An LSA of a former era

[Exadios]

Why aren't we flying these now days?

 

 

[Tomo]

Looks alright...! Dual acting twin steam engine.

 

I'm in the planning stages of wanting to rig up a compressed air system, with technology these days you can use as little as 1 psi to run a motor, and with very minimal air loss.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

patents and drawings are probably locked up in some oil companies safe

 

 

[Tomo]

patents and drawings are probably locked up in some oil companies safe

Sadly, that seems to be what happens.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

patents and drawings are probably locked up in some oil companies safe

Don't let that stop you guys from experimenting with modern day technology. (on the quiet, that is) I doubt that RAA would approve although the rules don't rule out steam power......yet

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

There was someone here talking a while back of using an purpose designed air motor in a small ultralight. he was from Queensland i think. these engines are made in Australia and were being tested in small carts in the fruit and vege markets in Melbourne. they could also run on steam.

 

I work for a company that sells domestic and commercial steam cleaners. So i understand the potental performance that you can get from steam power. My workmate and i been looking at converting a 5ltr 10bar boiler into a RATO type device but i do not have a lath to make the nozzel. but have had some interesting results with some experiments we have done so far. the other draw back is they are electrically powered. Be interesting to see how the old Lazair would go with one or two of these strapped on. Any rocket scientists out here who can work out the nozzel sizes?

 

Ozzie

 

 

[facthunter]

Steam Power.

 

There are many stories of suppressed good steam designs being bought & shelved by the oil companies etc. I wouldn't personally put much stock in them. There were however plenty of good steam cars made about 95 years ago, that did perform quite well. Stanleys and whites, to name two.

 

Steam has a few disadvantages

 

1. It is inherently less efficient thermodynamically when using water as it has the highest latent heat of vapourisation figure.

 

2. Unless you use a sealed system and condense and re-use the steam vapour, you will need to replenish the water supply at frequent intervals.

 

3. many steam boilers require great care in their design and operation, to make them safe.

 

4, there is a need to anticipate power requirements. There is a lag to getting the power out.

 

5. Unlikely to be acceptable on a power-to -weight basis to any of the current power plants, particularly the turbine (kero fuelled).

 

When I was quite young I had a brief association with compressed air powered "free flight" models. They were pumped up with a car pump, and a drop of machine oil in the port was all the maintenance needed. They didn't go far though. You could probably power them with a CO2 sparkler. The kind you use for making fizzy drinks. Nev

 

 

[Tomo]

There was someone here talking a while back of using an purpose designed air motor in a small ultralight. he was from Queensland i think. these engines are made in Australia and were being tested in small carts in the fruit and vege markets in Melbourne. they could also run on steam.

That'd be yours truly Ozzie...

 

These particular motors are the bees knees, 0-5000 rpm is their 'nice' running spots, economy is at around 1500rpm. Power is as much as you need when you need it. In pretty much any size and weight also.

 

Designed by a German bloke, (talking to him today actually!). Only problem is to purchase the license required to manufacture these, it is quite a lot as you can imagine.

 

If you like doing calculations, 250ltrs of air (at atmospheric pressure, 14.7psi) compressed to 200psi will run it for one minute at 1 horse power doing 1500rpm.

 

So as you can see, pretty economical.