Steam Engine Power Plant

This homemade steam engine produces 12 volt DC electricity. The engine is an old 2 cylinder commercial refrigeration compressor. The firebox is made of concrete and uses a old water heater tank for the boiler. This system was used to assist a solar panel setup on cloudy days. This information is brought to you by the # 1 Source for Build, Fabricate & Repair info on the web. www.dept.150m.com

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• how
• to
• steam
• engine
• generate
• electricity
• power
• plant
• free
• www.dept.150m.com

[andrewsengineering]

It's not a bad idea, but with safety in mind 60 PSI steam preasure would probably be pushing it. Water heater tanks weren't designed for steam service. It should have eliptical heads. Concreate is not a good material for a firebox, concrete can explode when heated, but lining it with firebrick would be better. When a water heater fails due to over preasure it usually blows the ends out. Steam explosions are very powerfull. When water expands to steam it's around 1600 times the volume in liquid.

[diesel6point2]

Water Heater Tank has been replaced with a 100lbs propane tank. The propane tank is heavy duty and works much better.

[scoobydog411]

Good Man ... We all need to stop paying for electric , gas...

[leemerson76]

Very well said. Also, oil drilling does not affect the power grid, which is largly powered with domestic coal or natural gas.

Any excuse to build a steam engine is a good one though. Many people postulate and theorize, this gentleman has actually done it!

[rwhendrix]

I am working on a boiler project alot like yours. Im scaling up from a 1 gal to 15 gal boiler tank. I too am using a water heater tank. As to the psi concern, on my tank it had the mfg. tag that read 300psi max test press. 150 max working press. I think 60 psi should be fine. Provided that the used water heater tank is in very good condition. Rust is my no. 1 worry. the base of the tank is the most likely place to get weak from rust from its water heater days. Be carefull. Fine job though!

[rayunseitig]

I like your presentation, you have a lot of mechanical ability and resourcefullness. I put up a litle video on a steam engine, It would be running now if I had your skills. Check it out if you have time.

How about an actual boiler, like steam cleaners use to power the engine?

Ray

[josephdupont]

how many watts/amps does it produce..

interesting. what PSI.

seems to me that you might look into a tesla

turbine

[brianwesley28]

It is a pretty cool steam engine setup that you have, though. It produces 12 volts, but how many amps and, thus, watts? I'm curious.

[brianwesley28]

Unless, of course, Congress agrees to pursue more advanced, yet simplistic and affordable means of producing energy than drilling. It wouldn't really hurt my feelings one bit to see the days of the profit off of pimping out expensive energy to the masses was taken out of their inventory of being an excuse, either real, or imagined and orchestrated, for waging wars for the profit and control of what should be scientifically obsolete resources for the purpose of being a primary source of energy.