economical materials

[terry123]

Good day all,
I have 2 steam plants Im wishing to make water tanks and condenser/oil traps for. Given the cost of copper tube, I was wondering if anyone has experience using alternate materrials?

 

[JimSvarv]

Steel alloys is used for high temp/pressure.
Stanley firetube boilers was also made steel with wire warped around it.

Historically wrought iron has been used for boilers.

Copper have better thermal conductivity and is probably better for condensers, but increased area with steel/iron will give the same heat exchange capacity.

Water tanks could be made of pretty much any material, they should see less than 100 Celsius after all.
They may need to handle vacuum if you are building a true closed cycle system.

 

[terry123]

Thank you. My first water tank was a simple soup can disguised by cladding with mahogany strips. Looked ok from outside but inside disappointed as it was obvious what its origins were.
Copper is just sooooo expensive these days I am just looking for alternatives for applications that dont require copper ie watertanks, oil trap etc.

 

[JimSvarv]

Could you make a timbertank from mahogany or alike?
No cans or copper just wood.

 

[Steamchick]

I use food tins that have had pipes soft soldered in place. Always become a talking point and rarely negative. Tin plate will rust, but cared for they can last more than 20 years! Free and ecological?
I have a hidden passion for the Engineering of manufacture of tins, so as cheap material they get used a lot!
(plastic packaging is simply short-life.. less than 12 years!)

This boat has a flat grey-painted tin that originally contained mints.... at the LH end of the engine bay, used for condensate that is recycled to the boiler. I start with it half-full. Condensate with oil separates as the oil emulsion floats inside the tin, and warm water is pumped back into the boiler. I have had no issues of boiler water contamination - yet.
The boat also has the bottom of a gas tank (the dome off the bottom) that makes a container where the condensate from the concentric tube condenser (mounted along the keel) passes under the gas canister, to keep the canister warm, to prevent gas pressure from dropping (@ below 15 C). Only 20 years old, but tin plate with tin-lead soldered joints lasts quite well...

This feed-water tank TIN started life in 1995... It probably contained instant coffee, or cocoa powder originally?

The stainless steel cladding on the boiler started life in a domestic gas fire that was being scrapped...

This tin was made into a ceramic burner.... but only lasted 14 years before a rust hole allowed gas-air mix to escape so I found a new tin to replace it.

Bottom LH corner of this photo you can see the Spam tin. Dark green Paint has worn off showing original SPAM paintwork! It is a feed-water tank that also has a copper tube coil for condensate to pre-heat the feed-water. Only used "temporarily" for about 15 years or so...

Mums Dads and kids all enjoy working out what I have used, when they see these things in use on Show days. They may not understand the engines, boilers, etc. but they feel a bit connected when they recognise the tins!
I also use flat tins a lot for ceramic burners.
This was a biscuit tin.


This one had Greek food (Dolmades? Beans? Meatballs?)


A sardine tin:

A 2in square Mint tin:


I guess that's enough?
Maybe I should be called "Tin-pot Ken"? - Such useful items, accurately and well made, steel, plated for corrosion resistance, cheaper than copper... replaceable, recyclable material... and they come in a variety of sizes to suit many jobs. What more do you need?
K2