More Thinking Outside The Box (A.K.A. Hairbrained Idea)

[captain ron]

Today I made a tube out of 4 inch pvc 12 inches long, drilled rows of 1/8 inch holes down the length spaced 2 inches apart staggering each rows tarting point. This was to allow oil to ooze out while I was pressing the mixture into the tube with 10,000 pounds of pressure from my hydraulic press. I ended up with a log 8 inches long and 4 inches diameter which slipped easily out of the pvc.. I placed it directly on the floor of the wood burner in the shop and lit it. I was documenting times and temps but my friend screwed it up by knocking it over (all of my research and stats are forever gone ). The temps of the log exceeded 1000 degrees as my temp gun only goes to 999 and just quit working. This evening we went to a local carpet store and got 10 tubes. We will cut them to 12 inches and pack them the same way but might not use the weep holes. Then we can burn them in the tube. Were going to burn some standing and some laying down to see if there is any difference in performance. Were still hashing over the design of the boiler. Right now the easiest and quickest thing is to make an outdoor setup and get the bugs worked out and then shoot for one that will work onboard.

[Stan]

Imitation fireplace logs are made from sawdust and a waste waxy substance from oil refineries. You are making much the same thing with your waste from WVO. The imitation logs do burn very hot and they have a safety warning on them to not put several in a fireplace at the same time. To make good use of the heat, you will need good control of the combustion air and the burn rate.

[NewbeeMC9]

one of the cool thing about hydronics is that it opens up choices for sources of heat that you didn't have before.

like a swimming pool heater if you know your gonna be stationary a while,  throw it on the roof or lay it out on the ground if its sunny

external burner like wva said and use outside when parked



keep it up and keep us posted

[wvanative]

Don't forget the space above the engine where the squirrel cage was if you have removed it already, as a place to put a this unit.

WVaNative

[Hartley]

Don't forget the space above the engine where the squirrel cage was if you have removed it already, as a place to put a this unit.

WVaNative

Well that was Goofy. .. His bus has radiators and cooling fans up there....
( You must have been thinking RTS or something.. Not MCI.... )

[wvanative]

Don't forget the space above the engine where the squirrel cage was if you have removed it already, as a place to put a this unit.

WVaNative

Well that was Goofy. .. His bus has radiators and cooling fans up there....
( You must have been thinking RTS or something.. Not MCI.... )

Goofy Notttt!!! here is an MCI 102A3 that shows what I was referring too note picture below. I was thinking for those who have the A/C components already removed from up there above the engine. Dang DrDAVE you must be from Ak, LOL to go slinging goofy words around like that.

WVaNative   "just having some fun with you boy"

[Hartley]

WVAnative...

DUH...

That picture shows the squirrel cage fans up next to the TWO radiators...

See the upper hoses going from the engine up to each radiator???

Actually I am from KY and live in TN....

It's a small world...

[wvanative]

Well Drdave I was born in KY myself, the last family member born in a log cabin with dirt floors so I'm told, small world. LOL and I'm looking right now at some land not to far from BK, over in Milan, TN.  I was just down there in Dec to visit a dear friend who was like a father to me four days before he passed away in Luray, TN. While we were there we fell in love with TN, and with so many friends down there who are like family I decided to buy some land there. But I'm here for you buddy to help you with that low self esteem. You can give me a hard time anytime you want. I truly am a newbe and I'm sure I'll learn a lot from you and the others.

WVaNative just another Hillbilly LOL 

[Hartley]

Well Drdave I was born in KY myself, the last family member born in a log cabin with dirt floors so I'm told, small world. LOL and I'm looking right now at some land not to far from BK, over in Milan, TN.  I was just down there in Dec to visit a dear friend who was like a father to me four days before he passed away in Luray, TN. While we were there we fell in love with TN, and with so many friends down there who are like family I decided to buy some land there. But I'm here for you buddy to help you with that low self esteem. You can give me a hard time anytime you want. I truly am a newbe and I'm sure I'll learn a lot from you and the others.

WVaNative just another Hillbilly LOL 

Yeah.. I feel like Jed Clampet here sometimes. I was partially raised in Huntington WVA..
I am East of BK here in the Upper Cumberland area near Cookeville, Just far enough out of the way for it to be aggravating sometimes. When it's really quiet and the wind is from the south, I can occasionally hear trucks on I-40 across the hilltops..

I am up the road from the Daltons who have the most MCI MC6 "Queen of the Highway buses" that have ever been in one place in years, I just can't get over there for some strange reason to chat much. And before anyone asks, NO I don't think he wants to sell them. He has a couple still running and looking ready for revenue service. And a bone yard that looks like heaven.....

[captain ron]

Ok, if I can get this back on track. I need to know the max temp of water under pressure or the max temp in a closed loop system. With my continuing research of the WVO/sawdust mixture I'm finding that it burns very hot. The temps on top of the shop wood burner are exceeding at times 800 degrees but are usually around 650 degrees. At the flame it is well over 1000 degrees. I'm sure the water temps are going to be much lower because of the constant flow, distance of travel and the fact that the lines going to and from the bus are outside. My latest design is going to be a very small fire box with a water chamber above to maximize the heat exchange. I will tie this boiler into my manifold on my Pro heat system and use the circulating pump I have now in my system. I will have a relief valve at the boiler and an aquastat to operate zone valves and switch on my proheat when the boiler runs out of fuel if I'm not around to baby sit it. I'm also going to have a tube that runs into the base of the fire box that will have a fan controlled by another aquastat to help control heat from the fire. We are also looking into incorporating an auger to feed the fire box like a pellet stove.

[Hartley]

Ron,

You need to find info or books on boiler design to find out how to
calculate flow and heat absorbtion. Years ago I helped build several
tube and fin-tube boilers for steam engines. There are many critical
parts that you need if this is going to be safe and work with any efficiency.

It sounds like you figured out the fuel part, But now need burn rates
and pressure systems info. You may also need high pressure or temperature
controlled valves and automatic dampers to shut things down if stuff goes wrong.

Hot water can hurt you seriously, Steam will kill you if you make the tiniest
mistake with a design. Its explosive if not handled correctly.

If your heater messes up you could get superheated steam. In the U.S. you need a license to handle live steam systems and that's because of the education needed for handling boilers properly and their design.

I know that you are on a roll with this stuff, I wouldn't presume that I or anyone else knows enough about where you may be headed. I quit messing with boilers for a very sane reason... death !!! So as you follow your ideas, Please take time to study where you are going and dig into the physics and science a bit more.. We want you around to pick on for a lot longer if that's OK with YOU !!!

[captain ron]

This is from my thread on another board
"Hi There, interesting idea - have a suggestion for ya which may help - add a good concentration of glycol to your water in your heating system , this will raise the boiling point of the water and also if you seal or pressurise the system it will also help- but you need to fit an expansion vessel and safety and temperature relief valve to make it as safe as poss.just a suggestion .."