New Keel Condenser

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csonics
Anne from Little Britan
Anne from Little Britan
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New Keel Condenser

Post by csonics » Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:06 pm

Posted on behalf of mcandrew1894:

mcandrew1894
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Joined: 11 Oct 2007
Posts: 149

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 6:31 pm Post subject: New Keel Condenser
Just put in my new keel condenser.

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Dave
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mcandrew1894
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Joined: 11 Oct 2007
Posts: 149

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 5:54 pm Post subject:
The impetus for the new condenser was a trip I made with her 3 weeks ago. The receiver was showing 60 psi and the condenser gauge was pegged on the pin meaning it was definitly above atm. The Receiver should read about 20-25 psig, so where's the restriction?

I removed a pipe section from the engine and ran the exhaust overboard with a hose......the boat took off like a scalded cat!....I was breaking wake waves and throwing spray to the point my wife was screaming to slow down as she was getting wet! The engine which was thumping rather badly before, was now quiet and spinning nicely!.......OK so I need to work on the condenser/airpump

I can only surmise that the air pump was ineffectual and the condenser too small, hence the new condenser.

The new condenser has 2 sq feet vs the old one of 1.5. It is now a more conventional design as opposed to the single pipe creation I had before.

This is about 2 times the size required by all the references that I have read (0.5 sq feet / indicated HP). I will report on my success or failure. If too large I will paint some of it to dial it in.

I am overhauling the wet air pump and to deterime if there was something wrong...found the bucket valve badly heat distorted....thought it was a heat grade plastic, but it was obviously not. Damned scrap bin find! That was not helping!

I am making a new air pump piston and valve from teflon running in a brass cylinder. Nearly done. That should do it. Then another trip to the lake to test.

The injecter worked very well, from 45psig to 160 psig by just adjusting the water flow. The injector is made by Superscale Locomotive Works and is a work of art in investment cast bronze. It performs as advertised
The feed pump and bypass valve worked well also. I am going to enlarge the pump ram a bit more ( to .312 from .290) to give me more capacity when I'm using the blower. All of this pumps output goes through the feedwater heater and then to the economizer, so I would like to take advantage of this avenue to put water in at the highest temperature possible.

The Blower worked very well, but the control valve has a SS stem, and if just cracked, which is were I was running most of the time, after a few minutes, the valve stem would expand from the heat and close up. I will need to find a valve that is a little less finiky. It's a globe valve so I guess I can't complain too hard here, it wasn't made for this service.

Splitting the wood to 3/4 square sticks works great, but they burn very fast and very hot ( 2 -3 minutes...max) and makes control difficult. I am considering mixing some hard coal in with the wood to even out the fire....any thoughts on that? Some good quality hardwood wood do wonders I am sure.

I also added a through hull to draw water from the lake directly when able. I ran low on water at the end of the day and want to make sure that doesn't happen again.

I used the oil absorbing pads in the engine bilge, which is isolated, and the hotwell with complete success. Just make a cup with the material at the entrance to the hotwell and the vast majority 99% anyway, of the little oil I use ( usually after the run to prevent rust) is taken right out. In the bilge, lay it down like a blanket before you start and just drag it out when your done. most of the oil goes with it....a few swishes with a fresh one gets the rest and pump any water/condensate out as usual.

The pressure lube oil pump to the big end of the conrods ran flawlessly.the bearings are very happy.......Thanks again for that idea Jack!

I am using Green Velvet PBJ oil in the pump and the drip feed and guides. I needed to back off on the flow rate as the pressure at "two klicks" on the pump/engine rev was way too high due to viscosity. One click did just fine and reduced my oil consumption by 50% which made for much less mess.



Dave
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stevey_frac
Lighting the Boiler


Joined: 28 Jul 2009
Posts: 37

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:12 pm Post subject:
Please let us know how it goes.

Steve
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87gn@tahoe
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Joined: 23 Feb 2009
Posts: 148
Location: South Lake Tahoe, CA
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:31 am Post subject:
looks good.. Sounds like you're getting it all slowly dialed in.

please keep us upated
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Wesley Harcourt
-S.L. Wayward Belle (Mr. Grosjean was/is a genius.)
-S.L. George H. Sandin (Father's boat. Cut my teeth on that one.)
-'64 Buick Riviera
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mcandrew1894
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Joined: 11 Oct 2007
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 4:58 pm Post subject:
Not much to report this weekend...the inlaws were here for the week and I am in the middle of buying a new truck.......

Stay tuned

Dave
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mcandrew1894
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:02 pm Post subject:
OK ...went in the shop and got a productive hour in....

New Pump Barrel
Image

I got a dose of perfectionitis and I am making a more efficient wet air pump....yes I know it's a fatal disease.....

This one will have smaller clearance volumes, better water flow at high speed and can be dis-assembled in place without tools....which with the old one was a grand PITA resulting in any one of four 10-32 screws in the bilge under the grating....

Dave
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87gn@tahoe
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Joined: 23 Feb 2009
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Location: South Lake Tahoe, CA
Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:40 pm Post subject:
oooh pretty...

what will you be using for the piston?
_________________
Wesley Harcourt
-S.L. Wayward Belle (Mr. Grosjean was/is a genius.)
-S.L. George H. Sandin (Father's boat. Cut my teeth on that one.)
-'64 Buick Riviera
-'65 Buick Special WAGON
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mcandrew1894
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Joined: 11 Oct 2007
Posts: 149

Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 8:19 pm Post subject:
Teflon with a teflon bucket valve.

I have some more parts done, but the lathe needs a new bearing on the jack shaft.....later this weekend maybe.

Dave
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mcandrew1894
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Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 5:56 pm Post subject:
Finished the wet air pump.,... a quick test with it dead headed to a vacuum gauge and just a bit of water on the head end, and in two or three strokes it was pulling 23 in Hg........I think she's a winner!

I'll post some pictures...

Dave
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stevey_frac
Lighting the Boiler


Joined: 28 Jul 2009
Posts: 37

Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 3:49 pm Post subject:
Did those new pictures ever happen? I'm kind of curious to see!
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mcandrew1894
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Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:09 pm Post subject:
Hi Steve,

Got shanghi'd Saturday....and it went down hill from there...


Got just enough time to put her in...

Here is some cad images...I'll take some photo's this weekend....

The whole top is screwed on like a threaded union. The nut has a knurl so no tools are required.....I'm going to make up some knurled nuts to hold it all togther in the boat......tearing down a pump will now be easy.

Dave
Image

Image


farmerden
Warming the Engine


Joined: 19 Apr 2008
Posts: 70
Location: Shawnigan Lake,B.C.
Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:12 pm Post subject:
Boy Cad sure make drafting easier! Unfortunately I still have to use pencil and eraser! But don't these look similar?
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mcandrew1894
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Posts: 149

Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 5:49 pm Post subject:
Very Similar

I used Teflon for the piston and valve, and the pump is a bucket type instead of an Edwards like yours.....but very similar

My old one had a 4 bolt flange on the upper head, but getting them off while in the boat was a PITA. Too easily dropped in the bilge.

This one has the union bonnet head...I like it and I can put the outlet in any direction I choose.

Dave
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farmerden
Warming the Engine


Joined: 19 Apr 2008
Posts: 70
Location: Shawnigan Lake,B.C.
Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:31 pm Post subject:
Like Steve says -can't wait for pictures-having a little difficulty moving the water from the bottom of the piston to the top,but I'm sure photos will answer all my questions [a picture is worth a thousand words] I like the idea of easy dissassembly-Thank goodness I've never had any problem with mine ,as the pictures attest taking it appart at sea might prove to be a tad bit frustrating! Plus I've lost my brass magnet and have been unable to find another! So if I drop anything in the bilge I'm outa luck! Den
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mcandrew1894
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Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 5:45 pm Post subject:
Maybe tomorrow....the cut away shows three parts in white


The bottom cone shaped piece is stationary, and just directs the water towards the 6 holes in the bucket or piston.

The piston fits around this part closely with a conical pocket underneath

This is done to reduce the clearance volume of the pump and to create a directed water flow upwards during the down stroke of the piston. This is in effort to reduce pounding if I pull a slug of solid water.

In the bottom of the pocket arranged in a Bolt circle of six holes to let water and air through the piston to the bucket valve.

The bucket valve is a disk of teflon sitting on top of the piston and sealing the 6 holes previously mentioned. Not shown is a preload spring to keep the valve seated on the piston. I made this valve somewhat tall to take up the clearance volume above the piston.

It's identical in every way to the head valve on your pump.

The inlet and outlet checks are just that, Same checks I use on most of the boat,

It's all held together with what amounts to a union nut.


OK I'll get a photo....

Dave
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