Drop in paddle engine for a canoe

[Hankwilliams]

Hi

now i would like to present my drop in paddle engine for a canoe.

3 years ago I got an advice in this forum about a offer of a paddle steam engine in ebay for a canoe in British Columbia, Canada by the constuctor, Tony Hubner, member of the North West Steam Society in Victoria.

The pictures of the engine were promising and I didn`t consider too lang and bought the unit for 2000 US Dollar.
Tony wrote, that the unit was working, but some overhaulings were necessary, also a new paint. He told, that he made excursions with the unit in a 18 feet canoe with a speed of ca. 4 - 5 miles a hour.

This sounds all very interesting and for me the following time when the engine was on route as cargo to Germany was thrilling, because my expectation. In the beginning of July 2009 a big crate arrived.

I found the engine unit in a relative good condition, the construction was well considered with kitchen boiler and hackworth gear.
At first, I had to dismantle the unit. All old paint was removed, the sealing of piston were improved by viton rings, of course all other sealings were renewed.
Original the boiler was fired with wood. But I would like to demonstrate the unit alsi in a closed hall at a steam meeting and so I constructed a effective gas burner with 9 camping gas burners of each 3000 watt power.

After half a year all was finshed and the engine was working well.

[Hankwilliams]

More pictures...

[Hankwilliams]

some more pictures

[Hankwilliams]

The first two pictures showes the engine unit in the steam canoe of Tony Hubner in British Columbia, the later some details at my home and the presentation of the working unit at Karlsruhe Echtdampftreffen in January 2011.

As you can see, the gas burner works sufficient, it`s no problem to steam up in a closed room for a while.

The working pressure is 200 pound or 7 bar, dimensions of the twin cylinders are bore of 1,2 inches by 3,5 inchs stroke. Outside diameter of the wheels are 70 cm. The effective power may be 1 hp, this is enought, to drive a light and narrow boat with 6 - 7 km/h or 4,5 miles per hour.
It`s no problem to remove the gas burner in about 10 minutes and firing with wood again.

The next job will be: To build a nice  boat - similar of a canoe. Material should be a hard wood with about 5, 5 m lenght and 1,0 m breadth.

I hope, I will present the small paddlesteamer to you in the next year but's so many to do with other projekts (1 :48 model of burmese paddlesteamer "China" for example).

I hope, you will get some joy by watching the pictures!

Tom
The hull should made without frames and not exceed 30 kg of weight.

[steamboatmodel]

Wow, Wow, Wow.
Nine 3000 watt burners gives 27,000 watts, at 750 watts to a Horsepower thats 36 hp
A number of questions
What is the all up weight of the unit?
What size, stroke and number of cylinders?
What pressure does it run on and whats the water consumption like? It looks like it would be a fast steamer.
Do you know the heating surface of the boiler?
Have you any video of it running?
Regards,
Gerald.

[Hankwilliams]

Hi Gerald,

as we know, the grade of effect on small steam engines is rather low, may be 2 - 3%.

Until now, I don`t know the speed of the boat by my own experience, but I found the remarks of Tony Hubner plausible.
Weight of the unit is 62 kg because of the aluminium cover of the Boiler and some more parts of alu, two cylinders, bore 1,2 inch, stroke 3,5 inch.

I tested the boiler with 12 bar (ca. 170 pounds/square inch). Working pressure will be until 7 bar.

Steam production will be more than 10 kg/h, the heating surface of the boiler is approximately 0,7 square meters.

At Karlsruhe steam meeting the engine was running of course with very low speed nearly 3 days only for observation and the only gas consumtion was only a little more than 7 kg.

There must be a short videoszene at youtube 2011 Echtdampftreffen Karlsruhe, if I find it, I will post it too.

Greetings

Tom

[mjt60a]

That looks like fun! 

[Hankwilliams]

Just one more information: The engine runs on at a pressure of 0,5 - 0,6 bar.

Water consumtion was very low at the steam meeting because it runs only neutral and slow (30 RPM) may be
3 litres per hour.

Tom

[steamboatmodel]

I will be watching for when you have it in a boat, it is very impressive looking. From its looks I would have thought it weight more.
Regards,
Gerald.