2.5mm Oil/Kerosene Nozzles

A special section just for steam engines and boilers, as without these you may as well fit a sail.
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cyberbadger
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2.5mm Oil/Kerosene Nozzles

Post by cyberbadger » Wed May 20, 2020 5:10 pm

I just wanted folks to know that there are some cheap air atomizing nozzles available on eBay for $20 on eBay.

I bought the 2.5mm nozzle, and replaced the interior O-ring with a steam rated Viton O-ring from McMaster Carr. (5 pack for $5)

The nozzle is intended for air, but I just wanted to let folks know that with this O-ring substitution this nozzle works on steam.

Now I did experience flameouts, but having a propane burning nozzle also running worked great as a pilot light.

This was a first test for me, it's certainly not operating perfectly - but boy did I notice the BTUs! For my needs, it will be something that I will be keeping on my boiler. Adjusting the steam supply and fuel supply is a little finicky.

5sec clip showing operation.
some wood embers act as a pilot light during a flameout.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ1Gp72bw8M

2.5mm Diesel Heavy Waste Oil Alcohol-based Fuel Burner Spray
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-1-3-1-5-2-2- ... 3226581623
[Note: Search for 2.5mm oil burner on eBay, there are many listings of this item]

Viton® Fluoroelastomer O-Ring
Chemical- and Steam-Resistant, 1/16 Fractional Width, Dash 007
$3.98 per pack of 5
https://www.mcmaster.com/2857T113

-CB
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Re: 2.5mm Oil/Kerosene Nozzles

Post by TahoeSteam » Thu May 21, 2020 10:13 pm

Thanks for posting that! We usually run with a little chunk of wood most of the time for a pilot light, but we also have heavy road grader chains (pick them up off the road in the spring after the winter's attrition), and fire brick as targets that glow red hot and keep the flame outs from happening.

A ball valve for a quick fuel shutoff is imperative. It only takes a few seconds of flameout to have an explosive mixture in the firebox that can wreak havock on the boiler casing (water tube boilers like the mishap on Jim Webster's "Souvenir") or blow the firebox door open and shoot the spark arrestor 10' into the air (like we did with the VFT on the George H. Sandin).

Liquid fuel requires deft attention and handling.
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Re: 2.5mm Oil/Kerosene Nozzles

Post by TriangleTom » Fri May 22, 2020 9:04 pm

TahoeSteam wrote:
Thu May 21, 2020 10:13 pm

A ball valve for a quick fuel shutoff is imperative. It only takes a few seconds of flameout to have an explosive mixture in the firebox that can wreak havock on the boiler casing (water tube boilers like the mishap on Jim Webster's "Souvenir") or blow the firebox door open and shoot the spark arrestor 10' into the air (like we did with the VFT on the George H. Sandin).

Liquid fuel requires deft attention and handling.
I've not heard of the Souvenir. What happened?
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Re: 2.5mm Oil/Kerosene Nozzles

Post by TahoeSteam » Fri May 22, 2020 11:33 pm

She was an (aluminium?) 50' yacht in the north eastern US. Automatic oil-fired watertube boiler and (I believe) a Herreshoff steeple-triple expansion engine. She had a flame-out and a backdraft, which severely balooned the boiler casing, and possibly other damage ( I don't remember the complete details). It was covered in Live Steam Magazine in the early '90's back when live steam had articles about Steamboats.
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Re: 2.5mm Oil/Kerosene Nozzles

Post by Oilking » Sat May 23, 2020 6:50 pm

Ah yes, relighting off the back wall or brick work a practice unapproved of by the US navy, but frequently done by those that got away with it the last time without harm. This practice at the least causes stresses to the burner front brick work shortening its' service life, but it can also result in major damage with loss of life. The approve practice was to secure the fuel flow, run up the blowers to purge the fire box and uptakes, and then relight using a torch.

I think steam will kill the corona virus, or at least it can help relieve the boredom!

Dave
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cyberbadger
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Re: 2.5mm Oil/Kerosene Nozzles

Post by cyberbadger » Sat May 23, 2020 9:51 pm

TahoeSteam wrote:
Thu May 21, 2020 10:13 pm
... fire brick as targets that glow red hot and keep the flame outs from happening.
That's a good idea, I will bring some firebrick to try that.

Probably most of the time I'm going to run Nyitra with 1 of her 2 propane burners on low next to the oil nozzle. I have a 1/4 ball valve for shut off. I'm adding a stainless steel dwyer needle valve inline for additional fine control.

The puffer arrangement causes draft in the bonnet when the engine is running. There is also a separate manual steam powered draft available potentially to purge.

When this nozzle is working, it makes this really fine mist and there isn't really liquid.

-CB
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