# Steam engine



## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

I've seen a few posts in the past asking about steam power. Just thought someone might be intersted in this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/MIKE-BROWN-HORI...oryZ3240QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

maybe i am missing something, but what powers this engine? i know...steam, but from where?


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

That's the engine.

You supply the boiler


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

'Buy it now' at $1k!

My goodness that is CRAZY!

For $1k I would expect to see the boiler too.


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## georgec (Jul 9, 2007)

I think it looks pretty cool. I don't think you could manufacture something like that for much less than $1k. You could slap a 1kw generator on there, attach a wood boiler, and get truly independant almost free power (that is if you have a supply of wood).


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

That is a neat little engine.

Yup, . . .the steam scource is also gonna set ya back many many dimes. . . . . .

don't tempt me............................................


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## georgec (Jul 9, 2007)

I am very tempted. I bid $150, someone outbid me (he must has set a auto-bid). The minimum price still has not been reached.


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## Catwagon (Nov 25, 2006)

There are steam plans all over the net that are either free or fairly cheap. I made a pair of these for about $35.00 each in materials and my own labor. Steam is somewhat forgiving about tolerances so if you have access to a lathe and some time on your hands just about anyone can build one.

If you find a plan you like but it's too small to do any real work you can always scale it up to suit your needs.


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## Metcalf (Feb 15, 2007)

You could always use solar to generate the steam on a sunny day....

I don't think engines like this need super high psi or volumes of steam to run. Sure a super large locomotive engine might be dangerous, but a little guy like this would be perfect for home sized power generation. Even at 3 hp you could run a 2kw generator with a little to spare if I remember the conversions right. If you could combine this with a heating system for your home ( use wood not only to generate steam for power, but also for warmth ) you make it that much more efficient. 

So many good answers to out problems....so many people just don't see it.


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## OntarioMan (Feb 11, 2007)

I've yet to read anything which shows that steam is even remotely practical for small systems - too much of the input energy is converted to waste heat, and alot of it - far more waste heat than could be used by many many homes.

I always try to make it to the local steam shows - they're truly awesome machines.



Metcalf said:


> You could always use solar to generate the steam on a sunny day....
> 
> I don't think engines like this need super high psi or volumes of steam to run. Sure a super large locomotive engine might be dangerous, but a little guy like this would be perfect for home sized power generation. Even at 3 hp you could run a 2kw generator with a little to spare if I remember the conversions right. If you could combine this with a heating system for your home ( use wood not only to generate steam for power, but also for warmth ) you make it that much more efficient.
> 
> So many good answers to out problems....so many people just don't see it.


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## Metcalf (Feb 15, 2007)

So all that waste heat couldn't be used to heat your house or water? If you have too much store it up in some thermal mass and use it when you aren't trying to generate electricity. 

In my opinion. Decentralized power generation is a GREAT way to make things much more efficient. If we could eliminate a lot the transmission losses ( electric ) and generation losses ( heat/efficiency ) we would be a lot farther along. 

Solar energy is free. That big huge ball of hydrogen just keeps going. Something like 1000W/m2 falls on the earth when its sunny. The only thing we have to do is find a CHEAP way to harness it. 

Anyways. Why not encourage people to at least try it.....


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

This is my opinion and just that, an opinion.

The unit with description really doesn't look and sound anywhere near large enough to me to produce 3 horsepower. I haven't figured the cubic inch displacement but it can't be much with each cylinder being 1.25 inches in diameter with a stroke of 2.25 inches and turning only 700 rpm. And yes I know that steam is powerful compared to the same engine size in gasoline.

The 700 rpm would really need to be sped up to turn an alternator at a better rated speed. Belting, etc. would provide some hp loss.

I used to play with the toy steam engines and they were certainly fun. While I would like to have one of these to use and to play with I have my serious doubts about it being any real work horse and certainly not efficient with BTU consideration. 

Hm, wonder what the efficiency rating of the engine is compared to some of the steam automobiles past and present. The present being the proposed unit that may go into production after more perfection.


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## Guest (Sep 15, 2007)

1k ain't a bad price for that engine. He (Mike Brown) sells them for $2395.
http://home.earthlink.net/~dlaw70/12stmng.htm


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

dang...my brother has been a machinist for over 30 years. maybe he is in the wrong business and should make steam engines.


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## Dahc (Feb 14, 2006)

Sunlight>fresnel lens>Sterling engine=Free power

Sterling engine>duel rotor permanent magnet alternator=Free electricity (after initial cost)

A duel rotor, permanent magnet alternator experiences no cog which means it will take very little horsepower to turn it. There are also no brushes so obviously, none need to be replaced.

I have posted pictures and videos of these things on the board repeatedly but they just keep disappearing.

Catwagon, that is very nice work. You should search out sterling engines on youtube. You may be able to make a pretty penny on making some of those and deliver an awesome source of power that requires no open flame (waste energy), no boiler (no explosions) and no losses from using two different sources of power (open flame and pressurized steam).

Just a thought.


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## dcross (Aug 12, 2005)

I was wondering how they were getting 3 hp out of a 65# engine.


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