com/catalog/nico71/single-cylinder-engine) that includes [instructions](http://nicolas.lespour.free.fr/fichiers/images/Lego/Manipulateur/The_BI_LPE1_By_Nico71.pdf) if you are curious about more of the details of how these work, or if you would like to build your own.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Yes I'm talking about the engine. Is this working with electricity?  
  > **username_2**: Air engine runs on compressed air. Or with a straw if you blow hard enough :)  
  > **username_1**: This does technically run on air, but the air has to be compressed. This is often done using an electric compressor.  
  
  ---
  
  