High Speed Steam Engine

[windy]

To see a 14cc high speed steam engine at work have a look at this.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJBG7k3DIms&list=HL1375468978&feature=mh_lolz[/ame]After many years of frustration and development it is so gratifying to see ones model finally come to fruition.
As the video shows I was like a kid with a new toy when told the speed.
At the moment I am redesigning the valve seat and guide to correct a fault that developed after the second run caused by a worn out seat and stronger valve springs.
August 4th will be a time to prove if it works, as speeds approaching 135mph are a distinct possibility providing there are no mechanical disasters.
My main competitor should be there hopefully his copy of my burners would be a success as he told me things are getting hotter now.

Paul

 

[dmac]

Hi pauls,

That's fantastic, it always gives me shivers (top fuel dragster type shivers) when I watch your videos.

Dave.

 

[windy]

Sunday 4th August 2013 the new valve seat and guide was tried. After the runs they looked well but cylinder and piston were suspect and engine was not performing as well.
A problem with the stellite tipped cam follower had been cured as it was under great loading from high steam and spring pressure.
The solution was to burnish the stellite tip on the edge of the polished large lathe chuck backplate now there is just the faintest mark of cam contact.
There was a lap at 127mph but speed reduced.
Possable cause cylinder scored and ring not sealing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s__LghjAPYc&list=HL1375775501http://
My main steam competitor had his hydroplane back on form but he had the same problem with the valve seat that I had at the previous meeting
UK Midland area championships next month is the next testing time.
Happy steaming.
Paul

 

[BronxFigs]

After reading about this subject, I just ordered the drawings for a steam engine called the "PISCES-11" . I have seen this engine before in some articles, and It reminds me of an old engine called the "Little Husky", but of course the 'flash steam' re-vamped design is a very different version of the original concept.

Thanks for the information.

Frank

 

[windy]

After the August runs and finding most engine parts were all right apart from piston and cylinder I have found another liner of correct bore diameter amongst my collection of spare liners (14 in total).
Apart from putting a very slight radius on the exhaust ports to prevent the narrow dykes ring from being damaged that is now put in place.
The exhaust timing has now to be checked and shimmed under cylinder base to adjust.
Then compression ratio it has to be as high as possible.
Many years ago I increased the C.R. and increased the speed by nearly 20mph.
I had locktited the cam after the 129mph run as it had twisted the locating key unfortunately when removing the main bearing was damaged due to the cam, which is now difficult to remove even with heat.
If locktite were used again I would have to redesign the whole assembly so an extractor could be used.
There are always things to do when pushing the speed limits.
I am keeping an eye on the proposed American steam car record attempts.
There are a number of steam car record projects but building a steam record buster have numerous problems.
Good luck is not in my vocabulary if the mechanics and conditions are correct these people will achieve their goal.
Happy steaming.
Paul

 

[windy]

Does anyone have any knowledge of tungsten disulfide (WS2) based dry film lubricant it looks a good alternative to the moly and graphite pastes that I have been using with moderate success on the flash steamers highly stressed parts.
http://www.powerenhancer.co.uk/product.php/488/archoil-ar2400-nano-ws2-dry-film-lubricant

I have ordered some and will probably try it at the next speed attempt.
Paul

 

[BronxFigs]

Technical drawings for the high speed steam engine "PISCES 11" designed by R.B. Kirtley....just received from MY HOBBY SHOP in England. A large, folded, single sheet of drawings approx. 30" X 40" showed representations of the various engine components, minus the con-rod, head, and valve parts. The cut-away, side-view of the engine shows only general, assembled, relationships between all the parts, but, no measurements. So, I basically bought someone's (Mr. Kirtley) concepts, and cleaned up sketches.

This is the second time I sent for drawings, and as shipped, they were incomplete. The Schilling V-2 came without drawings for the cam, piston, con-rod. But I will say that VTH-VERLAG did note that the V-2 drawings were incomplete, but you had to really search out the site for this notation, and most of the site is written in German, and the translations into English were very little help, or could not be deciphered.

If I wanted to deduce and draw the missing parts, I'd design my own engine, and save my money for materials. Is it not possible for sites that sell these drawings to note that these drawings are "Incomplete as Published" ?

Twice burned.....


Frank

 

[BronxFigs]

UPDATE:

E-mailed "My Hobby Shop" about them sending me incomplete plans. They promptly replied with apologies, and an offer for a full refund of my money. They said they'd make arrangements and get back to me. That was almost one month ago, and I have heard nothing from them.

Now, I have to try to stop payments on my credit card. Too much work for some drawings!


Frank


EDIT:
Attempted to contact my credit card Customer Service Dept. What a joke! 20 minutes pressing this, and, pressing that, listening to menus etc. and, I still couldn't connect to any human being to help me stop a payment! Just computer-generated, robotic-voice, crap!! Blood pressure at stroke levels.

Here's the kick in the butt... just opened my credit statement, and read that "My Hobby Shop" gave me credit for the drawings. God forbid they would have notified me with an e-mail to tell me, and let me know that a refund was applied to my account.

I'm sorry I ever sent for the drawings.

 

[KBC]

Frank,
If the drawing that you have is No M72 it has never over the years been advertised as a full detailed drawing of PISCES 11 engine.
It does however give a twice full size cross section general arrangement of the engine and all the details of materials used in the engine build to hold it all together at the tremendous pressures and heat that the engine is subject to.
Also the pump dimensions and the schematic arrangement of the flash steam generator.

From the drawing you can lift the dimensions and check them all before machining , I did this in 2002 and successfully built the steam plant and ran it in a deep "V" with R/C steering and stop with the model boat achieving 45 mph.
This model is now out of the water as it was becoming very dangerous and a radio glitch convinced me to moth ball it.

Mr Kirtley had a series of articles published in The Model Engineer Mag of which I have them on file and if you would like a copy please send me a P.M. and I will mail them to you.( 12 pages )

Here are some pics of my engine which differs marginally from PISCES 11 in that the pump drive is taken from a stub on the main drive pin at the front of the engine and the pumps mounted on the side of the engine.

Regards

George.

 

[BronxFigs]

KBC/George:

Great looking engine, etc.

Yes, eventually, that's the engine that I would like to tackle one day...just the engine...for display/demonstrations, etc.

The "PISCES II " drawing, shows only a cross-sectional view of the assembled engine, no con-rod, no head, no valving, no dimensions. I'd have to take measurements directly off the drawing, and guess the rest, as you suggested. I'm not as experienced, and certainly not as clever as you, and some others, when it comes to building engines from a picture.

Thanks for offering to send me the series of articles regarding the building of this engine. Maybe I'll finally get the information that I need. I thought I would get this critical information from the "drawings" that I purchased from "MY HOBBY SHOP". I didn't. But, at least they refunded my money.

Thanks for the rescue.


Frank

 

[BronxFigs]

Just to update this thread:

George/KBC was nice enough to contact me and provided some articles and information regarding the Pisces II steam engine. The operating pressures and the RPMs that this engine needs are beyond making a simple "hobby' type engine setup. Far more than I care to tackle. I would have thought about attempting to make the engine, but the articles showed few or no measurements for the components for the Pisces II. That's OK. I learned about this interesting, and highly specialized design.

Thanks, George, for all the kind help that you offered.


Frank

 

[KBC]

Just to update this thread:

George/KBC was nice enough to contact me and provided some articles and information regarding the Pisces II steam engine. The operating pressures and the RPMs that this engine needs are beyond making a simple "hobby' type engine setup. Far more than I care to tackle. I would have thought about attempting to make the engine, but the articles showed few or no measurements for the components for the Pisces II. That's OK. I learned about this interesting, and highly specialized design.

Thanks, George, for all the kind help that you offered.


Frank

Hi Frank,
It's always a pleasure to try and help out.

George

 

[windy]

When I built my first engine it was based on the engine Bob designed.
I used his bore and stroke, cam timing and exhaust port opening that was in his Model Engineer article.
Over the years have modified that design with my own little tweeks.
Bob and I are in regular contact swapping ideas to develope more speed.

Paul

 

[kvom]

After seeing the videos, I'd hate to see what happens if the rope breaks.

 

[windy]

The rope is piano wire with a breaking strain of 600lbs and has to be renewed every year.

 

[lohring]

Does anyone have any knowledge of tungsten disulfide (WS2) based dry film lubricant it looks a good alternative to the moly and graphite pastes that I have been using with moderate success on the flash steamers highly stressed parts.
http://www.powerenhancer.co.uk/product.php/488/archoil-ar2400-nano-ws2-dry-film-lubricant

I have ordered some and will probably try it at the next speed attempt.
Paul

How did this work out? Is it a replacement for oil in the steam?

Lohring Miller

 

[windy]

I did not think it was any better than what I had been using before.
The parts were sprayed with it but it hardly seemed to cover them maybe an industrial version might have been better?
I still used steam oil from the lubricator.
Having burnished the cam and stellite faced follower was successful even when lubrication is limited just using moly or graphite paste.

Paul

 

[lohring]

It looked very promising. I keep hoping there's a replacement for steam oil. The Cyclone engine doesn't use steam oil, but they're very quiet about the details. I think some kind of graphite rings are part of the solution.

Lohring Miller

 

[robcas631]

Paul, that boat is amazing! Started me a bit when it took off! Very fast! You should be proud of your accomplishment! Great video!

 

[BaronJ]

To see a 14cc high speed steam engine at work have a look at this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJBG7k3DIms&list=HL1375468978&feature=mh_lolzAfter many years of frustration and development it is so gratifying to see ones model finally come to fruition.
As the video shows I was like a kid with a new toy when told the speed.
At the moment I am redesigning the valve seat and guide to correct a fault that developed after the second run caused by a worn out seat and stronger valve springs.
August 4th will be a time to prove if it works, as speeds approaching 135mph are a distinct possibility providing there are no mechanical disasters.
My main competitor should be there hopefully his copy of my burners would be a success as he told me things are getting hotter now.

Paul

Awesome !

My wife came in and wanted to know why I was holding my breath while watching that video...

Absolutely stunning. Thanks for sharing.