Fuel oil preferences

A special section just for steam engines and boilers, as without these you may as well fit a sail.
Post Reply
User avatar
RNoe
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 250
Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 5:29 pm
Boat Name: Cluaran
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Fuel oil preferences

Post by RNoe » Thu May 30, 2019 3:00 pm

What fuel oils are people using to fire their boilers?
Specifically, I have a Blackstaffe boiler, design in the 1960s, newly fabricated. Picture below.
(I did searches here without success.)

Thanks.
RussN.
Oregon, USA
boatschool.jpeg
User avatar
fredrosse
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 1906
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2009 5:34 am
Boat Name: Margaret S.
Location: Phila PA USA
Contact:

Re: Fuel oil preferences

Post by fredrosse » Fri May 31, 2019 2:03 pm

Liquid petroleum fuel has three basic forms available to steamboaters:

1. Gasoline, or Petrol. The low temperature of the flash point for this fuel generally make it to be considered too dangerous for our boating needs.

2. Kerosene (USA Name), or Paraffin Fuel (UK) is probably the best thing to use, vaporizes nicely, can burn clean, without the gasoline danger. A vaporizing burner, similar to Stanley Steamer practice works well here. Steam atomized burners are popular, and one can actually use Propane gas to atomize the oil rather than steam, which is easier, but then you have the potential danger of Propane gas in the boat.

3. No 2 Oil, commonly known as Diesel Fuel, is the best bargain with respect to money spent for heat value, but getting clean burning with a vaporizing burner is somewhat difficult. Steam atomization burners can work OK with this oil. Smoke and soot are far more probable when using No 2 Oil.

However, virtually all domestic heating boilers use this No. 2 Oil, and burn it cleanly, using high pressure atomization plus electric motor fan producing vigorous forced draft combustion air. These burners are usually 110/220 VAC powered, but they are also available in 12 VDC models, so you can get several hours operation with a couple of automobile batteries in the boat. These burners also can easily burn Kerosene.
User avatar
RNoe
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 250
Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 5:29 pm
Boat Name: Cluaran
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Fuel oil preferences

Post by RNoe » Fri May 31, 2019 4:39 pm

Fredrosse:
Thank you for your reply.
All makes sense.

I hope to hear from someone presently steaming with a Blackstaffe boiler similar to mine, as there are many out there.
They use a steam atomized induced draft burner, but unfortunately that burner is missing on my boiler.
I hope to replicate it, knowing they have worked well for literally decades!

In the photo previously posted the burner is visible. But it disappeared from then, to when I was able to rescue the boat.
The flywheel was also missing. Not a big issue for me to make a replacement flywheel. The burner? I need to know its design.
I believe those items and some more of the new plumbing fittings were all scrapped when the builder's shop was sold off. Sigh.
To be continued.
~RussN
RGSP
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 246
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 2:12 pm
Boat Name: Platypus, Shelduck
Location: Very eastern England

Re: Fuel oil preferences

Post by RGSP » Sat Jun 01, 2019 8:53 am

I would like to support Fred's comments on commercial high-pressure atomising burners used with Kerosene or heating fuel. They work very nicely, whereas a lot of home-made steamboat burners don't. A vapourising burner with pre-heat from denatured alcohol is an option, or at least was an option when kerosene was more tightly specified: today, at least in the European area, it has bio-fuel in it, which chars instead of fully evaporating, and wrecks burners with internal sooty gel in a few hours. Atomising burners will cope with it. You may be able to find a sensible 12V burner unit, but in these energy sensitive days, some burners running from standard AC mains need very little power, and I'd consider using one with an inverter from a battery.

I don't think a Blackstaffe boiler will require a radically different flame from other 3 or even 2 drum water-tube boilers, but the spiral tubes will be more difficult to clean, so there is a premium on a clean-burning unit.
User avatar
RNoe
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 250
Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 5:29 pm
Boat Name: Cluaran
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Fuel oil preferences

Post by RNoe » Sat Jun 01, 2019 2:45 pm

RGSP:
Thank you for your ideas. All worth considering.
Yesterday I got a phone call from a new acquaintance who has copies (poor ones) of the Blackstaffe drawings for the steeple compound engine and boiler I have.
He is looking to see if the burner drawing is also there.
To be continued.
RN
User avatar
RNoe
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 250
Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 5:29 pm
Boat Name: Cluaran
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Fuel oil preferences

Post by RNoe » Mon Jun 03, 2019 3:53 pm

I have disassembled and evaluated the original (1964) oil burner from the Blackstaffe boiler that I am selling (with engine, FG Poulsbo hull, prop & shaft.)
Now I know orifice sizes needed to operate these systems. I will not "steal" this atomizing burner for use on my new Blackstaffe boiler, despite my desire to do so.
Next task is to fabricate an equivalent steam atomizing oil burner, knowing the original fuel was most likely kerosene (paraffin). I have decided to burn that in my new steam launch, assuming I find a good local source for it.

Using my knowledge of 1/8 scale steam locomotives (I operate two that I have built) I ordered a really excellent steam atomizing nozzle assembly from a California business: Eccentric Engineer.
https://www.eccentricengineer.com/atomi ... -fireboxes
There is a revealing video of this burner working if you select the "More info" tab.
I think it will easily meet my needs.

Eccentric Engineer is now the USA premier manufacturer of miniature water injectors and more. A consideration for some of our smaller steam launch boilers.
I have zero business relationship with them. I do admire the extraordinary design and CNC manufacturing being done by owner Anthony Duarte!

So my steam-generating path forward is now defined. To be continued.
~RussN.
Post Reply