A special section just for steam engines and boilers, as without these you may as well fit a sail.
-
barts
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 1070
- Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:08 am
- Boat Name: Otter, Rainbow
- Location: Lopez Island, WA and sometimes Menlo Park, CA
-
Contact:
Post
by barts » Wed Nov 24, 2021 5:15 pm
Alternatively, you could get a tiny super fast servo and put it inside an antique analog pressure gauge...
Note that most nicer automotive gauges are driven by tiny stepper motors these days... here's a good writeup:
https://www.cypress.com/documentation/r ... art-gauges
- Bart
-
PatJ
- Lighting the Boiler
- Posts: 37
- Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:23 pm
- Boat Name: To be determined
- Location: Central USA
-
Contact:
Post
by PatJ » Wed Dec 01, 2021 7:36 pm
This is a very old thread, and I have not read all of it.
I had a white paper about someone who did make a digital indicator, and he had it hooked up to a personal computer.
I will try to find that article.
I always thought that a stepper motor would be ideal for actuating a D-valve (or other type steam valve), although introducing electronics to a steam engine is blasphemy to many.
I don't think I would ever use a stepper motor on a steam engine, but I am an EE and steam lover, so I am aware of the posibilities.
.
-
barts
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 1070
- Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:08 am
- Boat Name: Otter, Rainbow
- Location: Lopez Island, WA and sometimes Menlo Park, CA
-
Contact:
Post
by barts » Wed Dec 01, 2021 10:16 pm
Some experimental internal combustion engines use solenoid actuated poppet valves; such valves could definitely be made to work on a steam engine. I wouldn't like to be far from shore relying on my own inexpertly potted electronics, but for an engine to play with in the shop - sure, could be fun, and would certainly make experimenting with different valve events easier. To tie back to the subject of this thread, a digital engine indicator could provide feedback back to the controlling computer to optimize valve events - more lead, overlap, etc.
A balanced slide valve could also be driven by a voice coil from one of those ghastly giant subwoofers often found in lowered cars; this would of course need position feedback but would make a pretty powerful and fast servo; the matching 12V audio amps could be pressed into service as the analog servo amplifier.
- Bart
-
TahoeSteam
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 813
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2014 5:38 am
- Boat Name: Wayward Belle
- Location: South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
-
Contact:
Post
by TahoeSteam » Sat Dec 17, 2022 10:57 pm
Feel like making an indicator for an engine with a 48" stroke? Already have the pantographs to convert it to a 4" stroke
-
Lopez Mike
- Full Steam Ahead
- Posts: 1903
- Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 6:41 am
- Boat Name: S.L. Spiffy
- Location: Lopez Island, Washington State, USA
Post
by Lopez Mike » Mon Dec 19, 2022 2:28 am
You want to borrow my 'real' indicator?
Mike
If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.
Dalai Lama