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Non Steam Discussions
Re: need a custom engine - 2 years ago
I know how to build the old style piston engines, have books full of design info and the basic equipment to do it. So that's my obvious route. Turbines aren't in my build capability range I expect.by ReubenT - SteamStuff
need a custom engine - 2 years ago
Yah I do. The old Westinghouse engine is not really right for the job. need to pull it off the truck and set it up for stationary work. It's obviously made for level operation. the crankcase oil pours out the shaft ends when it's tilted. It also has quite a clank in the flywheel governor that I don't remember earlier. I'll try to determine it's cause one of these days. I can plug it intby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Boiler alternatives for a Stanley - 2 years ago
The difference is in the volume of water present inside the boiler. The less water there is the faster it heats up, the more water there is the more reserve is available, cushion to get through high steam draw periods, but the longer it takes to warm up. And the less heated water is in the system the less potential for explosion, but explosion risk is alleviated by proper build and safetby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Funding - 2 years ago
The product of my lifetime of energy research has revealed to me; the original source of all energy is endless and inexhaustible. That is it which energizes everything else. It was termed radiant energy by N Tesla. What we deal with commonly here is only the product of it's action on other substances, and our current energy systems are predominantly what we would call a closed loop systeby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Funding - 2 years ago
Apparently the popping of those cavitation vacuum bubbles causes a lot of heat to build up, and so intentionally creating them in a confined space can make more heat than the energy used to spin the drum can account for. But then there's sonic wave generated cavitation that promises far more efficiency than the spinning drum. So there's more stuff to experiment with. Just put cavitation heatby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Funding - 2 years ago
My ideal life is to live in a tropical garden, eat the fruits of it fresh from the plants, then for side occupation build steam engines of various kinds, and fool with various energy inventions. Getting the greenhouse thing going is the first part, and they have to run really cheap. I have several ideas to work on. One is a cavitation water heater, which is supposed to create steaby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Fundling - 2 years ago
Just got to wandering if anyone is working on steam projects, custom vehicles or something. I've been working on the concept of heating greenhouses without outside input, something I've wanted for many years and done a lot of research and experimentation on, think I'm making some progress now. Ready to set something up and get something running. The steam stuff is kind of a sideline supporby ReubenT - SteamStuff
practical engine design - 3 years ago
Although currently I'm busy with things, finishing our house and agriculture development, and won't have time to spend on it for awhile, maybe not till next winter at the soonest. So it's probably kind of early to start thinking about it, but I can't help but think. I feel like I need a different engine on my steam truck and use the old Westinghouse engine for stationary or portable use instby ReubenT - SteamStuff
crazy boiler idea - 3 years ago
The proposal is to combine a biochar making drum with a boiler to utilize some of the lost heat of biochar burn off to split wood for more charcoal making. A hollow ring top and bottom with a circle of vertical pipes side by side connecting them, making a shape like the walls of a 55 gallon steel drum, open top and bottom. stack it full of dry sticks and light it up. It burns off and thby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Resonant circuit - 3 years ago
if two copper wire coils could be inserted in a pipe and the 2 leads gotten through the walls. (the other 2 can be grounded inside) The two coils positioned beside each other with space between. Tune them with capacitors outside. A low power RF frequency applied to one would induce a signal in the other which could be amplified and used to control switching. Conductive water between the coiby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Finally Building an Engine - 3 years ago
Sounds very similar to the Westinghouse "high speed" engine I have on the 4x4 truck., 2 cy single acting with a rocking cylinder valve similar to the corliss valve, It is 5x5 bore/stroke. has a flywheel governor controlling the valve travel, reduces eccentric throw as the speed increases. Of course all cast iron and weighs a good bit. Probably somewhere in the region of whatby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Dodge pickup - 3 years ago
Perhaps, but surely someone has converted a vehicle to steam that had power steering on it. Funny thing it isl When I was young I thought I had all the time in the world to do things. Now it seems my time is split up so many ways it's hard to get any one thing done. Kind of hard to get the steam truck up on the priority list far enough to actually work on it. Trying to get a semi truckby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Resonant circuit - 3 years ago
I experimented some years ago, but didn't actually make it. (ended up using modified spark plugs) Just an idea I had. A neodymium magnet inside a stainless tube. The stainless is low enough in magnetic conductivity that some of the flux makes it to the outside which can be picked up by sensor. It was enough to carry a steel wire ring up the pipe. Mount magnet in a float that will slide iby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Dodge pickup - 3 years ago
whole week of rain interrupted work. but got the winch and brake latch installed. Ready to try it out in real work. But now another job is pulling me away, so have to delay a few days. Not intended to look pretty, just functional hopefully.by ReubenT - SteamStuff
Dodge pickup - 3 years ago
finally left the shop powered by steam. only a couple hundred ft and back to see how the engine pulls it, seems like it will do ok, back to get a couple more additions for practical use, break lock and winch installed. I discovered why the relief valve was sold on ebay used for a cheaper price than most. It leaks, simmers, but not too bad, it's ok for my use for now. Probably replby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: What atmospheric pressure can do - 3 years ago
I saw sometime back similar video on youtube of railroad tank car imploding with vacuum. They were getting ready to cut it up for scrap and wanted to see if it could be collapsed with vacuum. It did. Technically a perfect tank would hold, but nothing is perfect. Run a steam engine on 15 psi steam, or atmospheric steam and condense it, same power. But the temperature change needed to cby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Finned fire tube boiler - 3 years ago
only possible problem I can imagine is in vigorous operation the steam generation could be so fast as to push water away from the tubes allowing the tubes to overheat and blow out. Careful testing needed, keeping things safe in case a tube blows. Or keep the fire at a moderate rate so it never runs that hard. But it's kind of a guessing game how fast it could be run without having some sort ofby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Solid fuel boiler - 3 years ago
No copper here, all steel and built to handle 600 PSI, scd 40 seamless for the coils and scd 80 for the rest of plumbing, along with a stainless superheater coil. but when I found that old engine and decided to use it instead of building one, a small "high speed" westinghouse design made by ACME. single acting twin 5x5 cylinders, running at 600 RPM, which calculates at 15 HP atby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Solid fuel boiler - 3 years ago
I've spent years thinking about it. And very gradually doing something. Finally got an ofeldt built, tested, installed on a 3/4 ton 4x4 truck, bought an antique westinghouse engine for it, almost ready to run 2 winters ago and last winter when I intended to finish it I got called off to drive truck all winter so it didn't happen. So waiting on another winter to finish it and put it toby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Ofeldt patent - 4 years ago
My first concern on that design would be trapping water in the center cavity that couldn't be drained. I get freezing weather and need to drain all water to prevent a chunk of ice forming. I used a 10" center drum and a 4" riser on top very similar to Ron's. Plus super heating. Oh and I drilled a 7/8" hole in the top plate of the 4" riser, bolted another plate over tby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Interesting crankless steam engine from 1870 - 4 years ago
attention is naturally drawn to the traditional engine with it's open crank and flywheel, moving parts seem to fascinate. But other than getting all the expansion possible out of a given load of steam turned into crank power, the boiler is where the energy gets transferred from fuel to heat and pressure. Oh it's fun to play with, and can be practical in some places. I want toby ReubenT - SteamStuff
crude Russian steam trike - 4 years ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE8lcdNh3g4by ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Bad Deal - 4 years ago
To forget past mistakes and consequences is to repeat them, with similar results. With the internet so easily accessible, research in old technology and how to do things right is so easy there's no excuse for blundering in dangerous experiments except pure laziness. And then to broadcast such laziness to the general public is pure stupidity. Reveals that the broadcasters don't care what tby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Reliable Steam V4 Engine Plans - 5 years ago
The old steam engine engineers had a good imagination. A good mental mechanical picture imagination helps a lot, along with plenty of paper scribbling. Start with plenty of research into what's been done in the past and then modify or adapt to work on yer application. I like the idea of full variable cutoff myself, controlled by governor with hand throttle lever to control the governor settingby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Introduction, thinking about building a steam automobile - 5 years ago
I am assembling a practical steam truck now. Using my old dodge 4x4 truck and an ACME/Westinghouse engine of about 20 HP that I bought on an ebay auction awhile back, building an ofeldt boiler which is ready for it's pressure test. A greenhouse project takes precedence now but I got the cab off the truck and ready for modification. It will be a firewood powered firewood processing truck wby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Superheater design choice - 5 years ago
Jeremy Holmes Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have super heater that is1in sch 40 316ss Im > finding very difficult to bend. Same thing I have, used a hydraulic jack type pipe bender, worked just fine. Lots of heat helps too, I heated the 1" sc 80 black pipe with the used oil torch before bending, till it just starts to show a slight orange gby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Things to do - 5 years ago
Always things to do. Finally got to where I decided to finish my boiler so I'm cutting out parts from steel. Between cutting torch, milling machine, and lathe. Found a nice carbide end mill just right for boring the tube holes, (in the box of milling bits that came with the machine) But no 1.25" nmtb40 adapter for it. (got everything up to 1" so ordered one off ebay. Also fby ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Greetings to you all,what have you been up to lately? - 5 years ago
Been busy for sure, just not getting back to the steamy situation like I'd like to be. But in the mean time I keep accumulating junk, (raw material inventory for recycle through the furnace) and getting more metal working equipment as it becomes available. Just about have enough to make whatever I can dream up in aluminum or cast iron. Scrap metal to finished parts. 3 foundry furnaces,by ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Ofeldt boiler time - 6 years ago
Don't need ASME legally for where it'll be worked, but I won't compromise safety. Although I'll see if I can rig up my own stress relief treatment. Supposed to heat in furnace to 11-1200 F hold for one hour and then cool slowly. I think I will get a TIG welder, been wanting one for a long time anyway since I keep running into need for it.by ReubenT - SteamStuff
Re: Ofeldt boiler time - 6 years ago
By the way, what kind of welder works best for steel boiler welding? All I've done is stick welding with lincoln AC and AC/DC welders. 33 years worth. Enough to know what it takes to make good joints. With a boiler that means preheat and then stress relief heat treatment for the whole unit before use. But I'm thinking perhaps a TIG welder might be better, no flux crap to get in the wby ReubenT - SteamStuff