Engine choice

[Old Steamer]

I came across this thread perhaps too late to be of assistance but maybe my comments may help and somebody can help me in return.
For the last three years I have performed penance for what must be some horrendous crime in a past life by looking after a friend's Anthony Bever 2" x 31/4" x 2" compound. I do not recommend this unless you are especially masochistic. When it runs, it runs happily in a 16' launch with 110psi at inlet, dropping to about 10"Hg at exhaust. It appears to have been thrown together rather than built but the design does not help.
When it decides to sulk, accessibility to sort it is negligible and thus I am now expert at removing it to the quay in times that are interesting the Guinness Book of Records. The main bearings are much too small and joints (gaskets) have to be cut with precision because the landings/flanges on most components are far too narrow. Even nipping up the rod glands is almost impossible while the engine is in situ and, even when it's out, needs a C-spanner with a cranked arm unless the valve gear is partly dismantled.
Starting/reversing is never reliable, even with judicious use of the Simpling valve, which makes me wonder what the ideal valve timing is and makes manoeuvring to a berth "interesting". At present, steam admission is set at 5 deg BTDC on HP and LP and 7deg BBDC. If anybody can suggest from experience on Bevers, how this can be improved, I would be very interested.

By all means I would support fitting a compound over a twin - just not the Bever variety.

I will arrange for all or any replies to be directed to the Home for the Bewildered in which I am presently residing.

[fredrosse]

About 100 years ago there were real steam consumption and power measurement tests conducted at MIT. The White Steam Car Compound, and a Stanley Steam Car Simple. These machines produced from about 3 HP to 15 HP, and ran with steam pressures higher than most of our launches. I have these test reports if anyone is interested.

[oldnicos]

Moin,

I'd readed this thread and controversy views. So I'd used now the excelsheet from M. Pritzkow.
Twin vs Compound (1:1,75 and 1:2) by the same power and rounds per minute.
If the twin would be at expansion work, the steamvolume will be quite the same. But if the twin works on fullsteam, like Stanley Racesteamer with 30HP, the needed steam would be twice than the compound use.
And the more steam, the more fuel (oil, gas, gasoline, wood, coal) you'll need.

We want to have a V-Twin at our boat and so we know to need more steam and wood.


Thx and best regards
Nic with co

[Dhutch]

For the last three years I have performed penance for what must be some horrendous crime in a past life by looking after a friend's Anthony Bever 2" x 31/4" x 2" compound. I do not recommend this unless you are especially masochistic. When it runs, it runs happily in a 16' launch with 110psi at inlet, dropping to about 10"Hg at exhaust. It appears to have been thrown together rather than built but the design does not help.
When it decides to sulk, accessibility to sort it is negligible and thus I am now expert at removing it to the quay in times that are interesting the Guinness Book of Records. The main bearings are much too small and joints (gaskets) have to be cut with precision because the landings/flanges on most components are far too narrow. Even nipping up the rod glands is almost impossible while the engine is in situ and, even when it's out, needs a C-spanner with a cranked arm unless the valve gear is partly dismantled.
Starting/reversing is never reliable, even with judicious use of the Simpling valve, which makes me wonder what the ideal valve timing is and makes manoeuvring to a berth "interesting". At present, steam admission is set at 5 deg BTDC on HP and LP and 7deg BBDC. If anybody can suggest from experience on Bevers, how this can be improved, I would be very interested.

By all means I would support fitting a compound over a twin - just not the Bever variety.

I must say, as someone who also owns a Beaver Compound (No27, a 4.5+7.5*4 inch Leak design, 1991) I find the engine quite usable. Maybe the larger size allows more access, and I must say you can only do the gland nuts flat at a time, but that's all you normally want. When it arrived it wasnt timed that well, but my grandfathers partner in boat related things re-timed it and it now starts in either direction and goes over from one to the other seamlessly and without using the simpling valve at all. The only thing I would change on it would have been to use metric course for fasteners, not a mix of whitworth and af!

Sadly it was before my time that it was timed up, and not knowledge I personally hold, with the bloke in question now no longer being with us but I expect it can be done again. I have heard there are some drawing errors includes in the slide valve? Does the engine have a number or age on it, is its an early Beaver engine? Clutching at straws.


I have also boated on Suilven many times, which has a 3+5*3 Leak compound all be it not a beaver built example it worked well under Geoffs control.



That said, sometimes it would be nice to ditch the condenser, the airpump, the circulating pump, hotwell and everything else and just have a huge boiler and big injector and raw-water feed !


Daniel

[Scotty]

That said, sometimes it would be nice to ditch the condenser, the airpump, the circulating pump, hotwell and everything else and just have a huge boiler and big injector and raw-water feed !
Daniel

Don't tell us you want to use the brown stuff in the cut they call water for your boiler??

Scotty

[Dhutch]

Don't tell us you want to use the brown stuff in the cut they call water for your boiler??

No, not really, but just some times it appeals....

[Old Steamer]

Daniel,
You are talking about an entirely different beast than the one I described which needs limbs with the articulation of a snake and the fingers of a gecko to get into. The one I refer to was built in 1988 by Precision Steam as Serial No. 501.
I have a set of drawings initialled AB which purport to be the engine. However, when you discover not only design differences but dimensional discrepancies of up to 1", you have to wonder!
Regards,
OS