Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[rathikrishna]

Good morning Friends..i got some leave again, and working on my ne crafts...now i am trying o make a steam engine for my ne craft the "POPEYE"..so i have one doubt about it...ho can we fill water in to boiler as it works..? means ,all we know , the water in the boiler will finish as steam pushes out..then how to fill the fresh water in to boiler while it remains in high pressure..?  will some one give me some guidance...please..its a request...

[gondolier88]

Hi Rathi,

Good to see your tackling steam now too!

Whatever pressure the boiler works at you will need something that can put water into the boiler at a pressure equal to or above the boiler pressure.

The way most model steamboats do this is with a pump- this could take the form of an engine-driven pump which is usually a very small diameter/long stroke cylinder that replaces enough water in the boiler to top up what each cylinder uses on a revolution.

You could also/instead use a hand pump, these are usually large diameter short stroke pumps with a rod on the end of the ram to hold to manually put water into the boiler at safe intervals.

A few models also have servo driven pumps that replicate the movement of an eccentric or your hand to move the ram of a pump, this can be controlled by sensors on the boiler to put water into the boiler only when it needs it.

Hope that's of help Rathi.

Greg

[rathikrishna]

ohh..thank you...so anyho i need a high pressure pump to feed the boiler..ok..i will try..with brass...thank you...and one more doubt..if we fed this pump with engine, after filling the boiler, is there any need of an overflow..?  like carburettoer of a car..? yes..?  please...

[Aeronut4]

Rathi - if you use an engine driven pump, then it's usual to fit a bypass valve, which returns unwanted water to the tank, this can be adjusted to obtain the correct flow rate into the boiler - I'm fairly certain that trial and error is called for until the correct setting for the valve is obtained.  There are also one or two automatic systems around which use a sensor attached to the boiler sightglass to monitor the level.

[rathikrishna]

So sure..Aero, one more doubt...will you tell me to make a good flame under the boiler in an easy way..spirit lamp..?  or coconut oil lamp..?  i am willing to make a simple little craft with a steam engine, alomg with a craft with put put engine..

[Aeronut4]

Rathi - I'm no expert in these matters and I think someone else will probably be able to give you a better answer than me.  However, here's my thoughts, for what they're worth.  If you're planning to use a liquid fuel, then you'll probably be looking at a simple 'pot' boiler - i.e. one with no centre flue, where the burner just sits under the boiler, like Mamod and Wilesco types.  If that's the case, then you need a fuel which will provide a hot, clean flame and I would have thought that a spirit lamp would be your best choice, using methylated spirit or whatever else you can get.  I'm afraid I don't know about using lamp oil, but I suspect it burns with a yellow, colder, flame which is not really what you want. Other fuels are available, like solid fuel tablets and gel, but I'm not sure of your local supply situation for these - you'll have to go with what you are able to obtain.

I know you asked before about boiler feed pumps, but these aren't usually employed with 'pot' types of boiler - the boiler is filled with water and the fuel supply is sized so that it runs out before the water - works very well for the simpler types of installation.  I suspect you'd normaly get around 10 minutes running from a setup like this. If you want longer running times, then you're looking at much more complicated setups, probably using gas firing.

[rathikrishna]

"I know you asked before about boiler feed pumps, but these aren't usually employed with 'pot' types of boiler - the boiler is filled with water and the fuel supply is sized so that it runs out before the water - works very well for the simpler types of installation."Aero...its rectified now, from your words...sure..i was overthinking about the matter...ohh...now i can go for it with ease...so i will try by the pointed method...a million thanks again...ohhhhyyyaaaa....