Wilesco D22 - Alcohol Test series - 5: Final Methanol Run

[Mechknight73]

Any ideas of the approximate torque outputs? have been thinking about using a steam engine like this one as a "living power plant" on an HO scale layout, but have to find out what kind of power one can turn out, before buying one

[bloolouboyle]

Just to throw in--I buy Fondue fuel at a Dollar store near my house near Toronto-you get 500 mils. for a buck and it burns really well and can run my machine for 16-18 minutes-BTW thanks for the tip on distilled water Mister O.

[MisterOcclusion]

I bought some cheap sterno'ish stuff too, though I've not used it yet. It was pretty dessicated - the tins were over half empty.

I poured a little meths into the tins, shook them up, added more, shook em up... eventually the entire tin was filled and the stuff was still jellied. I had no idea that one could reconstitute dried out sterno.

Distilled water saves having to boil vinegar to get deposits out ;)

[9020powrmax]

All my wilesco's are set up with home-made propane burners (You can use pilot units out of LP waterheaters,furnaces,etc. Just make sure you use a regulator of course and a valve to control amount of flame.

[robkar1967]

Hi, When people say they are running there steam engine on METHS, are they refering to Methanol or Menthalated spirits.

I have D22 tried Menthalated spirts but not a great heat source.

Thanks

Rob

[MisterOcclusion]

That took me quite a while to determine too, because the countries that call it "meths" don't seem to have heard of methanol, whereas where I am methanol, or methyl hydrate, is all I can get without going to the US for a day trip.

Meths is indeed short for Methylated Spirits, or Denatured Alcohol in the US. It's a good heat source, but some brands are better than others, and some burners better than others.

I use it mostly because it's cheap.

And with a good burner it makes a big difference.

[IR9hordaland]

What wilesco steam machine has the highest bar

[MisterOcclusion]

I don't understand your question..

They are all designed to run at around the same pressure, if that's what you mean. The safety valves all let go between 20-25PSI I believe.

I hope that's what you were after.

[IR9hordaland]

thenks for your answer, i was that i meant

[robkar1967]

Thanks very much for the info

[dudewhatthehellman]

where did u buy the methanol?

[MisterOcclusion]

Hardware and paint stores have it. It's all I've found in this city. If I go to the US I pick up the denatured stuff, which I've come to like a bit better than straight methanol

[MisterOcclusion]

You can get electric models as well. But only Jensen seems to offer those right now. This thing will go through Esbit like a champ. I used to burn a box of it in one session - 2 or 3 boilers full of water. It costs about $6 a box.

You can buy/build a meths burner and use denatured alcohol for a fuel. That stuff's cheap enough by the gallon. And then you need distilled water (or you get lime deposits in the boiler). Some people use rain water, but I just buy distilled at the grocery.

[orchardcottage]

Grow up, man.

[MisterOcclusion]

Been there, done that, didn't like it :P

[ccmutlu]

Have you tried a propane burner, which is used in the Wilesco D48 ship engine? Quite expensive though.

[MisterOcclusion]

No, I've not got one. I'll see if I can't build a better meths burner for it the next time I take it out. I'm getting closer to a decent design with each prototype.

[chesterfield44]

How long does your Wilesco run for at full throtle

Interesting to read your finding for esbit v methol

[MisterOcclusion]

The little burner there only lasts for about 6 minutes, max. I got about 18 minutes from a full tray of 6 Esbit. Over the course of a couple hours of fiddling I topped up the boiler maybe 4 times.

I have yet to see it maintain anything more than 1.25bar when running flat out for more than, say, half a minute, no matter the fuel. Beast just eats steam at a terrific rate.