Steam Engine Project

[eohdtech]

Thought Id share the progress of my Rudy Traction Engine. Ive had it running on its own fire and water. Runs smooth and quiet, pretty happy with how its looking so far, and with the changes Ive made.
One issue im curious about is my fuel tank, after the fire is going for a few minutes, the thing will go up in flames, like the cups syphon the fuel out of the tank? Wondering if anyone else has had this? Am I using the wrong type of fuel? Ive tried camp stove fuel and alcohol. Or is it the wick material Im using? Thoughts and insites would be very helpful!

 

[Swifty]

I don't know anything about these engines, but looking at the fuel tank and burners, I would be rolling up the wick to the inside diameter of the cups so it fills up the cup completely with no liquid fuel showing.

Paul.

 

[Charles Lamont]

Is there a breather in the tank filler? If not, is it possible heat is travelling down the copper feed pipes and vapourising the fuel, casing a pressure build-up in the tank, so pumping the fuel out?

 

[gus]

I use DIY Camping Gas Burner but you need a trolley behind to store the Gas Canister. Making my own Gas Tank was not a success.

 

[eohdtech]

There is a vent on the tank. Ive tried packing the cup with the wix material, ive tried yarn, and ive tried both with camp stove fuel and alcohol. The alcohol doesnt make a large enough flame, and eventually goes out, the stove fuel eventually causes the hole thing to go up in flames! Im not sure why it does this or how to fix it?

 

[Tin Falcon]

That burner is not designed for camp fuel.

Tin

 

[Charles Lamont]

I would try arranging the wick so that the strands are vertical, fairly tightly packed, and with a bit of a tuft sticking out of the top, with alcohol (methylated spirit). K N Harris recommends cooling fins on the feed pipes near the tank to avoid problems with vaporisation.

 

[lennardhme]

Hard to get a perspective from the photos, but the burners look large & maybe need to be a little taller.
I'm with others who say fuel expansion is a problem. Try 1/2 filling the tank. I'm thinking with fuel expansion the level is too high in the burners.
Leonard

 

[gus]

That burner is not designed for camp fuel.

Tin

You may be right but it does burn. Drawing came from
''Steam train in your Garden''. Pinched the gas nozzle from a camping stove.

I had earlier thought the mini tractor which looked so simple,would be easy to build.
The gear ratio is too small but it does run. Spent hours playing with in 2011.

Now on top of my Canon Scanner/Printer.

Looking for another Tractor to build.