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Steam related discussions.
Re: 2020 STEAM EVENTS - 1 year ago
The N.A.M.E.S. (North American Model Engineering Society) 31st Annual Exposition which will be held April 25-26, 2020 at the Yack Arena, in Wyandotte, Michigan. N.A.M.E.S.by frustrated - SteamStuff
2020 STEAM EVENTS - 1 year ago
I decided to merge announcements for the sake of simplifying entries. Kenby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Force circulation steam generator design - 1 year ago
Aw geeze Ron, fireless locomotives were part of the next president's message, and now you stole my thunder! Yep, he's right, those last 100 feet were getting a bit sketchy, but we did coast a half mile in on his boiler reserve. Actually, that worked kind of nice, didn't have to do a big blowdown in the parking lot right next to that Marmon. Ron, hope everything is going well at the new shby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Force circulation steam generator design - 1 year ago
Hi Rick, There's all kinds of separators .. cyclone, chevron, filter --- typically they are in the steam line, downstream of the drum. The Baker boiler had no drum, but it used a larger diameter tube encircling the boiler, this tube largely acted as a storage device. This is actually what I suggested they use on the LSR car since the reserve would simplify control versus a pure monotube ---by frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Force circulation steam generator design - 1 year ago
Hi Scott, You're dead on right ... verging on being too generous! It wasn't functionally all that much different than the original Serpollet, and that was also nearly uncontrolled; which is why Serpollet dropped it after a few years and went to a semi-flash boiler. I'm probably more in favor of simplicity than most people, but everything has a point of diminishing returns. Rick, One coby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Force circulation steam generator design - 1 year ago
Hi Rick, The only way that I can see managing without a throttle valve would be by regulating feed pump flow --- you can only get out what you put in. That's about how Bill Ryan regulated the speed on his hothead go-kart. Of course, that thing is basically a Serpollet system, he has no real regulation and runs the tubes as hot as he can get them … essentially a true flash boiler. The downsiby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Force circulation steam generator design - 1 year ago
Hi Rick, The only way that I can see managing without a throttle valve would be by regulating feed pump flow --- you can only get out what you put in. That's about how Bill Ryan regulated the speed on his hothead go-kart. Of course, that thing is basically a Serpollet system, he has no real regulation and runs the tubes as hot as he can get them … essentially a true flash boiler. The downsiby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Force circulation steam generator design - 1 year ago
Hi Rick, Sorry for not replying earlier, I was trying to do some proof reading on the Coats to Endurance and the Scott-Newcomb books for the Real Steam Power series. I've also been spending spare moments learning to use the Fusion 360 parametric CAD program; unfortunately, my last experience with parametric modeling was a one week course with Unigraphics, about 20 years ago. Suffice it to sayby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: 20th year on the web for SACA - 1 year ago
Well, I certainly want to thank Scott for managing the Forum so ably. That's the lesser part, however, he more especially deserves our thanks for creating the SACA website originally. I have no idea how many members have originally found out about the club through this venue, but it's undoubtedly one important factor in keeping the club afloat.by frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Force circulation steam generator design - 1 year ago
Honestly, I have some real issues with the idea of supercritical steam in small powerplants...despite some enthusiasm thrown that way. It's going to be difficult to operate a reciprocating expander on supercritical steam. An engine designed to run with reasonable efficiency at 1,000 psi needs a cutoff that is much shorter than those found in IC engines --- meaning the inlet valve event is goingby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: lubricators - 1 year ago
I'd look around for Manzel lubricators. E-bay has a few complete units, they may be kind of expensive. I found some Manzel modules for sale: Manzel module You could use these as a starting point to build your own. They would have to be mounted on an oil containing box and you'd need a cam shaft driven by the engine through a heavy stepdown ratio. The camshaft could employ simple eccentriby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: need a custom engine - 1 year ago
I'd be interested in any turbine prints, would appreciate any copies if no big trouble. Regards, Kenby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Doble Boiler - 1 year ago
Hi Don, I would have to estimate, but a Doble probably consumes something on the order of 4 gallons a minute, at absolute full power. Let's say full power is 100 HP, the engine is drawing about 25 lbs/hp-hr (longer cutoff), that's 2500 lbs/hr. Divide by 60 minutes per hour to get about 40 lbs per minute. Divide by 8 lbs/gal (roughly) and figure about 5 gals per minute. There's some plus orby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Doble Boiler - 1 year ago
Hi Don, There's no real answer to "is that a lot?", it depends on the burner, engine demand and so on...it could be too little if the engine needs more steam than that in order to perform effectively. The easiest way to regulate a piston pump is a bypass back to the pump suction or the feed water tank ... basically a tee in the line after the pump discharge with a needle valve on tby frustrated - SteamStuff
Copper Sheet. - 1 year ago
Just passing on the word.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ken, There is a supply of sheet copper 20-22 ga, 3 foot by 10 foot, 26# at $4.00/#. East First Street Recycling, (steel sales side of 1st St.) Dayton, Ohio Maybe someone would like some for water tanks. Can you disseminate? regards, Ken Hemmelgarnby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Boiler alternatives for a Stanley - 1 year ago
All kinds of cars with water tube boilers performed just fine. Jim Crank told me that with the White steamer the most important consideration is a burner and feed pump that are about twice oversized ... and appropriately responsive controls. Suddenly opening a throttle will instantly draw any boiler down, firetube boilers have a lot of reserve and therefore the drawdown is modest, watertube boilby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Steam Powered Tank - 1 year ago
Well, if people had paid attention and used a bit more imagination, the trench warfare that broke out during the siege of Petersburg during the US Civil War could have been eliminated with tank warfare … WW1 would have been a bit different. Note, this wasn't a fanciful design, Miller actually built and tested this tracked vehicle. It was said to operate well on rough terrain and up hills. Oby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Steam Powered Tank - 1 year ago
There was also a study performed, I think it was back in the 50s or 60s, regarding the use of steam in a modified M-60 tank! That machine did pretty good in the hands of the USMC during Desert Storm and upgraded versions are still in use around the world.by frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: some steam math - 1 year ago
We can figure out how much water you need to make 994 cubic inches of steam. The Sarco-Spirax steam tables tell us that the density of saturated steam at 2 bar is 0.1 lbs per cubic foot. A cubic foot is 1728 cubic inches so 994/1728 = 0.575 cubic feet 0.575 multiplied by 0.1 rounds up to 0.06 lbs per minute feed water rate. Of course, if you go with superheated steam, the answer willby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: some steam math - 1 year ago
Well, this will be alright if the valves admit steam for the full stroke. On the other hand, if the engine has some sort of cutoff, the length of stroke at cutoff would apply. All this presupposes no pressure drop across the admission valve. On other hand, since the formula overestimates steam usage, a boiler built to that spec. has a built-in safety marginby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Funding - 1 year ago
I think I have an answer as to why there was no interest in the boiler. According to the International Journal for Research in Applied Science & Engineering Technology (IJRASET), the efficiency of a supercritical boiler is about 93.75 percent. (ISSN: 2321-9653; IC Value: 45.98; SJ Impact Factor:6.887 Volume 5 Issue IX, September 2017) Supercritical Boiler Efficiency This seemsby frustrated - SteamStuff
Horseless Carriage Day - 1 year ago
Happy Horseless Carriage Day! Surprisingly enough, it's also National Mule Day .... wonder if there was a hidden message there....by frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Doble Book - 1 year ago
The Storeroom entry just went online and we sold a copy almost immediately after!by frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Doble Book - 1 year ago
Jim's e-mail is: evergreenfiresystems@gmail.comby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Doble Book - 1 year ago
It will be sold through the SACA Storeroom in the next month or so. I'll see if I can get Jim Anderson's contact information early next week.by frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Funding - 1 year ago
Someone is going to have to explain this bit about cavitation steam generation to me. I've heard it a few times and neither the physics nor the engineering seem to line up. As a Navy Machinists' Mate, I was pretty familiar with cavitation as it is a pretty common failure mode for centrifugal pumps and propellers. The rapidly turning rotor generates vapor bubbles which can cause a pump impelleby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Doble Book - 1 year ago
I got my copy and I think eleven were sold. The website to sell the book is underway and they are making arrangements for fulfillment through Amazon.by frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Ashton Valve Company - 1 year ago
Send it to kenatgm@aol.com and I'll foward the article to Margie. Thanks! Kenby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Ashton Valve Company - 1 year ago
Hi Rick, Do you have enough information on the company to do a writeup for the SACA Bulletin? Regards, Kenby frustrated - SteamStuff
Re: Old Steam automobile Journals - 1 year ago
Hope folks don't mind. I didn't see a huge difference in the subject material and figured it would simplify matters to merge all three topics. Kenby frustrated - SteamStuff