Anyone for a big valveless?

[James D]

That things wicked!
It looks like a quality build.
How can you resist running it now youve built it?!

Tell us more, whats the spiral on the exhuast, Is it a coiled pipe preheater for liguid fuel?

[ZSartell]

Since I made the entire thing out of donated .038" mild steel sheet metal, I included the spiral rings (that are nothing more that 1/4" rod) as an anti-imploding safety feature. My first engine imploded after it got hot enough and this was an easy workaround. Someday I hope to purchase some stainless steel and do it the right way, but for experimental purposes this will do just fine. I'll be happy if it runs at all. Iguess you could say it turned itself into a kazoo :-) I really want to test it when I have built a suitable thrust measuring test stand and that might take a while. First I have to design something and I'm not really sure where to start.

[James D]

I made a basic trolley with nylon casters and used a set of spring scales, to measure mine. Tied the scales between the trolley and a skip, and stood well back.
It jumped about a bit, but you could get a reading.
Not very scientific, I admit it.
You can get big fishing scales from Ebay, 100lb+ there quite cheap.

[ZSartell]

Hurray! It's been below freezing here for a while and I wasn't going to try and start my huge valveless, but last night I finished mounting it to my go-kart, and it was about 40 degrees so I couldn't resist to try it. I knew that fuel flow might be a problem since I was using small fuel lines for my smaller lockwood so I wasn't expecting much. I ended up driving to a remote part of someone elses neiborhood and giving it a go. I threw a lit sparkler into the CC and turned on the fuel - it lightly poped and burped a few times. I tried a few more times but I could tell it just wasn't getting enough fuel. All of a sudden it started on what must have been the lowest idle it could dish out and it lasted for no more than a second. Today I got home from work early and had to give it another try since it was about 45 degrees out - at the second attempt it came to life roaring at what must have only been 1/2 throttle. It ran for about 7 seconds and died when I started fooling around with the fuel supply. I am very happy and can't wait to get some thrust measurements and add an augmenter. If you are wondering, yes I did not need to supply it with a gust of air to start it, it started all by itself - well ok the sparkler and fuel probably helped. I will get some pictures next week when I get some more time and a better place to test it. My old neihbors that don't now what it's like to have fun were comming out and giving me dirty looks. At least the cops did not show up this time.

[Eric]

Cold weather and propane sucks, and the fact that propane cools itself doesnt help any.

What I do is keep the propane in side before I run the engines, that way its nice and warm, and right before I start running them I put it in a tub of very warm water. The larger engines turn 2 gallons of 80 degree water into ice in a minute or two.

You need to get a very well padded and flame retardant assistant to run behind the engine at full blast to see how the jet wake is :)

I remember some guy made a beer cooler out of his propane powered turbojet... have to find that link...

Eric

[Mark]

Cold weather and propane sucks, and the fact that propane cools itself doesnt help any.
Eric

If you were to invert a tank of propane and run on liquid instead of gas, does this prevent the cold from taking over the tank?
Mark

[ZSartell]

No, it does not matter if it is running on gas or liquid. This engine runs on liquid and it still has problems. Even when it is warm out the lines start to freeze because of the propane itself.


How I wish I could get a hold a large turbo charger to make another loud go-kart propulsion device, (sigh)...

[marksteamnz]

If you run liquid propane through a nozzle there is no problem with the lines while the liquid is flowing. The section from the shut off valve to the nozzle can frost up on the out side as the propane turns to vapour after shutting the valve.
I have run propane through a 8 gallon per hour nozzle with an inverted tank with no problems. Running gas of the tank and it iced up in minutes.

[Mark]

OK Viv and/or Luc, I'm waiting for your 2 cents.
Mark

[ZSartell]

Just for kicks here is another picture of it on my rickety go-kart. this engine has a 4" u-bend. I think it is about the same size as Bruces big engine. I planed on building 2 of these engines and mounting them on this go-kart, but now I think I'm going to have to build a better vehicle if I'm going to atempt that.

[hagent]

Dude your crazy!... I hope you don't have long hair:)

Nice job. Looks real cool... Can you try it out on the street? I wan't to see you on the news when they are trying to pull you over... You can always claim that you couldn't hear them....

Hagen

[Greg O'Bryant]

You could go on tour with that thing. Opening up for monster trucks as a kind of freak show! Very nice!

[ZSartell]

Speaking of lang hair -No. But, I have lost my share of eyelashes and eyebrows...

I've alreasy had an encounter with the county police on another engine. They called for backup when they got there because they had to get the car with a camera so they could take a picture of it. I thought for sure it was getting impounded, but instead the officer asked me to start it, not once but twice for him. He was really cool about it. I loved the part when he radioed dispatch and told them he was onsite for the "JetKart" call.

[pezman]

Man, that is insane! You must live on the Upper Peninsula ;).

[ZSartell]

I wish I lived in the UP, it's beutiful up there. Actually I live about 45 miles north of Detroit. Just when you start to get into the boonies, but it's really starting to get developed around here. I found a dragway near the thumb (the thumb part of michigan) that will let me run it there. I'm hoping that after I go once that they will let me come whenever I want for free just to attract more people. That would be cool.



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