Burner for PMR boiler

[Gordon]

I have just built a PMR vertical boiler. This boiler is heated using Esbit tabs which stink, are expensive and have limited burn time. I would like to use a propane or alcohol burner instead. Where do I start looking for plans or a commercial burner assembly.

The goal is to have a pressure source for small steam engines at shows. In the shop compressed air works easier but without electricity it becomes more difficult.

Gordon

 

[Tin Falcon]

The goal is to have a pressure source for small steam engines at shows.

All the shows I attend have air lines and some have steam lines provided.
Those who have boilers just hook the air or steam to the boiler , and the boiler is a static display .
The only operational boilers I have seen at shows are the steam trains and steam boats.
What show(s) are you wanting to attend.
You certainly could make a propane or alcohol burner an alternative is sterno or chaffing dish fuel. Jelled alcohol.
Tin

 

[mklotz]

Most shows will not allow you to run a boiler with a display. Given some of the stuff I've seen, I think this is a most excellent restriction.

Furthermore, remember that we live in a hyper-litigious society. Should something go wrong with your boiler, Vulcan forbid, you could be in a real mess.

 

[xo18thfa]

The Regner Company in Germany makes accessories for Gauge 1 live steam and model stationary steam. Here is their website:

http://www.regner-dampftechnik.de/index.php

Click "Katalog 2011" near the bottom and go to page 32. They have 2 butane ceramic burners that would work perfectly in a vertical.

Butane is an ideal fuel. We Gauge 1 live steamers use it all the time. Widely available, extremely low pressure, easy to light, easy to control and very safe.

If you can fabricate and have silver soldering capability, you can make a butane burner. Go to Dave Watkins website:

http://www.davewatkins.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/16mm%20railway/steam.htm

Down load Dave's plans for "Idris" He uses a butane burner on that vertical.

Another option is denatured alcohol. You can make up simple gravity fed pot burner. In fact, Dave's original Idris used an alcy burner. There is a picture to show the arrangement.

Butane is the best, but pricey if you buy the burner commercially. Alcohol is the simplest, cheapest and been around the longest. Alcohol can smell bad sometimes. Usually it's not a problem, but sometimes it's like getting stabbed in the eyes with a red hot knife.

 

[Gordon]

Thanks. What I have in mind is an local outdoor steam/tractor show. There is no electricity so no compressed air unless I want to run a gasoline powered compressor. I have taken hit and miss engines in past years but bringing steam engines do not get much attention when they just sit there.

I will have to take a closer look at the links for other burners. I had not thought about sterno but that may be a good alternative.

 

[Paul_C]

I built a burner for my BLR-1. I started with a Coleman camp burner that uses a propane/butane tank. I used a e-bay purchased remote tank kit so the burner didn't have to be mounted to the tank. I built a custom base to mount the burner low profile. I made a new burner from stainless (pic shows the original). Had to increase the air mixing holes in the burner. In the end after a week of experimenting it works as good as could be expected. The 36 inch boat is powered by the PMR 8M V-twin and can motor around full power until it's time for more feedwater. Sorry, I don't have pics of the completed installation and the boat is 1200 miles away.

http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/bb10/Paul_C_XJ/?action=view&current=DSCN0509.mp4

 

[Gordon]

Thanks for the information. I have been a little out of the loop for a few days so I did not get back to you sooner. It really looks like something which I could work out. As a matter of fact I have an old backpacking stove from which I could obtain a burner. I have to figure out how to attach the gas cylinder since the stove uses an obsolete cartridge but I think that I can work that out. Sometimes it just takes something to jog our mind to see an obvious solution.

 

[doubletop]

Try here

http://www.miniaturesteammodels.com/category20_1.htm

Or page 42 here

http://www.pollymodelengineering.co.uk/sections/bruce-engineering/docs/Catalogue-August-2011.pdf

Or plans for a burner are here

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item155

You can also get the ceramic and jets from Polly Model see page 54 and 45.

They ship worldwide as I get stuff from them sent to me in NZ

Hope that helps

Pete

 

[firebird]

Hi Gordon

I played about with spirit burners quite a bit when building my small boiler. This link should take you to about the right page.

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=2092.180

You will probably have to go back a few pages to see my experiments. It works well and steams the boiler ok. I thought about a further mod which was to make a remote tank but I never got around to it.

This link is to some experiments with solid fuel.

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=9546.0

This is another type I tried

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=9262.0

Hope this helps

Cheers

Rich

 

[dalem9]

my burner will slid in side a 3/4 inch copper pipe like the aristo-craft g gauge live steamer Thanks Dale