[Gasification] engines

[Ken Boak]

Toby & List,

IC engines do not generally make good steam engines.

There have been some conversions of VW engines, and a 3 cylinder Lister 
diesel HR3 , was used to make a flash steam uniflow engine, for a solar 
collector system. However it involved adding new cylinders and head to the 
existing Lister block, and using the existing pistons to uncover the uniflow 
exhaust ports and activate bash valves in the head.  Remarkably this engine 
achieved an efficiency of 21%.

http://people.linux-gull.ch/rossen/solar/wcengine.html


Have a look at an old Stanley steamer engine and you will see that the steam 
cylinders are separated from the rest of the engine, by a few inches, and a 
straight piston rod, operated by a cross-head slide.   This allows the use 
of a double acting piston and prevents steam condensate from ending up in 
the lube oil used in the sump.

It also permits the engine cylinder to be run hot, and insulated from the 
crankcase. The cylinders themselves are wrapped in insulation, to prevent 
heat losses and condensation on the cylinder walls.

If you used an automotive engine, you would end up having to raise the 
temperature of the whole block.  You could use the water cooling jacket as a 
steam jacket and run it at about 120C.

The steam engine is the simplest and cheapest component in the steam power 
plant. It's getting the rest to perform safely and consistently that takes 
time and money.



Ken







----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Toby Seiler" <seilertechco at yahoo.com>
To: <kssustain at provide.net>
Cc: <gasification at listserv.repp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 2:33 PM
Subject: [Gasification] engines


> Kermit;
>
>  You recently mentioned the use of old  I.C. engines for making a steam 
> engine.  I'm particularly fond of the ford 300 six, perhaps to drive a 
> sawmill.   How would that engine be reconfigured as a steam engine?  Have 
> you seen any modern, perhaps computer controlled valving or multi source 
> head designs?  Are there good posts that one should know about for the 
> subject, perhaps a steam engine list?
>
>  When you consider that most steam engines prefer dry steam (pressure), I 
> ask myself why not use the rapid expansion of phase change to motivate the 
> piston.  Inject superheated water that will expand 1600 times. Boiler 
> explosions are dangerous, so it would make sense to close couple a 
> gassifier and have only a small high pressure side in a 
> gassifier/boiler/engine configuration. That doesn't sound complicated does 
> it?
>
>  Concerning mobile applications, is the IC engine perhaps suitable for 
> both combustion and steam... like a 3 plus 3 arrangement?  Energy stored 
> as hot water could provide rapid response that the gas alone would not 
> deliver.  This storage capacity is demonstrated well by the Stanley 
> Steamer Automobile, it set a land speed record in 1907 of 127mph with no 
> suspension.  I'm sure they crowded the 600 lb boilers upper limits as well 
> as the 2 cylinder steam engines, but the point is, that hot water may make 
> a good thermal battery.  Storage of rapidly available energy appears 
> necessary for mobile application of gasification.
>
>  Regards,   Toby Seiler
>
>
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