Best Fuel For Extended Trip

[barts]

Barbie and I spent the weekend with my brother and his girlfriend sailing on and about Blackfish Sound off of Northern Vancouver Island. Our big steamer will need enough range to allow us to navigate safely in these waters; this is amazing cruising territory, and reachable from our home waters in the San Juans given sufficient time. That's a humpback whale blowing in the center of the photo; you could hear them in the evening several miles away. Dall's porpoises came and played around the hull, too.

Some of the islands are scattered with hundreds of logs; the ones thrown higher up during a storm and then rinsed repeatedly by the frequent rains are probably good candidates for fuel. Given means for preparing such logs for use as as fuel, a wood burning steamer (with oil backup) in these waters would be pretty ideal.

- Bart

[ron parola]

WHOA, hold on there, does that mean yer building a bigger boat Bart? rp

[TahoeSteam]

WHOA, hold on there, does that mean yer building a bigger boat Bart? rp

http://www.thesteamboatingforum.net/for ... f=8&t=1648

http://www.thesteamboatingforum.net/for ... f=7&t=1256

[Centurion]

OK. Just completed 2nd test using coal (bituminous, was told it came the the "Pocahontas" area but don't think so). VERY INTERESTING RESULTS!

Summary so far: As mentioned in previous posts, testing on my boat revealed that a 3 day, 90 mile, 6 hrs per day at 5 mph trip using hardwood would burn approximately 200 lbs of wood per day for a total of 600 lbs for the trip including steamup with no reserve.

So yesterday, I weighed my total load of coal at the start and finish of a 2 hour 9.6 mile trip. I burned a total of 37 lbs including approximately 7 lbs for steamup. The calculations result in the same 3 day 90 mile trip using approximately 100 lb of coal per day for a total of approximately 300 lbs for a the 3 day trip. That weigh would not be a problem for that trip, BUT, I had an interesting problem at the end of the trip. For the last mile of the trip returning to my dock, I started losing steam pressure. I couldn't figure out why because the fire seemed to have enough coal. I did notice that when I opened the fire door, I was getting a backdraft of smoke coming out of the door and it didn't seem to be drawing smoke properly. Since I was losing steam pressure, I added more coal thinking that was the problem. It didn't help. The draft seemed to getting worse so I thought that perhaps the tubes were becoming blocked. I have never cleaned them since I've owned the boat - maybe 10 hours total time since I bought it mostly burning wood. Barely made my dock with 25 psi of steam.

The following day, I removed the stack and collector on top of the boiler expecting badly blocked tubes, I was surprised to find the tubes in decent condition but brushed them out anyway.

I then removed clinkers from the grate and ash from under the grate and was amazed by the total amount of debris I removed (see image below). I almost filled a 3 gallon bucket. The grate and ash pit had been cleaned prior to the trip.

Was blocked airflow my problem? If it was, it appears that I am going to need to remove ash at least 3 times a day while underway on a 6 hour 30 mile trip which would be a real negative against using coal for the trip.

I'm a newbie so any thoughts based on your knowledge and experience would be appreciated.

[cyberbadger]

I'm wondering if it's worth it to ramp down the coal back to wood at the end of the day for the last 1/2hr (If you can plan it) to sort of burn out the coal?

I had trouble with mine (stationary) and bituminous kentucky deep mine blocking up the tubes. The fire flames would come out of the firedoor when I opened it and was steaming very poorly. I used a steam lance and it cleared it out.

I have been operating stationary with wood hard and soft probably 20 times in the last 6 months and never had that kind of build up so quickly with wood.

-CB

[DetroiTug]

Was blocked airflow my problem?

Need two things for proper combustion - fuel and oxygen. I've spent the last few years perfecting a vaporizing kerosene burner and that was one issue that had to be overcome - lack of primary air and balancing the secondary air (then make it work with external ~50 mph air speed present, but that doesn't relate to the subject) . Without it, the flame was "cold", excessive smoke and sooting occurred, poor steam generation etc.

Pocahontas coal is supposed to produce almost no ash. But, that is on a proper burn with adequate air. Nothing will burn well or completely with an insufficient oxygen supply.

Another point about coal, according to the video below and from conversations with several steam folk, is coal needs a secondary air supply for proper burn i.e. draft control in the door as well in the combustion space to burn the secondary gases.



Ash buildup is a real problem, especially when inducing draft. The air velocity through the ash pan/cleanout will pick up the ash and return it to the combustion space, inhibiting proper combustion. Remove ashes often or keep water in the ashpan if possible to contain the light ash.

-Ron

[Mike Rometer]

I'm hoping that what is in the top of that bucket is the remains of the fire, i.e. what was left on top of the grate, not what was underneath. If that was from underneath then the grate is wrong, too few bars, or too wide apart, or possibly both. Good, well burnt coal should leave only fine ash which should drop through with only occasional minor encouragement of the rake when firing.

A ratio of about 50 - 50% fire-bar to airspace is about right. Narrow bars are good, deep stops them burning. I find stainless steel best.

[Centurion]

I'm hoping that what is in the top of that bucket is the remains of the fire, i.e. what was left on top of the grate, not what was underneath. If that was from underneath then the grate is wrong, too few bars, or too wide apart, or possibly both. Good, well burnt coal should leave only fine ash which should drop through with only occasional minor encouragement of the rake when firing.

A ratio of about 50 - 50% fire-bar to airspace is about right. Narrow bars are good, deep stops them burning. I find stainless steel best.

Very observant and you are right. What you see on the top of the bucket is unburned coal that I swept off the floor. There were "clinkers" or bigger pieces on top of the grate. I cleaned that first so they ended up in the bottom of the bucket. All that came out from below the grate was fine ash so I think the grate is OK. Also, it does appear to have the 50 -50 ratio you mentioned.

As mentioned in the post above, I'm not sure I was burning real Pocahontas coal. I picked a few bags up from an old bulk supply of coal laying around from a dealer who thought the coal came from West Virginia but wasn't sure. Real Pocahontas seems very difficult to find.

[Mike Rometer]

I have a friend who would sieve that bucket, retain the larger pieces for the next fire, and use the small stuff to fill the lows in his drive!

Good to hear you're happy with the grate.

[cyberbadger]

Was blocked airflow my problem?

Need two things for proper combustion - fuel and oxygen. I've spent the last few years perfecting a vaporizing kerosene burner and that was one issue that had to be overcome - lack of primary air and balancing the secondary air (then make it work with external ~50 mph air speed present, but that doesn't relate to the subject) . Without it, the flame was "cold", excessive smoke and sooting occurred, poor steam generation etc.

Pocahontas coal is supposed to produce almost no ash. But, that is on a proper burn with adequate air. Nothing will burn well or completely with an insufficient oxygen supply.

I wonder if my habit with wood to leave the last little bit of burning fuel on the grates and close all the draft doors and throw a bucket on top of the stack at the end of the day is what caused my large quick soot buildup? That's oxygen deprivation and in hindsight I was definitely producing coal gas. Sometimes I've even seen it have a little yellow smoke - I assume from the sulfur. With wood it'll largely just burn out.

-CB