Modern Steam Engine

[cfellows]

Saw this featured on "How It's Made" this evening. Looks pretty interesting.

http://www.cyclonepower.com/works.html

It is a six cylinder radial steam engine, with a spirally wound, stainless steel water tube boiler for each cylinder. It's a closed system where the same water is condensed and used over and over. Here's a link to the "How It's Made" video. Anybody know what a spider bearing is?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NPpelLCIkk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NPpelLCIkk[/ame]

Chuck

 

[JorgensenSteam]

Radials normally have a master rod, so I am guessing that since this engine does not have a master rod, then the entire center part is the spider bearing?

Seems like you would need a master rod to keep the spider from oscillating around. You can see some oscillation just with the hand movement of the crank.

I don't think the bearings in that engine are going to hold up long at any appreciable horsepower.

The flash boiler is interesting. Seems like it would need close control/regulation, and I would guess the outer coils will run a lot hotter than the inner coils.

 

[doubletop]

Very interesting, when are you starting the build Chuck? ;D

Pete

 

[Admiral_dk]

Pause the video @ 1:13 and look - it's two circular plates that can rotate on the big-end of the crankshaft. It holds all the conrods and is prevented from rotating freely by the bolts that keep the two halves together (video @ 1:19-1:24

I'm not sure about this beeing used for a high power IC engine either :

 

[oilmac]

That is an interesting set up, a radial engine with each cylinder being supplied from the high efficiency coil, built in condenser ,and possibilities of various heat sources powering this set up

However this pattern of radial steam engine is most certainly not a brand new concept, as many years ago, the late marine engineers &steering gear manufacturers James Hastie & Co KIlblain Engine Works Greenock Scotland U.K. had a similar type of engine in production, How successful it was i do not know, I know it was a larger heavier engine than the one in the video

I would think with modern stainless steels,& methods of manufacturing,+ the modern up to date stainless steel coil heat transfer to each engine independently etc ( In the old Hastie engine, every cylinder was supplied from a conventional boiler all linked to a common steam source) I think it will be a nice silent efficient & dependable pollution free winner Good to see this modern engine

 

[mu38&Bg#]

I saw this last night too. I think this is the company.

http://www.cyclonepower.com/index.html

 

[miner49r]

Far be it from me to critisize anyone from applying a variation to a theme but the technologies are anything but new. In fact, I actually admire people like this. Fifty years ago the Big 4 and the oil conglomerates would have either bought this idea and moth balled it or killed this man for trying to cut into their profits.

The radial steam engine has been proven by many, including members of the hobby machining community.

Flash steam generation has been around for as long as I can remember.
When I was a teenager I was using a pressure washing unit that incorperated a coiled steam generator that could be fueled by natural gas, propane, kerosene, etc... In my line of work we use flash steam generators to create pressurized steam which inflate and cure polyester/polyvinyl resin impregnated pipe linings. My girl friend even has a flash steam generator in her capacino machine.

I think the real trick will be regulating the steam pressure while sitting in bumper to bumper traffic.
Alan

 

[mu38&Bg#]

Wow, I just looked at Chuck's first post and saw the link I totally missed the first time I looked. I better get back to cutting metal.

 

[doubletop]

I think the real trick will be regulating the steam pressure while sitting in bumper to bumper traffic.

I had a bit of a thread going on this a while back

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=9721

This I gleaned from a guy using PIC micros to control a flash steam plant in a model boat.

Pete

 

[rake60]

NICE!

Thanks for posting that Chuck!

Rick

 

[velocette]

Pause the video @ 1:13 and look - it's two circular plates that can rotate on the big-end of the crankshaft. It holds all the conrods and is prevented from rotating freely by the bolts that keep the two halves together (video @ 1:19-1:24

I'm not sure about this beeing used for a high power IC engine either :

Hi some of the best radial aero engines used this configuration both for combat an civil aircraft.
Single engine to four engines with the odd one with more than four

This was probably the biggest combinations of radial engine ever flown though not a successful aeroplane

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Brabazon.

Eric

 

[Admiral_dk]

Hi Eric

Pat (UNIcastings) and I where talking about radials without a master-rod as in the video and all the ones you're mentioning are the conventional radial with master-rod and slave-rods - unless I misunderstood you