Elmer's VR75 Engine & Sandy Campbell's 3" Steam Boiler

[Inky Engines]

The video shows my recently completed steam plant based on Elmer’s VR75 in action. The boiler is substantially to Sandy Campbell’s design, available as a HMEM Download, I’ve just modified the base slightly. The plant includes exhaust steam oil separation, and has manually pumped and pre-heated feed water delivery.

The oil separator appears to work well, in that there is water in the displacement lubricator, and oil in the exhaust condensate pumped from the separator. The sharp eyed may notice that I’ve changed the displacement lubricator - I increased the capacity, and added a flow control valve.

I added the feed water preheater (comprising a 15” long copper tube coiled inside the oil separator) purely as an experiment; it heats the feed water from ambient temperature to near boiling point, but I have no idea as to what, if any effect it has on overall efficiency.

I’m presently using the 1” ceramic burner with No 5 gas nozzle from my 2” boiler, but the base would take a 2” diameter burner with larger nozzle. The safety valve is to a design by Gordon Smith modified slightly to account for the lower operating pressure. The safety is set at 45psi, but the engine does not need this sort of pressure, it will happily run on less than 10psi.

The feed pump is an off the shelf purchase. I’m presently building Elmer’s Vauxhall Donkey Pump, and wondering if this might be suitable to feed water to this boiler?

I hope you enjoy the video!- its not quite the first run - there were far to many loose connections and joints for this to be posted!

As always comment, suggestions and questions welcome.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdvk5ekM-0s[/ame]



Kind regards

Geoff at Inky Engines

 

[gus]

Hi Geoff.
Mini steam plant very well made and finished.Runs like the real plant.

Please advise supplier of ceramic burner.

 

[Inky Engines]

Gus

The ceramic burner was supplied by Maccsteam Ltd in the UK. Its only 1" diameter, borrowed from my 2" boiler. I hope to make a 2" diameter burner (probably to Sandy Campbell's design) somewhere in the to-do-list, but for the time being the 1" unit works just fine and will provide for continuous running of the VR75 at moderate revs.

Thanks for your interest

Kind regards

Geoff at Inky Engines