The Steamboating Forum

Dose anyone have any information on Tinytech Plants steam engines? I have seen them listed as Indian steam engines but also seen the same engines listed as coming from Chinese factories. I am thinking of importing a single cylinder, double acting 4x4 with reverse mechanism for $1600 FOB India, but would love to know that someone else had seen or used one. Dose the engine work? What was there experience working with this company? Any information you have would be a help. This is the website I am looking at http://www.steamcar.net/steam-engine-for-sale.html

There are at least two threads on Tinytech in this forum. The general drift of the comments made is that the engines are pretty "rough" and are primarily intended for stationary use such as small electric power plants or to power other kinds of machinery.

I probably should have searched the site first (will next time).
Thanks for the info.

While I have not yet received one of the engines, I have been conversing with Mr. V.K. Desai (the owner of Tiny Tech India) off and on for several years now. He is a very smart man with some very interesting ideas. He has been continuing to develop his engines and boilers fairly rapidly. I believe that advertisement on the Steam Car site is pretty much obsolete at this point. All of his engines now have piston valves, Stephenson links, and are available with closed crankcases. Currently he is experimenting with monotube boiler designs.

His engines are built to be simple and inexpensive to manufacture rather than attractive to look at. Yes they work, but for a steamboat I would view them as a starting place rather than a finished product that is ready to install. However I believe his are the only steam engines being mass produced in the world, so if you want a ready-to-run engine at a reasonable price he's the guy to talk to.

Here is a recent list of his offerings. Note that his new design lower-ends are metric but many of the cylinders are still built in inches. For example, the 6hp engine is actually 3.5" x 80mm and the 8hp engine is 4" x 80mm.

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AADHUNIK GLOBAL ENERGY
C/oTINYTECH PLANTS,Tagore Road, Rajkot - 360 002, INDIA
Mobile # 91-92 27 60 65 70, Tel. 91-281-2480166 Fax # 91-281-2467552
Email : tinytech@tinytechindia.com Website : www.tinytechindia.com
STEAM ENGINES
Over and above our regular open type steam engines under production, we have developed closed type steam engines of the following series. In open type engines, you can see crank shaft and cross head moving, while in closed type, you can not see revolving crank and crosshead moving up and down.
Working pressure is 160 psi. Steam consumption is about 16kg/hp/hr. i.e. 25 hp steam engine will consume 400kg of steam per hour. Exhaust temperature is about 100 degree. Steam from boiler directly goes to steam engine via centrifugal water separator. So no schematic diagram is necessary. If you can connect electronics grid synchronizer, then you can feed power to grid also. If you want alternator, we can supply appropriate capacity alternator also. Photos will be displayed on our web site very soon. You are most welcome to visit here if you desire.

(1) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 2.5 hp, cylinder dia 63mm x stroke 80mm, US$ 1250/-
(2) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 4 hp, cylinder dia 76.2mm x stroke 80mm , US$ 1300/-
(3) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 6 hp, cylinder dia 90.2mm x stroke 80mm, US$ 1400/-
(4) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 8 hp, cylinder dia 101.6mm x stroke 80mm, US$ 1500/-
(5) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 10 hp, cylinder dia 101.6mm x stroke 116mm, US$ 2000/-
(6) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 14 hp, cylinder dia 114 mm x stroke 116mm, US$ 2200/-
(7) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 20 hp, cylinder dia 140mm x stroke 116mm, US$ 2400/-
(8) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 25 hp, cylinder dia 152mm x stroke 116mm, US$ 2500/-
(9) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 30 hp, cylinder dia 152mm x stroke 146mm, US$ 4500/-
(10) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 35 hp, cylinder dia 165mm x stroke 146mm, US$ 4800/-
(11) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 40 hp, cylinder dia 175mm x stroke 146mm, US$ 5000/-
(12) Single cylinder double acting steam engine 50 hp, cylinder dia 190mm x stroke 146mm, US$ 5200/-

Delivery period 5 to 10 days.
Ask for proforma invoice for desired engines.

STEAM ENGINES WITH ALTERNATORS
Steam engine 6 hp + Alternator 3 KVA on common base frame = US$ 1900/-
Steam engine 8 hp + Alternator 4 KVA on common base frame = US$ 2100/-
Steam engine 10 hp + Alternator 5 KVA on common base frame = US$ 2600/-
Steam engine 14 hp + Alternator7.5 KVA on common base frame = US$ 2900/-
Steam engine 20 hp + Alternator 12.5 KVA on common base frame = US$ 3300/-
Steam engine 25 hp + Alternator 15 KVA on common base frame = US$ 3600/-
Steam engine 30 hp + Alternator 20 KVA on common base frame = US$ 5500/-
Steam engine 35 hp + Alternator 25 KVA on common base frame = US$ 6100/-
Steam engine 40 hp + Alternator 30 KVA on common base frame = US$ 6600/-
Steam engine 50 hp + Alternator 35 KVA on common base frame = US$ 7000/-
Alternators are with digital display of KW, V, Hz.
STEAM POWER PLANTS
Steam engine 6 hp + Alternator 3 KVA + Boiler 48 sq ft HS. = US$4000/-
Steam engine 10 hp + Alternator 5 KVA + Boiler 89 sq ft HS. = US$5200/-
Steam engine 20 hp + Alternator 12.5 KVA + Boiler 155 sq ft HS. = US$ 10000/-
Just for your information.
Recently in last 10 days, we dispatched the following steam engines:-
(1) steam engine 50 hp with 35 kva alternator to Madagascar.
(2) steam engine 18hp with sugarcane crusher to Madagascar.
(3) complete steam power plant 20hp-10kw in India.
(4) complete steam power plant 10hp-5 kw to Lebanon.
(5) steam engine 2.5 hp in India.
Before 2 to 3 months, we dispatched
(6) 2 steam engines to Sweden.
(7) complete steam power plant 18hp-10kw to France.
(8) complete steam power plant 8hp-3kw to France.
(9) complete steam power plant 2hp-1kva to Nepal.
(10) complete steam power plant 18hp-10kw to Australia


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

Wow. I haven't checked back with tinytech in awhile. They really have stepped up their game. $650 for a 2.5 hp steam engine is a STEAL. (Although shipping it will probably drive the cost up quite a ways.)

Still, an assembled steam engine of comparable IHP from almost any other source will run you in excess of $2500. Now, you're going to get a really high end fit and finish for that money, but if you just want to get started, Tinytech might actually be a really viable alternative to some uber-expensive engine covered in brightwork.

You'll still need to buy or build a boiler, but those are far less complex to make than a steam engine and can be reliably put together with only minimal tools and a basic working knowledge of boilers. Nice!

I built a conversion of a refrigeration compressor that I ran for 20 years on our launch Otter. I think I spent about $50 for scrap bits for the conversion by the end. Here are some details: http://smaalders.net/bart/engine.html

I find boilers more difficult to construct than engines, but I've got a lathe and mill and welding gear.

Here's the boiler I built: http://smaalders.net/bart/boiler.html


- Bart

I agree with Bart, building a functional engine, converted from either a compressor or IC engine is far less work (and less cost) than building a proper boiler. Beyond that, the boiler is potentially much more dangerous than the engine, needs to have a design of good integrity, being a fired pressure vessel, and subject to deterioration by corrosion or poor maintenance.

Now if you are building a fine replica of an elegant classic marine engine, then that involves the large amount of skilled workmanship.