LeChatNoir wrote:When I saw it on playa, it was working quite well. He said he could get it up to about 20 mph, but I didn't see that for myself. I'm not for sure if the head on the pump was stock or perhaps modified. i didn't know what to look for at that time and so... well... didn't look for that. The bottom of the crankcase had either been removed or cut off, to show the crank and bottom of the piston rod. Easier to oil I suspect. And I’m most positive that he had an inline oiler to keep the piston lubed up.
I'm starting to learn more about monotube boilers and think I can make one without any issue. I've yet to quite figure out how to effectively pump water in at a constant rate, but I'm gathering that it involves, firstly, a check valve to insure flow in one direction only. Then as the water turns to steam at the far end of the coiled tube, it rushes out the open end and will make way for more water to come in. At the moment it would seen that only a slight pressure is needed on the feed end. Perhaps even just a hand pumped pressure vessel similar to an old fire extinguisher (stainless or brass version of a garden sprayer). I’m not sure how only slight pressure is needed on one end with 100 psi at the other… but I’ll get to the bottom of it. As I learn it, I’ll post it.
What would you guys think about a new thread for The Contraption 2.0? Seems like a good time to start a new chapter, so to speak.
The problem I've found wiht using a reworked gasoline engine (other than the single action-ness of itself) is you always get steam blowby into the crankcase. Having it open allows that moisture to evaporate rather than collect and rust stuff up - after all, Rust Never Sleeps.
Water? Sheesh... I will look at my resources and see if I can find a level minder or something. Pumping water in is easy, it's keeping the level of it up that's critical. You do NOT want to run a boiler dry.... not EVER!!! But you could (using Spec's really kewl idea of a master cylinder) build something like a driven unit off a gear and cam or crankshaft thing... you could also (theoretically) use a manual fuel pump (like the one off my pld VW) on a cam turned by the motor, mounted off an eccentric-and-lever gig so it could be brought into and out of action as needed.
Look at modern boiler tech - like Stationary engineer stuff. I think WW Grainger or MSC Industrial has steam fitments. Check valves are important.
Actually - here's a road map. I have a couple of these, between Alco and Stanley and Doble. This bookmark is from a Stanley 735 (I think) system, gives you an idea of a real working motive steam plant.
http://www.stanleymotorcarriage.com/Gen ... iagram.pdf
Not like I like this stuff, eh?
My thing was always the recovery end - recapturing the steam without having a big ol sludgy mess and a clogged condenser from your 600W or 1000W oil.
Oops, gotta go... more later.
bb