oil burners

[johnp]

Can someone explain to me how to make or where to buy a oil burner? I think i should convert to oil from wood. doesn't look like a lot of room for wood on my boat. can i use a fiberglass fuel tank or should it be metal? how do i pressurize it. photos would be great.

[RogerV]

I feel a little out of place answering your question, as I don't even own a boat yet, but I THINK I've read and heard enough that I won't lead you too far astray.

As far as I know, there are two ways to fire a boiler with oil. The first is to use a steam injector which uses the boiler's own steam to vaporize the oil and stray it into the firebox. Its drawback is that you have to raise a minimum amount of steam pressure before it will work, but since you are already using wood, you could build a small wood fire to raise the necessary steam pressure, then switch to oil.

The second method is to use an oil burner very similar to what you would find on a household oil furnace. At the moment, the only place I know that sells them is the Beckmann Boat Shop in Rhode Island: http://www.steamboating.net/page4.html Look in the upper right column of accessories for "Automatic Oil Burner." It can be set up for automatic operation so that it only comes on when steam pressure drops below a predetermined level. Its main drawback is that you need a 12-volt power supply to make it work.

There is another thread on how to keep batteries charged on a steamboat, and there are a variety of opinions. Some steamboaters are able to run a full day on a single charge, and connect a battery charger to an ac 120-volt battery charger when they return home or to a dock. A battery also gives you the option of using electric navigation lights.

Some steamboaters use or are experimenting with or using solar panel battery chargers, but I haven't heard much about the results they have achieved.

Finally, depending on how powerul your engine is, and you can find the correct type of alternator, you may be able to recharge the battery while you're running. I think there is pretty much general agreement that in most cases steam engines don't produce the high rpm's that most automotive alternators require. A possible solution is to use an alternator designed for windmills, as they start charging at very low rpm's.

A "big boat" solution is to find a small steam engine and directly connect it to the alternator So that it runs independently of the main engine. Look at the thread called "Keeping the Batteries Charged."

Hopefully I haven't lead anyone too far astray with what I've said, but this is an issue I've been thinking about and researching in order to get an idea of what my (still imaginary) steamboat will use.

As for storage tank material, someone else needs to jump in. That's a question I have myself!

[gondolier88]

I would recommend leaving the steam atomised type well alone- as has been said you have to raise pressure in the first place to make it work, but when they are working the moisture content of the products of combustion will play havoc with copper or steel alike.

I would also not recommend going down the 12v route as the electrical systems required preclude any simplicity in using steam as the propulsion for your boat in the first place, as well as introducing items that are well known in the marine world as non-reliable unless a lot of expense is outlayed.

My recommendation would be to look back in history and see how the people who took out patents for oil(paraffin(kerosene!))-burning steam launches did it- The Liquid Fuel Engineering Co. (LIFU), Lune Valley Engineering Co. being two notable examples.

Both used very simple vapourising arangments, lit by a tray with Methylated Spirits in, then they would self vapourise. A simple diaphragm actuated pressure valve regulated the oil supply to the burner, with the lowest setting being a pilot flame. The LIFU burner also incorporated a tray with firebricks on that stayed hot enought o reignite the flame should it blown out.

Check out these catalogues;

http://www.steamboattrust.org.uk/cart/store/?pCat=4

Greg

[steamboatjack]

There have been many boats fitted with steam atomising burners, not to mention it has been used for many years on large boilers. The percentage of steam used can be made very low but it should be as dry as possible, I have not heard of any damage caused by any apparent increase in moisture content. Start has been achieved by compressed air or even with propane used in place of the steam (providing a safe totally detachable system is used).
Vaporizing burners work well but were designed to be used with domestic paraffin (kerosene) which is very clean burning, use of heating kerosene or distillate road fuel will result in sooting of the vaporizer unit, they also tend to be very noisy.
Domestic oil burners are usually of the pressure atomising type, using a fine spray nozzle and require an air supply. A domestic type burner unit can be used with success with a 12volt system. It is important to match the flame shape with the available fire box. The nozzles come with a vast number of shapes and sizes. The smaller units work as a on/off system with no turn down ratio (the ratio of max flame to minimum). It is a myth however, that this is the only way. A domestic nozzle can be run at slightly lower or quite a bit higher pressures than the design pressure, obviously the air has to be regulated to suit.
There is also a type which has a larger turn down ratio, google Delavan variflo nozzles.
Alternatively you can built a burner unit which uses two nozzles, in this case the fan damper can be adjusted with stops set for optimum air at each condition.
Any type of oil burner requires very careful operation, the automatic control unit supplied with a domestic burner is perhaps the safest option to ensure pre and post purging of the furnace.
Pot Burners, I have little knowledge of these but there is an interesting item in Funnel number152 regarding these.


Regards
Jack

[farmerden]

"Steam Queen" has an atomizing burner .I fire on wood and can switch to oil at 5 lbs pressure.The steam for the atomizer goes thru a superheater [nothing more than a 3/8's stainless loop in the firebox] Only trouble i've ever had is the "Drooling burner" carboned up because it was too far in the fire.Simply moving it back out of the firebox [about 1 "]fixed that. The only downside is the roar of the burner.Now if you are a hopeless romantic and must burn wood -well start cutting! I'm cutting wood for 2013.Wood heats you three times 1 when you cut it 2 when you split it and 3 when you burn it! And it helps me keep my younger look![It's hard to believe I'm only 35! ] Den[/img]

[johnp]

Can someone tell me what type of tank I need and how do I pressurize it

[farmerden]

My fuel tanks are aluminium.I use an automobile fuel pump driven by a lobe [cam] on the prop shaft.This pumps the fuel to a Day tank which gravity feeds to the steam atomizer .The rate of flow is handled by a needle valve. In the picture the fuel tanks are on the right.The copper tanks under the boiler are water .These are all covered by floorboards when the boat is in use.The boat was all apart as I had rebuilt the engine.
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The Day tank is the copper tube of the left of the fire wall.There is also a 12 volt fuel pump if all else fails!The site glass on the day day allows me to see water build up and I can easily drain the water off with the tap at the bottom of the Day tank

[farmerden]

John-I found another pic that shows the fuel pump.I added a roller on the end of the pump but it's basically a camshaft driven automobile fuel pump [any will do] I thought I should replace this one [when it fails] with one from a Dodge Cummins D-iesal [an older one as the newer models are electric] as it pumps heavier oils than the gas pumps. Den
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[fredrosse]

I am assuming you want a pressurized fuel tank for a vaporizing burner (air pressure over the oil forces oil to the vaporizer), similar to a Stanley Steam Automobile setup. Two options: 1. a portable compressed air tank sold at automobile supply houses to fill tires without use of a pump, Harbor Freight, etc, about $30USD. These hold about 3 +/- gallons, and are designed for 125 PSI maximum pressure. 2. A truck compressed air tank (for air brakes) which may be available surplus, I found new ones for $15USD each, 165 PSI design, larger and way more connections than the tire filling air tanks.

You will probably need to have a filling nozzle welded to the tank, use a 1-1/4 inch Schedule 80 pipe half coupling, and have the welding done by a proper welder. Hydrostatic test at 2x maximum working pressure, and have a relief valve set at or below the tank's MAWP. Usually a top connection to the fuel line is prudent, with an internal dip tube down to about 1/2 inch above the tank bottom.

The later model Stanley vaporizing burner system used an unpressurized main fuel tank, with a small (about 1 quart) tank having air over the oil. If you want this type of setup, you can get an auxiliary die-sel fuel tank sold for mounting in the back of a pickup truck. I bought one for water in my steamboat, it is about 10 inches in diameter, 40 inches long, and holds 15 gallons. It comes with mounting feet, a standard sized fill nozzle, with outlet ball valve and fuel hose, etc. $90 USD

A pressurized fuel tank should be properly tested annually, as big fuel leaks in a boat could have serious consequences.

[fredrosse]

A tank