Wren Free Turbine Plans

forgot.......

are you making the NGV or getting a cast one?

Excellent... That's about what I have right now. Il go for the 5 blade compressor.

I'm doing the built up NGV

Kawka777 said:

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone out there has built the MW54 MK1 turbine from Wren. I got these plans available for free from Wrens website. It he only tool I don't have is a milling machine, which would make the machining of the diffuser a lot easier. This is my first jet engine I have tried to create. I'd appreciate any ideas or experiences with this build that you might have.

http://www.wrenturbinesusa.net/mw54-turbo-jet-and-turbo-prop-second-stage-plans

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Have you by any chance still have the turbo prop second stage build plans? Because as you might know wrenn website is no longer available.

CEB2 said:

Have you by any chance still have the turbo prop second stage build plans? Because as you might know wrenn website is no longer available.

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Hi CEB2,
I did have these plans at one time, but since switching computers a bunch of times, I no longer have them. I did some research and found nothing.

I do have a set of machining instructions for the turboprop.

I did find a 3D model of the turboprop on grab and that might have been modeled from the original plans. Perhaps you can use those.

I do have plans of the original engine and the build instructions too.

https://grabcad.com/library/mw54-turboprop-1

-Mike

This post got my interest and I found this site. Does it look right and complete?

http://www.totallyscrewedmachineshop.com/documents/documents.html

scottyp said:

This post got my interest and I found this site. Does it look right and complete?

http://www.totallyscrewedmachineshop.com/documents/documents.html

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Thanks a lot, those two ressources links are so complete.

Kawka777​

did you finish your Wren?

mine has had a few mods since this tread started. its still sat on a shelf waiting for the plane to be finished :-(

ScottyP,
Thank you for that find! I wanted to make that turboprop conversion in the distant future.

Brightly,
I actually did finish the engine but still have more work to do. I built the engine for my senior project in college and made a test stand/lab course to teach future students thermo and low velocity aerodynamics. It was a really cool project and super fulfilling. Future students actually continued work on the stand and made our own engine control unit for full automation of the engine and further thermo models.

The school was super on board with all this and they bought a JJ1400 to take the place of my engine after I graduated. Since then, I tore the engine down to rebuild the case and front case mount… I had some air leaks I could not correct that ended up costing a ton of losses. I bought a crashed JJ1400 too so I have some spare parts that I don’t have to build again such as the NVG.

I experimented with a laser sintered NGV initially, which actually did work. After a few hot runs is shrunk just a little though, so I replaced it with a normal inconel NVG.

Next up on my list of things to do is to make a small test rig for it with my own ECU. I never really liked the ones in the market. I have a simple plc that I can program to run the valves and read the thermocouples.

Here’s some pictures of my build and the test stand.

I am following with interest, I am "very slowly" building a GR 130 turbine, I always post the steps on another site, if I am allowed I can publish the link.

Like your test stand, a bit better than my one.



What's with the colour of the diffuser? Have you coated it with something?

Will be a problem with building another 54. You can still get the compressor, NGV could be CNC from SS, but the turbine wheel is the problem.
You could machine one out from inconel or there is always JET Joe????

blighty said:

Like your test stand, a bit better than my one.

View attachment 158524

What's with the colour of the diffuser? Have you coated it with something?

Will be a problem with building another 54. You can still get the compressor, NGV could be CNC from SS, but the turbine wheel is the problem.
You could machine one out from inconel or there is always JET Joe????

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Nothing wrong with your test stand! I want to build a small test stand for my engine, which I hope to do this fall. I wanted to make my own ECU and have it all as one unit. Nothing fancy, just to run my engine.

A disclaimer for all the rc airplane guys, I built the engine with the intention of only ever having it on a test stand, so I had no interest in power to weight ratio. The new case I am making is from DOM steel tubing with something like 3/16” wall thickness.

At the time I built the engine, I only had access to a lathe and a drill press. So to make the complex diffuser, I printed a wax pattern and had it investment cast from brass. It actually worked insanely well and I had no machining to do. I did not have any material issues either with heat during a longer run.

Yeah I am having trouble finding a dealer for Jet Joe now. There was some website, something like sportsmoto.uk, that was the only place I could find JJ parts, but the website has since been taken down.

After you brought up about building the turboprop attachment for the 54, I started looking into those plans. That PTO turbine wheel would be a huge problem, at least for me and my skill level (I am very much a beginner). I wonder if investment casting is possible with inconel?? That would be impossible to buy too. I do not know of any manufacturers that copied the wren plans on a turboprop.

JetJoè sells by mail order I bought 2 fuel pumps.
how did you make the fuel pump?

SPOTTER said:

JetJoè sells by mail order I bought 2 fuel pumps.
how did you make the fuel pump?

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Oh interesting. I did not realize that.

I actually use the same jet joe fuel pump.

blighty said:

Like your test stand, a bit better than my one.

View attachment 158524

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I really like your turbo-jet powered toaster, did you ever see the Aussie turbo-jet powered beer-cooler ? !!!

Not seen the beer-cooler, but have seen several leaf blowers. Can't wait for the hair dryer.
i think the problem with any build now is the turbine wheel. i haven't looked into building a turbine for a few years and where you can get the bits and bobs from.

i think the bigger turbines are the way to go, as the lower RPM wheels can be machined from SS or inconel.
Again not been on the GTBA website for many years so not to sure what they're doing for turbine wheels.

Looking forward to seeing your own ECU.

dont know if this will help, but just found this place.

https://www.minijetengine.com

and another....
http://www.jetmax.ch/en/turbine_wheels.htm

blighty said:

Not seen the beer-cooler, but have seen several leaf blowers. Can't wait for the hair dryer.
i think the problem with any build now is the turbine wheel. i haven't looked into building a turbine for a few years and where you can get the bits and bobs from.

i think the bigger turbines are the way to go, as the lower RPM wheels can be machined from SS or inconel.
Again not been on the GTBA website for many years so not to sure what they're doing for turbine wheels.

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my next turbine will be made from a turbo-charger, using their radial-inflow turbine wheel, in particular I've been looking at the Borg-Warner EFR which has a light weight gamma-Titanium-Aluminide turbine rotor, an alloy that is being used in full size commercial jet engine turbines. Only problem is making a short combustor (I refuse to try to extend the existing shaft like the Phoenix design), but the now very ancient JPX had a short combustor so we know its possible.

Unfortunately the translation leads to misunderstandings,
do you mean a reverse flow turbine like this?
https://www.baronerosso.it/modellismo_articoli/show/542/turbina-jmb-t-120.html