Recent content by HMEL

In his build titled Build a true model A frame engine in three parts he lays out how each system is designed. I did not see any secrets. He shows how the system are configured and gives the basics of the design parameters if one listens. What he does not do is give drawings but the concepts...

The reason fuels are atomized is because in order to get enough fuel into the cylinder the small droplets allow an increase mas flow with the air mixture. Vapor alone will not allow enough fuel to be atomized. Once under increased pressure and temperature combustion will occur. Above about a...

Usually the flow from the high pressure cylinder is dropped into a second cylinder an the steam is expanded at lower pressure. It does not flow back to a heat source like a reheat turbine. You would have to know the pressures to even out the force. What is important is the mean effective...

its a pilot drill for 5/16 -18 thread tap

Your safety valve should not be opening unless you are above of your design setpoint. You should be able to adjust it within a range. It may be operating correctly and you need a pressure gage to monitor what is happening. It may need more control of the grate and combustion air. The reason...

I make a suggestion here before you look at different fuels. If you have access to a oxygen meter and a temperature gage its possible to make a good guess at its performance. Better yet if you can get your hands on one of the newer combustion analyzers. So if you need more air it may mean...

Well I googled spherical separator and they were all quite large operating as dead space removal with entrained filters to capture oil and liquid products. None used the vortex principle as that requires the establishment of a low pressure area in the center. However did find similar designs...

I have three chain saws, two gas one electric. They all have their place but the electric has a real advantage when its near a source of power and the cord is less than 100 feet. Its lighter, always starts, much easier to handle, but still takes the same care from the drive sprocket to the...

A sphere is usually a poor shape for particulate separation and would not normally conform to separation physics. Has this geometry been tested for efficiency other then this one off use. Typically you inter with a high velocity and the walls pick up the particles and the exit is a much larger...

Hilsch vortex tube is in common use, especially in cooling instrument cabinets and hazmat suits which need cooling where the cool air is placed usually at the neck or helmet area. But energy use is quite high when considering you need high compressed air at least 100psi.

Well, let me present a counter argument. Motors will get to hot when they experienced a high current draw above their rating. So which protective device sees that condition first? I think that would be a fuse or circuit breaker. But on a side note if a DC motor got hot at lower speeds I would...

I would like to discourage you from operating that way. Because when heat builds up in a motor they tend to hold that heat longer, a lot longer then you realize and its better to nip it in the bud by cutting off the power before it gets hot in the upper range. I have experienced that only...

Well let me see if I can clarify that issue. The calculations are all the same based on the material specifications available. We then put a safety factor on those calculations based on the material and construction methods used. To account for the degree of unknowns we make a judgement call...

A blue flame is a result of complete combustion and it yields the highest temperature. If you do not allow flame impingement on the heat transfer surface there will normally be no problem provide the fuel does not contain sulfur or nitrogen compounds which form acids. You will make more NOX...

You might be interested to know that Hartford Insurance refused to let me use solid state design in a critical safety control panel. All relays all 120 volts all hard wired. Some DC was allowed because a battery room was available. Old school design but effective. The whole purpose was to...