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[Bunkerbarge]

One for all you knowlegeable steam chappies out there, Does anyone know of a currently commercially available boiler water level control system?

The only two I know of, the Cheddar ABC system and the unit from BF Industries in Orlando are both no longer manufactured.

[TAG]

Hi
I have been making water level sensors for sometime. They come in two versions one uses an electrode screwed into a boiler bush the other which is in prototype form uses a sight glass sensor. Both are based on PIC chips but production stopped when my PIC programmer died earlier this year. After a post asking for help a kind gentleman from Canada came to my aid and wrote new programmes for me. I am now able to blow new PIC chips here. The sight glass version works in principle but only one has been released into "the wild" I have now designed a new smaller PCB for it, I should be able to make some soon. If you look on the subject of feedwater I did a number of posts on the matter. As for other makers I am not sure as you know what happened to Cheddar Models and the American company you refer to stopped making them. It does not look as if Stuarts are going to relaunch the ABC unit.
TAG

[kno3]

Tag, where could I see your units?

[sunworksco]

It may be possible to use the Hitec HTS-Navi Telemetry system fuel level sensor.
There will be more information about the telemetry products launch the next 2-3 months.
Regards,
Giovanni


http://www.hitecrcd.com/products/new-products/telemetric-system.html

[Bunkerbarge]

Thanks for the response Tag, maybe when you get something up and running you could let us know, I am always being asked about them.

[TAG]

kno3 and Bunkerbarge
I am slowly getting back into making them and will post when units are available (they are made to order). Which do I concentrate on first, the one that uses an electrode in the boiler or the optical one on the gauge glass?
TAG

[kno3]

I'd say the optical one, as it is probably the easiest to retrofit and the majority of decent marine boilers have a glass tube water gauge. And make the sensor in such a way that it would fit to 4 & 5 mm glass tubes.
The one with the sensor in the boiler would require the  boiler to have the same thread as the sensor, or to solder a new one in... all mean work that not all modellers are willing or able to undertake.

[sunworksco]

Could you please post some images of the sensors since I will needing one.
Thanks,
Giovanni

[HS93 (RIP)]

It would be nice to have a water level  sensor to work with some of the rc gear that feeds back to the TX like the HI tec or the Jeti or the new one Giant Cod are selling then you could decide if you want to top up the water, it would put you back in charge inn the engine room .

Peter

[south steyne]

Hi all I have installed the sensor in my boiler hooked up to the electronics by Malcom Beak which controls a mechanical pump and geared electric motor and works a treat very accurate
John

[derekwarner]

Hi South Steyne......I am sure many members would love to see some .jpgs of your water level sensor arrangement & also the water make up pump detail.......regards Derek  

[TAG]

Here are two images of my water level sensors, please be aware that they are original prototypes not the 'production' units. In the image showing the PCBs the upper one is the opto unit and the electrode one the lower. The image of the sensor units hopefully is self explanatory. To summarise the electrode unit is on a PCB size 70mm x 44mm, its input is from an electrode in the boiler and is supplied with an AC voltage. This should prevent any electro corrosion if DC was used. The outputs are to a servo for operating a bypass valve or a high power transistor to run an electrically operated feedpump. The following facilities are available, time delays for pump running after the water level has been restored 1sec useful for setting up, or 15,30,60 seconds to prevent hunting. Servo reverse. Alarm output if pumping time exceeds 120 or 240 seconds. Note this alarm system had a bug in it which has been removed in the latest software. All these facilities are are selectable by DIL switches. Indications are a flashing green LED indicating power up, yellow LED indicating pumping in progress, a red flashing LED alarm output. Please note I do not supply the electrode but only a drawing of how to make one.
The optical unit redesigned PCB will be 47mm x 38mm . The input is from an opto coupler on the gauge glass. All other outputs and facilities etc are as for the electrode version. Note the opto coupler is supplied.
I hope this helps.
Tim (TAG)

[kno3]

Nice, I'd like to see the optical sensor too, if possible.

[wideawake]

Nice, I'd like to see the optical sensor too, if possible.

Hi there

the optical sensor is the item on the left of the pic, with leads coming from it.    It clamps around the sight glass.    I have one of these wwich TAG supplied to me a while ago but I've not been in a position to set it up and try it yet.

HTH

Guy

[kno3]

Thanks! I didn't realise it 

[south steyne]

 )Just a few pics of my setup please excuse fuzzy shots but hope you get the idea ,the small geared motor runs 40 rpm and geared 2 to one giving 20 pumps p/m the circuit board is in the black box and the sensor is 1/4 x 40 brass fitting with 2mm copper probe wire soldered into a 6ba stud which is screwed into a silicon sleeve to insulate.
The system keeps up with demand providing pressure is maintained around 40 - 50 psi , below this and the water consumption increases enormously this is my observation over a few weeks of testing and can operate on the water up to an hour so far with no hand feed hope this is some help
cheers
John

[south steyne]

 :-)Couple more pics shows the sensor on the boiler and the black box with the circuit board also charging points for the 12v battery under the green cover
John

[TAG]

South Steyne
I see you prefer your boiler feed pump to be independent of the engine, I decided to do this when the prop on one of my steam driven boats hit something and locked up the prop shaft. There was plenty of gas on board and plenty of steam from the safety valve but no water! Managed a rescue before it boiled dry.
I also prefer the boiler water level to be detected by an electrode in the boiler no problems with bubbles in the gauge glass giving spurious indications as happens with the opto system. In the end the choice of which system reduces down to accuracy against convenience.  Obviously the feed water has to be conducting for the electrode system to work, a splash of tap water sorts that one out. My electrode system detects water resistance up to 150000 ohms across the electrode before it gives up, I give the electrode an annual clean.
Any chance of explaining how the electronics works or at least the general principles?
Tim

[south steyne]

  I think you are right Tim about the glass being inaccurate as I have noticed the electronics on my setup cuts in with different levels showing on the gauge sometimes quite low and suddenly there is a surge caused maybe by various vacuum conditions around the glass fittings not sure. as to the electronics my good friend built mine for around 20 dollars of bits and pieces from jaycar the actual probe is home made.
Cheers
John