A new steam turbine source for boats...?

mogogear · A new steam turbine source for boats...?

I attended my local boat club meeting tonight and was met by a member with a few pages printed off. He had been at the meeting where I lain out the plans on the table for my Turbinia project.

He is a high up muckity-muck with a popular local hobby shop.

This is what he had found- a company called JC-Steam..They have a boiler fill pump, a twin marine engine and this turbine called a "Proteus" and the website looks a tad bit crude or just unfinished. They seem to be based in the UK.

Take a gander( and you can get it without the catwalk option or add an exhaust manifold)

from the output shaft side

http://jc-steam.com/estore/produc...=d0ba4d441f6986de3277655ee3c23643

Does this ring a bell with anyone?

My first thought was - "Hey this looks at least like an option" for when I decide if a turbine will actually fit or not, or even be the right choice for what I am pursuing..or if it would be of interest or use to anyone else here- for boat or stationary.

The only spec that scared me if the weight...1.2Kg

The dimensions were OK, the steam pressure requirements aren't too bad --3bar or so and it does have a gear reduction and reversing valve.....

So do any of you know any thing about these people??

They also just sold one on ebay..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/The-Proteus...Model-Turbine_W0QQitemZ2903016477

thanks

MooseMan

Greg, see this thread:

http://modelsteam.myfreeforum.org/ftopic17432-0-asc-0.php

kusuchi

The catwalk option looks great on it.

A very impressive marine turbine.

logoman

Greg! great minds...
It will need a decent boiler, but it's not heavy, just over 900grams.

mogogear

I posted into a thread on this turbine over on Mayhem... a pretty dismissive thread....Keep us a tune Miles...

I will say that the builders need to standardize their info.. weight ranged from 1.2kg- to a reduction ration stated from 4.5:1 ... to 8.7:1 from their website to the ebay auction

Changes or sloppiness indicated - I am not sure...It does seem a nice looking turbine --

Good luck and congrats Miles

logoman

I steamed it up today Mo, using the Stuart SH4 boiler. The valve was a bit stiff, and leaked a little. Also the forward/stop/reverse postions weren't in the logical 5, 6 and 7 o'clock postitions, which caused some moments of confusion.

This was the forst time I'd used the Stuart boiler, and was a bit unfamiliar with it, I'm not sure I had the burner set at it's hottest.

Anyhow, I couldn't keep the turbine at a good speed, the boiler couldn't keep up, and I don't think any burner adjustments would have made much difference. Used a boiler full of water in 12 minutes! Properly fed with steam, it would be superb, and perhaps the more efficient Maccsteam boilers would do it, but to go to that expense I'd rather be running a choicer engine.

In short, it's very inefficient power source, but great fun.

johnreid

Turbines consume Steam so very fast, but they do sound so cool

logoman

John, I could barely hear the turbine over the massive roar of the boiler burner

mogogear

Miles,

So is the Stuart gas fired? and if so- what dimensions....

As foretold on Mayhem and elsewhere , a large capacity flash boiler may be the only thing that can keep a turbine feed -- constant source of water and steam ..

logoman

Les

mogogear

Ahh-I didn't see the SH4..I just Stuart boiler..Thanks all...the dimensions are good-- the need for cross tubing to really bump up the total heated surface area is going to be a must I bet..