Flying a (steaming) kite

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Mike Rometer
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Re: Flying a (steaming) kite

Post by Mike Rometer » Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:45 pm

Nice one Pete, it seems my postulation in our email last night was close to the mark!

I'd suggested to Pete that there must be many boats out there with mismatched boiler/engine/prop configurations. Pure guess. :o
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Re: Flying a (steaming) kite

Post by PeteThePen1 » Fri Jun 19, 2020 9:52 am

Some more expert data for the UK to throw into the pot.

It seems that the de-industrialisation of the UK in the '80s and '90s has essentially left a shortage of smaller businesses that weld to pressure vessel standard. The tightening of regulations and the requirement for 6 monthly re-certification and insurance has meant that it is not cost effective for those that remain to offer such a service unless they have a guaranteed flow of work. Thus to get a new firetube boiler in the UK it is likely to have to come from a big firm making a production run. There are some small specialist boiler firms but to get something may involve joining the queue. It seems, therefore that for the UK at least non-welded would be the way to go. I have some thoughts on that and will do some investigations.

The SBA design looks very nice with a water leg around the grate. I am posting it here as I thought it might be appreciated.

VFT101 p1 (438 x 600).jpg
VFT101 p1 (438 x 600).jpg (60.33 KiB) Viewed 5677 times

Second picture to follow.
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PeteThePen1
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Re: Flying a (steaming) kite

Post by PeteThePen1 » Fri Jun 19, 2020 9:54 am

Herewith the plan drawing:
VFT101 p2 (600 x 434).jpg
VFT101 p2 (600 x 434).jpg (70.03 KiB) Viewed 5614 times

More thoughts later.

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Last edited by PeteThePen1 on Sun Jun 21, 2020 10:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Flying a (steaming) kite

Post by steamboatjack » Sat Jun 20, 2020 7:38 am

Please note these drawings are the copyright and property of SBA Services ltd.
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Re: Flying a (steaming) kite

Post by PeteThePen1 » Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:59 am

Just been doing a little more playing about with the SBA Steamboat register extract. This gives us some idea of the technology adopted by boat owners in the size category about which this thread has been discussing. Interesting to see that some quite small boats have gone for compounds and that the more steam hungry twins expand as the boats get larger. Is that because there is more room for a bigger boiler?

Small Launch Machinery Bar Chart.png
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Re: Flying a (steaming) kite

Post by PeteThePen1 » Sun Jun 21, 2020 10:02 am

For those who prefer the data as numbers, albeit processed here is the table:

Small Launch Machinery.jpg
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Re: Flying a (steaming) kite

Post by TriangleTom » Sun Jun 21, 2020 6:52 pm

PeteThePen1 wrote:
Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:59 am
Just been doing a little more playing about with the SBA Steamboat register extract. This gives us some idea of the technology adopted by boat owners in the size category about which this thread has been discussing. Interesting to see that some quite small boats have gone for compounds and that the more steam hungry twins expand as the boats get larger. Is that because there is more room for a bigger boiler?


Small Launch Machinery Bar Chart.png


Pete

What type of engines make up the "other" category? Triple expansion and turbines?
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Re: Flying a (steaming) kite

Post by PeteThePen1 » Sun Jun 21, 2020 8:37 pm

Oh My! You chaps keep me on my toes!

The 'Others' that I did not feel fitted in with the rest were:

Oscillating single
Quadruple Expansion
Single Uniflow
Horizontal Single

Going back to the topic of boilers, which was really the central aim of this thread, I am somewhat embarrassed to discover that I had overlooked the long article in Funnel (SBA club magazine) Issue 180, Spring 2019 by John King entitled "The 'Improved' Kingdon boiler re-designed for welded construction with Cu-Ni-Fe tubes. The article includes lots of original drawings for variants of the Kindon design and also John's re-design for all welded construction. I would presume that John's design has had all the appropriate calculations done and would be available. I do not know if this was simply an exercise or whether this design is available to steamboaters free or for sale. I will find out.

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Re: Flying a (steaming) kite

Post by PeteThePen1 » Sat Jun 27, 2020 11:23 am

I think that a possible 'new entrant' boiler of simple(ish) construction that involves no welding is now available as a design for home construction.

SBA member John King has explained that his two drum boiler has been designed to make construction straight forward. For example the drums are sufficiently large to allow a Wickstead tube expander to be used with a right angle drive and power drill. The design has also been approved for expansion in the number of tubes so that the output can be matched to the chosen engine. It is also possible to mount the drum across the boat or along the length of the boat. The latter provides a better position for the water gauge although the design package includes a rather nice reflex gauge designed for a horizontal set up. The design uses Cunifer 10 for the tubes and Viton O rings for sealing. The design pressure is 250 psi.

A sketch of the boiler is given below:
John King 2 Drum Boiler (600 x 424).jpg
John King 2 Drum Boiler (600 x 424).jpg (44.88 KiB) Viewed 5518 times

Full details are available from John King. SBA Members can look him up in the Members List while non-SBA members are welcome to send me a PM and I will pass on your request. I do not know the cost of a licence for the design.

Pete
Last edited by PeteThePen1 on Sun Jun 28, 2020 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Lopez Mike
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Re: Flying a (steaming) kite

Post by Lopez Mike » Sun Jun 28, 2020 5:22 am

That's a very interesting design. This coming from a VFT devotee!

One thing that would concern me would be how to make sure that the tubes were still round where they meet the drums. It's not that far from the tube/drum connection to the first bend. Maybe a temporary mandrel in the end of the tube that is removed after the bending? I am sadly ignorant of bending techniques and limitations.
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