Minimum suction for alcohol?

1633 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by xo18thfa, Jan 22, 2008

Pauli

Discussion Starter · Jan 21, 2008

Hello everybody,

I'm on my second suction-fan build, and the resuly is not impressing. It can just hold a 1,5x1,5 newspaper clipping from dropping vertically. (At the 10mm pipe for the stack.) Or, it can very slowly "smoke" a cigarette, with the filter cut away ;-)

Do you think I possibly could succeed firing up my alcohol fired new Aster?

Another problem is, I used soft-solder for the fan-blades ;-) Maybe it'll all just come apart?

I will need to get another sollution later, I just want to try my locomotive soon ;-)

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JEFF RUNGE

· #2 · Jan 21, 2008

Pauli, I think the soft solder will be a problem, and If the fan does not move enough air it will take a lloooooooooooooooong time to raise steam/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif Even weak batteries are a problem.. just ask me how I know/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blush.gif.
Jeff

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Pauli

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 21, 2008

It seems I can find parts for a better idea rather quickly, described by Charles T. McCullough at steamup.info site.

The idea is simply putting the pillar of a "T" tube down the chimney, then using a pump/fan for inflating beachtoys, blow a hefty stream of air through the horizontal tube. According to Charles experimentation, this method actually gives the strongest suction-draught.

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xo18thfa

· #4 · Jan 22, 2008

Hi Pauli: It does not take much suction to get an alcohol engine started, but it need to be reliable. I use an Aster fan and the biggest problem is batteries going low. The batteries crap out at the worst possible time. With new batteries the Aster fan works fine, but any drop in fan speed and there is trouble.

I think I will try the "J" tube method attached to a 5 liter (one gallon) garden sprayer jug. A few pumps on the garden sprayer should give plenty of air for a start up.

It is very possible that the soft solder will melt. Discoloration of the smokeboxes on my alcohol engines indicates things get rather hot on the front end. Try using angled blades attached with small machine screws or rivets.

Bob

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