Biopowered - vegetable oil and biodiesel forum
General => Alternative heat and power => Topic started by: julesandtash on June 08, 2014, 09:50:48 PM
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A couple of weeks after collecting 'Lissie' from James therecklessengineer, she is bolted down and running in my workshop.
Ok the alternator is not connected yet so no power generation, the cooling is total loss from mains water running through the water jacket and there is no protection around the flywheel but she is tied down, has an exhaust system and is running
Here is the engine with the exhaust heat exchanger and part of the exhaust sytem clearly visible.
(http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr79/julesandtash/Boiler%20and%20thermal%20store/Boiler%20Videos/20140608_190813_zpskimw83zu.jpg)
Here is a walkthough from my front door (where you can hear birdsong but no engine despite the fact it is running), into the engine room, around the engine, back outside and up to where the exhaust comes out of the roof.
Walkaround video (http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr79/julesandtash/Boiler%20and%20thermal%20store/Boiler%20Videos/20140608_192046_zpsgl4lvgr3.mp4)
Here is a video of the engine running on biodiesel with a bottle of methanol stood on top of the valve cover. There is a pleasingly small amount of vibration
Lister running (http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr79/julesandtash/Boiler%20and%20thermal%20store/Boiler%20Videos/20140608_192724_zpshtcj5uxp.mp4)
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nice one, love the exhaust exit ! I guess mine will get it's annual BBB run soon.
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I would so have to paint a swirly pattern on that fly wheel......
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nice one, love the exhaust exit ! I guess mine will get it's annual BBB run soon.
The exhaust exit is rather temporary, I ran out of 1 1/2" steel pipe. When I have finished it will run up the side of, and discharge above, the parapet wall.
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Are the British Geological Survey picking up any siezmic activity from East Cornwall Jules?
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It is pretty good vibration wise - I cant feel or hear it at the front door or in the house (or my neighbours garden).
It is hard to tell until I run it on-load but so far all seems well.
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Nice! That would be my concern, the travelling noise. They're big old beasts :)
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Looking good, Jules. I thought it was very quiet, but then I realised I had the volume turned down!
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Just a thought.
My old lister I made electric start, it saved lots of turning! I made a one way pulley to fit on the alternator and drove it with a transit starter with a pulley on, V belt drive. Let me know if you want more info.
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Love the sound of that old engine. Magic.
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Just a thought.
My old lister I made electric start, it saved lots of turning! I made a one way pulley to fit on the alternator and drove it with a transit starter with a pulley on, V belt drive. Let me know if you want more info.
Yes please, I would definitely like more info.
Tash has already commented that she is happy we have standby generating capacity but would prefer to just press a button to start it
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Looking really good Jules. :D
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You want to hold the soapy cloth a bit closer to that door mate :)
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To get it to electric start.
I drove the alternator with a poly V belt so I made a pulley to give me the correct speed when the belt was driven by the flywheel circumference. This worked well.
I then made a V pulley and fitted a one way bearing aka sprag clutch from simply bearings. It has key ways in both the inner and outer race to lock it to shaft and pulley.
(http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y521/dickjotec/75393bf5dbd679c9105fd8fa87f67217_zpsb9fa9213.jpg)
The poly V, fan and Sprag V pulley an the left of the pic are all on the same shaft. My alternator has a taper fit shaft so they were all held on with a nut.
(http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y521/dickjotec/bbde247cef2f93007a4121be8c0f421d_zpsc2c7a3a7.jpg)
The transit starter motor had the pre engage mechanism removed and a small V pulley added. Once started I flipped the belt off with a screw driver to save wear on the sprag clutch as it was running at 3000 RPM. The pulley is locked with a grub screw in a flat on the shaft.
The system worked well and would run the lister up to speed and allow the decompressor to be dropped out it would then start but if not had plenty of power to keep the engine spinning. I charged the battery with a mains charger.
I also removed the COV and replaced it with a bung with a glow plug fitted to aid starting on veg. The high pressure line is also heated electrically to aid running.
Bottleveg has fitted two doors to his engine room, one inside the other, and it has made it very quiet.
Btw it is bad form to leave the rocker cover on, it needs oil at each run! Looks nice too.
HTH
Let me know if you want more info.
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Thanks Dick, that all looks good.
What about an aircon compressor clutch instead (they are capable of handling several horsepower and to freewheel at high speed).
If I could mount one on a starter motor then it could be energised on the same control as the starter motor. Just an off the wall thought as I can lay my hands on an old aircon compressor fairly easily.
I did know about the rocker cover but, with the amount of dust around from core drilling through the concrete for the exhaust, I thought it better to leave in position. I did oil the tappets, push rod cups and valve guide wells before starting though
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I can see no reason why the aircon clutch should not work. Don't think I would put it on the starter though as it would have too high a gear ratio. A small poly V on the starter and the clutch on the alternator would be the way to go IMO.
The total ratio on mine was in the order of 12:1
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That was exactly my plan jules.