The Steamboating Forum

Hello all. Someone else posted some prices for Tiny Tech India's boilers over on "my" thread entitled "Talk Me Out of It." I thought I would spin this subject off into it's own thread. Below are some more prices and details that I received from Mr. Desai back in March 2010. His engines are still being developed. I assisted him via email with some issues regarding his Stephenson link. Though I have not seem his work personally, thru many emails with him I feel that I have come to know and respect him. I can vouch for him as a serious and legitimate business man.

The quality of his engines and boilers might best be described as agricultural equipment. They are designed for functionality and economy of construction, not for aesthetics. If you want something of pretty with polished brass and hand turned columns, look else where. If you want something functional at a low price he is your man. I imagine anyone with real experience with small steam engines and boilers would be able to make many small improvements to his equipment, but you'll have a great place to start.


(1) STEAM ENGINES ONLY

(1) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 2 hp, cylinder dia 2"xstroke 3", complete with Stephenson link reverse mechanism, hand lubricating pump for cylinder lubrication, and 14" pulley. Weight 35 kg.(This engine is suitable for solar thermal power plant for home. We renovatted this engine by introducing Stephenson link reverse mechanism and now it is ideally suitable for solar power plant or even for tiny boat.)US$ 650/-



(2) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 4 hp, cylinder dia 2.5"xstroke 4", complete with Stephenson link reverse mechanism, hand lubricating pump for cylinder lubrication, and 14" pulley. Weight 70 kg.(This engine is suitable for solar thermal power plant for home. We renovatted this engine by introducing Stephenson link reverse mechanism and now it is ideally suitable for solar power plant or even for small boat.)US$ 1300/-



(3) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 5 hp, cylinder dia 3"xstroke 4", complete with reverse mechanism,  hand lubricating pump for cylinder lubrication, drip lubricator for crosshead lubrication and 12" pulley. Weight 85 kg.

US$ 1400/-

(4) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 8 hp, cylinder dia 4"xstroke 4", complete with reverse mechanism,  hand lubricating pump for cylinder lubrication, drip lubricator for crosshead lubrication and 16" pulley . Weight 100kg.

US$ 1600/-

(8) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 18 hp, cylinder dia 4.5"xstroke 6", complete with Stephenson reverse mechanism,  hand lubricating pump for cylinder lubrication, drip lubricator for crosshead lubrication and 16" pulley cum flywheel. Weight 200 kg.

US$2400/-



(2) STEAM POWER PLANT 4 HP

Steam power plant consisting of (1) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 4 hp, cylinder dia 2.5"xstroke 4", complete with Stephenson link reverse mechanism, hand lubricating pump for cylinder lubrication, drip lubricator for crosshead lubrication and 12" pulley (2) Water tube Yarrow type boiler suitable for biomass firing with 45 sq ft heating surface including economizer and superheater, test pressure 300psi,working pressure 160 psi complete with water feed pump,water level gauge set, pressure gauge, safety valve, fire grates and 20ft chimney 1 set+ interconnecting pipe lines, valves, pipe fittings etc.Boiler is insulated with cerawool. Shipment volume 2 cu. mt.

COST US$3400/- with CD



(3) STEAM POWER PLANT 5 HP

Steam power plant consisting of (1) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 5 hp, cylinder dia 3"xstroke 4", complete with reverse mechanism, hand lubricating pump for cylinder lubrication, drip lubricator for crosshead lubrication and 12" pulley (2) Water tube Yarrow type boiler suitable for biomass firing with 54 sq ft heating surface including economizer and superheater, test pressure 300psi,working pressure 160 psi complete with water feed pump,water level gauge set, pressure gauge, safety valve, fire grates and 20ft chimney 1 set+ interconnecting pipe lines, valves, pipe fittings etc.Boiler is insulated with cerawool. Shipment volume 2 cu. mt.

COST US$3600/- with CD



(4) STEAM POWER PLANT 8 HP

Steam power plant consisting of (1) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 8 hp, cylinder dia 4"xstroke 4", complete with reverse mechanism, hand lubricating pump for cylinder lubrication, drip lubricator for crosshead lubrication and 16" pulley (2) Water tube Yarrow type boiler suitable for biomass firing with 80 sq ft heating surface including economizer and superheater, test pressure 300psi,working pressure 160 psi complete with water feed pump,water level gauge set, pressure gauge, safety valve, fire grates and 20ft chimney 1 set+ interconnecting pipe lines, valves, pipe fittings etc.Boiler is insulated with cerawool. Shipment volume 2 cu. mt.

COST US$ 4500/- with CD



(5) STEAM POWER PLANT 10 HP

Steam power plant consisting of (1) Double cylinder double acting steam engine 10 hp, each cylinder dia 3"xstroke 4", complete with reverse mechanism, hand lubricating pump for cylinder lubrication, drip lubricator for crosshead lubrication and 12" pulley (2) Water tube Yarrow type boiler suitable for biomass firing with 90 sq ft heating surface including economizer and superheater, test pressure 300psi,working pressure 160 psi complete with water feed pump,water level gauge set, pressure gauge, safety valve, fire grates and 20ft chimney 1 set+ interconnecting pipe lines, valves, pipe fittings etc. Boiler is insulated with cerawool. Shipment volume 3.5 cu. mt.

COST US$ 5600/- with CD



(7) STEAM POWER PLANT 1 KW

(For technical schools, engineering colleges, universities etc)

Steam power plant consisting of (1) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 2 hp, cylinder dia 2"xstroke 3", complete with hand lubricating pump for cylinder lubrication, and 10" pulley (2)

Water tube Yarrow type boiler suitable for biomass firing with 45 sq ft heating surface including economizer and superheater, test pressure 300psi,working pressure 160 psi complete with hand operated water feed pump,water level gauge set, pressure gauge, safety valve, fire grates and 20ft chimney 1 set+ interconnecting pipe lines, valves, pipe fittings etc.Boiler is insulated with cerawool. (3)Auto alternator of 1kw connected to steam engine.  Shipment volume 2 cu. mt.

COST US$ 2800/- with CD



(8) STEAM POWER PLANT 3 KVA (FOR ELECTRIFICATION)

Steam power plant consisting of (1) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 8 hp, cylinder dia 4"xstroke 4", complete with reverse mechanism, hand lubricating pump for cylinder lubrication, drip lubricator for crosshead lubrication and 16" pulley (2) Water tube Yarrow type boiler suitable for biomass firing with 83 sq ft heating surface including economizer and superheater, test pressure 300psi,working pressure 160 psi complete with water feed pump,water level gauge set, pressure gauge, safety valve, fire grates and 20ft chimney 1 set+ interconnecting pipe lines, valves, pipe fittings etc. Boiler is insulated with cerawool. (3)Alternator maximum capacity 3 KVA, single phase, 240V, 50Hz  driven by steam engine bybelts and pulleys. Shipment volume 2.5 cu. mt.

COST US$ 5200/- with CD



(10) STEAM POWER PLANT 10 KVA (FOR ELECTRIFICATION)

Steam power plant consisting of (1) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 18 hp, cylinder dia 4.5"xstroke 6", complete with Stephenson link reverse mechanism, hand lubricating pump for cylinder lubrication, drip lubricator for crosshead lubrication and 16" pulley (2) Water tube Yarrow type boiler suitable for biomass firing with 140 sq ft heating surface including economizer and superheater, test pressure 300psi,working pressure 160 psi complete with water feed pump,water level gauge set, pressure gauge, safety valve, fire grates and 20ft chimney 1 set+ interconnecting pipe lines, valves, pipe fittings etc.Boiler is insulated with cerawool. (3)Alternator maximum capacity 10 KVA, single phase, 240V, 50Hz driven by steam engine by belts and pulleys. Shipment volume 5 cu. mt.

COST US$ 9000/- with CD

(11) STEAM BOILERS ONLY

(1) Water tube Yarrow type boiler suitable for biomass firing with 140 sq ft heating
surface including economizer and superheater, test pressure
400psi,working pressure 160 psi complete with water
level gauge set, pressure gauge, safety valve, fire grates and 20ft
chimney 1 set+ interconnecting pipe lines, valves, pipe fittings
etc.Boiler is insulated with cerawool.
COST  FOB INDIAN PORT US$ 5600/-

(2) Water tube Yarrow type boiler suitable for biomass firing with 90 sq ft heating
surface including economizer and superheater, test pressure
300psi,working pressure 150 psi complete with water
level gauge set, pressure gauge, safety valve, fire grates and 20ft
chimney 1 set+ interconnecting pipe lines, valves, pipe fittings
etc.Boiler is insulated with cerawool.
COST  FOB INDIAN PORT US$ 4000/-

(3) Water tube Yarrow type boiler suitable for biomass firing with 83 sq ft heating
surface including economizer and superheater, test pressure
300psi,working pressure 150 psi complete with water
level gauge set, pressure gauge, safety valve, fire grates and 20ft
chimney 1 set+ interconnecting pipe lines, valves, pipe fittings
etc.Boiler is insulated with cerawool.
COST  FOB INDIAN PORT US$ 3900/-
(4) Water tube Yarrow type boiler suitable for biomass firing with 54 sq ft heating
surface including economizer and superheater, test pressure
300psi,working pressure 150 psi complete with water
level gauge set, pressure gauge, safety valve, fire grates and 20ft
chimney 1 set+ interconnecting pipe lines, valves, pipe fittings
etc.Boiler is insulated with cerawool.
COST  FOB INDIAN PORT US$ 2200/-

(1) If interested in any item, proforma invoice should be asked for.

(2) All products will carry video CD for operation, maintenance, assembling, commissioning purpose. No any CD will be sent in advance in any case.



V. K. DESAI

Managing Director

AADHUNIK GLOBAL ENERGY

TINYTECH PLANTS
Tagore Road, RAJKOT - 360002, INDIA
91 92 27 60 65 70 ( MOBILE)
91 281 245 5730
91 281 246 7552 (FAX)
tinytech@tinytehindia.com
www.tinytechindia.com

I noted this in the other thread, but I think it bears repeating here;

These engines are VERY much the "rough and ready" type. They are workhorse engines originally designed for stationary power generation. As such they have NO frills at all. The frames on these engines are basic welded flat plate stock with appropriate holes. The Stephenson links cannot be changed while the engine is in motion either. They require one to unscrew a bolt, adjust the link, and then screw the bolt back in before restarting the engine. As such, they will require some serious modification to be suitable for marine use.

HOWEVER, having said that, they are well made engines, even if they are ugly as sin. The price is fantastic (although I'm sure shipping from India will eat quite a bit of the savings) and since all the really "hard" work of machining the moving parts and associated surfaces is already done, stripping and rebuilding them into something prettier would make for a nice project.

The same cannot be said for their boilers however. These are big, ugly, over-sized monstrosities designed to burn crappy jungle softwoods, brush and GARBAGE as fuel. One of the posters in the other thread noted that they have poorly designed grates and bad ventilation, despite their size. On size, they are HUGE for the power output they make. Doubtful one would even fit in your average 15-25 ft launch, and they wouldn't have enough generating capacity for an engine large enough to drive a larger boat.

In their defense though, they are designed for power generation in remote jungle/mountain areas where a high power-output ratio is less of an issue than simply having the ability to burn anything and everything for fuel is. So they work well for their stated use. I just don't think they would be useful for steamboat use.

My 2 cents.

Very helpful analysis. I would certainly view his products more as a starting point than as a complete and finished package. They are still a work in progress as of the last time I emailed with him. We discussed how to tie multiple Stephenson links together as on a compound engine. By now I hope he has made some refinements but regardless getting one of his engines at this point would put you in the "early adopter" category.

As for the boilers they are certainly primative. We discussed some improvements there as well but I have no idea what became of them and there are more issues besides. However I am not aware of any American boiler suppliers that could even approach his prices. I prefer the water tube design and like the roomy firebox for burning low-grade fuel. As my first boat will be a pontoon paddle wheeler the size will not be prohibitive. I would like to think that with a litttle refinement his could be made serviceable.

Thanks for the reply. Do you have first-hand experience with his equipment?

SailorHarry wrote:Very helpful analysis. I would certainly view his products more as a starting point than as a complete and finished package. They are still a work in progress as of the last time I emailed with him. We discussed how to tie multiple Stephenson links together as on a compound engine. By now I hope he has made some refinements but regardless getting one of his engines at this point would put you in the "early adopter" category.

As for the boilers they are certainly primative. We discussed some improvements there as well but I have no idea what became of them and there are more issues besides. However I am not aware of any American boiler suppliers that could even approach his prices. I prefer the water tube design and like the roomy firebox for burning low-grade fuel. As my first boat will be a pontoon paddle wheeler the size will not be prohibitive. I would like to think that with a litttle refinement his could be made serviceable.

Thanks for the reply. Do you have first-hand experience with his equipment?

No first-hand experience, but I did spend some time checking them out about a year or so ago. Back then they were offering similar engines at about twice the price. So it looks like they have adjusted their pricing scale quite a bit since then.

As far as boilers go, Tiny Power (not to be confused with Tiny Tech India) offers compact Watertube and Firetube boilers in roughly the same price range (slightly higher, but close). At least one poster here has gotten a nice vertical firetube made for him for about $800.00, and there are plenty of homebuild options on boilers as well. So sourcing one within the Continental United States is feasable in that price range, and honestly, the footprint on the TTI boilers is just huge since they are designed for stationary use. Even if they had the best price going there still wouldn't be any point in getting one as you would never be able to fit it in your boat!

Now, perhaps the tubes themselves are small enough and it's just the shell that is so huge. It's hard to tell from their images, but they look pretty large too. You might want to ask about the dimensions of the tube structure without the rest of the firebox shell.

I was the person who got my boiler "built" for $890, however this was just to weld the assembly together, test, and provide the ASME code stamp. In terms of actual labor to build the boiler, I did most of the work myself, bought all the materials, got all the material certifications, machined the shell penetrations and tubesheets, cut the boiler tubes and prepared the tube ends in a lathe, tack welded the assembly, installed all of the boiler tubes and rolled them into the tube sheets, etc.

This was a large effort on my part, and at common labor rates this would add a few thousand dollars to the cost, not to mention close to $800 for the materials meeting ASME standards.

As far as tiny power/rappahannock boiler prices, Ronnie is building me an ASME code S stamped 5 hp, VFT approx 40 ft2 with smokehood, grates, firedoor, draft door, and mounting plate similar to one in attached photo (a 10 hp model) for $6500.