The Steamboating Forum

I was reading thru some old posts and found a few on exhaust silencers, it seems this is more frequently used in the UK but I was wondering how well they work, where do you normally place them and can anyone furnish a drawing or explain their design? pics would be nice too of your current install.

Thanks,
Don Fenstermacher, Jr.

Whilst I don't know much in this area, I would think that by using a condenser that this would effectively silence the exhaust. So why not fit a condenser unless you really need the exhaust to draw the fire?

If you are running condensing then ignore below.

Why would you want to silence the exhaust? That's part of the fun of steam boating!!!

There is so much you can do with the exhaust if you aren't running condensing .

* Use it to increase draft in the boiler
* Use the exhaust to run another steam engine with a diverting valve so you don't starve the main engine
* Peltier effect devices to make electricity from the temperature differential from the water and the exhaust steam
* Heat or cook food, tea or coffee
* Etc, Etc, Etc.

Is your propeller right for your boat?

-CB

That's an idea - run a small secondary steam engine - perhaps a little "wobbler" which drives a small generator or pump.

Shamrock has a silencer, water from any steam that condenses keeps the ash pan damp and the rest goes up the funnel to encourage the fire.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIzo8ciYR84

www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8h4wrlo8xw

JohnG

The Uniflow Engine on my domestic Heat-Power Module ran condensing, but on first trials the engine exhaust (1-1/2 inch open exhaust pipe) sounded exactly like a 12 horsepower tractor engine with a four cycle single cylinder gasoline IC engine. I have never experienced that sound on any other steam engine, however a common automotive silencer did exactly that, and the engine then made very little noise.

I am a locomotive guy and believe me I like the sound of an open exhaust, however the pearl twin has a distinct pop to it when running, especially when running at higher rpm, I would like to still have the chuff chuff however slightly silenced. I have an Elliot bay 20x 28 on an Elliot bay hull and have achieved 7 knots in a strong headwind with whitecaps so I believe the wheel is ok but we are going to try a 20x 30 for the heck of it..engine does like a load on it though, she seemed very happy when we had 7 adults and 3 children on board as opposed to just my father and I

Do you have any info on the poppet valve in the drawing: is it a manufactured item; where did you get any parts, etc. I have a Westinghouse compressor for a small truck air brake system. Three cylinder, excellent design, would make a great uniflo engine - just can't use a sliding valve like one could with a one or two cylinder engine. 2-1/8" bore by 2" stroke. Poppet valve would be great with uniflow - quick open and close, electrical solenoid activation to vary the inlet timing...

Electrical?

To quote Conrad in Lord Jim, "The horror! The horror!".

If you're going to vary the timing, use two cams and adjust the phase angle between them as Skinner did... you can do this
pretty easily using a mechanism like a 'phase variator': http://candycontrols.com/products/candy-phase-variator/
Various other mechanisms work as well, such as helical slots or sliding helical gears as Skinner used.

The valve is actuated from a rocker that rides on both cams, and the valve won't open unless both cams are 'up', so changing the
phase angle between the two cams modifies the overlap which is when the valve is open.


- Bart
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