V2 compound steam engine

Bower and Bell steam compound engine under test in a rig designed to connect to a dynamometer. This is car engine is supposed to generate 30hp at 3000rpm with 1500psi of steam.In the background is the Mini car it is going into.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• compound
• steam
• engine
• car

[crazyfvck]

Only 30hp from 1500 psi?? Shouldn't that amount of pressure be able to create more power than that? (even though it is a relatively small engine.)

[auraeng63]

No, remember it is a compound and that is 30 BHP. The high pressure piston is only 1.25" diameter and 1.5" stroke. Low pressure is 2.5" diameter.

A Stanley 30hp 4.5" bore x 6.5" stroke engine at 600psi is rated by the boiler, while the engine probably could generate 120hp in short bursts.

[auraeng63]

These engines were available as castings but proved only suitable for experienced engineers to build. Drawings still available worldwide just google Light Steam Power and look for drawing set 10.

[KenMacMillan]

The torque of any engine is directly linked to the rpm's it's running. At 3000 rpm this engine only produces 52 lb-ft of torque but at 300 rpm's it's producing 525 lb-ft. The math is pretty straight forward, hp x 5252 divided by rpm's. An internal combustion engine doesn't produce it's power until it reaches much higher rpm's, a steam engine produces the most power at start. In fact this engine will produce 157560 lb-ft of torque at 1 rpm.

[AngryVGFur]

@crazyfvck 30 horsepower with steam is more than it sounds like, because it puts out so much torque. that's more like 100 horsepower, really

[Stanleyguy101]

@FireDropTechnologies The engine may only have 1-1.5" bore and being single acting it may produce 5-10hp at the most for short spurts, but the boiler capacity has to be able to keep up and that is the hard part, the engine is the easy part, but being able to find a boiler to keep up with demand is the hard part.

[FireDropTechnologies]

Try have a look at this set, Single acting three cylinder good for 1500 psi. And I would bet that built to the size and Cam patterns shown from the cat pump triplex body and crank, will beat 30ph easy.

steamcar.net/z-foisel.html

[Ecosse57]

great video. remember folks with these things it's all about the torque.

[superfunnyman123]

this is awsome!!!!!! did you build this engine!?!?!?!

[JaxRhapsody]

Cool, I've been wanting to build a steam powered car

[petem1989]

A steam mini eh... and why not lol. would be great to see chuffing down the road