Need fueling help

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El-Kablooey
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Need fueling help

Post by El-Kablooey » Sat Jul 23, 2005 3:15 am

I've built a 50lb locky, (I'll get some pics this weekend) I cant get it started :( I need some advice on how to get the fuel to it. I've tried to start it with 1/4" i.d. tubing for my fuel line cut and smashed in many different configurations, and even plugged the end after stuffing it with some 1000 mesh screen and drilling about 30 hole with the teeeeniest hair-sized drill bit I could find. I've moved it all around the intake and into the CC, and tried air from every configuration I can imagine. I get some serious bangs, and have had a few good loud roars, and alot of the time it sounds an open headered v8 idling high, but I can't get it to sustain. I'm using propane of course, no regulator, the adapter for the bottle I had had a little ball-type limiter inside it, but I have removed it. Past the adapter I have a fairly large needle valve and about 5' of hose into the 24" copper tube. the sparkplug is located about midways into the CC.

anyone?
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Graham C. Williams
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re: Need fueling help

Post by Graham C. Williams » Sat Jul 23, 2005 8:57 am

HI
1) Your fuel system should be like this
http://www.pulse-jets.com/phpbb2/viewto ... c&start=15

2) Read all info on the Rossco injector.

Graham.

mk
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re: Need fueling help

Post by mk » Sat Jul 23, 2005 1:12 pm

This injector worked nice for my first engine.

Comb. chamber diameter was about 105mm, sligthly more than 4".

Good luck.
mk

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Re: Need fueling help

Post by hinote » Sat Jul 23, 2005 6:03 pm

El-Kablooey wrote: Past the adapter I have a fairly large needle valve and about 5' of hose into the 24" copper tube. the sparkplug is located about midways into the CC.

anyone?
I say, toss the needle valve. You're going to need a LOT of propane to feed your monster.

Standard method for modulating gross consumption is to use the valve on the tank.

Also, check for leaks, particularly in or near the combustion chamber. The farther away from the CC, the less sensitive to leakage. Just use some cheap rubbing alcohol, and roll it around the inside of the engine while watching for wet spots outside.

Bill H.
Acoustic Propulsion Concepts

".......some day soon we'll be flying airplanes powered by pulsejets."

El-Kablooey
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re: Need fueling help

Post by El-Kablooey » Sat Jul 23, 2005 11:55 pm

Thanks fellas! I'm going now to try this out, post my results, and some pics later.
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re: Need fueling help

Post by El-Kablooey » Sun Jul 24, 2005 7:08 pm

ARRGHHHH!!! It's so close! I made the injector, now I get rapid bangs and as I turn up the fuel it starts resonating and sounds just like the vids I've seen, but won't sustain. I think my air source isn't strong enough. I'm using a big squirrel cage blower. My jet keeps a big yellow flame out the exhaust so I'm guessing I need more starting air. I've got an electric leaf blower, but one of its brushes just shattered for some reason, I found some brushes that fit and darned if I didn't lose one of the springs. I'm off to lowes to look through the parts drawers, maybe I can find a spring that will work.
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James D
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re: Need fueling help

Post by James D » Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:42 pm

Hi,
If your blower is giving enough air to get loud bangs, it should be enough, It only takes one bang to get it started.
Your problem is most likely fuel, or lack of. What size gas bottle are you using?
Have you got a picture of your fuel setup?

El-Kablooey
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re: Need fueling help

Post by El-Kablooey » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:03 pm

it's a regular 20lb or whatever grill sized tank. I don't think my problem is a lack of fuel because sometimes I'm blowing 5' orange flames out of my exhaust, I turn it down and bang bang bang, so I think I need more air so I can burn more fuel, giving it more gas right now is just going to burn down some walnut trees!
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re: Need fueling help

Post by steve » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:44 pm

just thought I'd share my experience:

when I built my 20lb thrust lockwoods I fueled them with liquid propane. the fuel system was a direct line from the tank to a needle valve to the engine. when I initially tested it, I had flames shooting 10 feet in the air. I could run the engine with the needle valve only a fraction of a turn open.
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re: Need fueling help

Post by El-Kablooey » Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:38 am

here's some clips..........
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re: Need fueling help

Post by El-Kablooey » Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:42 am

oops, crap, MOV not allowed??? WTH? .. be back in a minute
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re: Need fueling help

Post by steve » Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:45 am

save it to a .zip file or convert it to either .mpg or .wmv
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El-Kablooey
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re: Need fueling help

Post by El-Kablooey » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:03 am

ok......like my sparkplug, steve? ;)
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hinote
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Re: re: Need fueling help

Post by hinote » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:04 am

El-Kablooey wrote:ARRGHHHH!!! It's so close! I made the injector, now I get rapid bangs and as I turn up the fuel it starts resonating and sounds just like the vids I've seen,
Sounds like you're in what we call the "howling" mode--it's a low-level resonance that is just short of the actual self-sustaining full-resonance mode.

You should be patient and let the engine run in this mode for a while, to let it heat up as much as possible. Then, just a little more fuel, delicately applied, and it should transition into full resonance. It may transition momentarily, and then drop back--just be patient, and bring the fuel rate up ever so slowly. If you get even a very short period of resonance before it reverts to howling--rejoice, because you will be able to coax the engine there, full time--with a little patience.

Sometimes it takes just a little extra propane--and sometimes you have to increase the supporting start-air along with it.

Don't give up--find a way to support an increased intensity of combustion, within the engine. Any increase in sound level is a good indication. If you start to get orange flames out the exhaust, back off, and get back into the internal howling mode.

We saw successful start efforts at Burning Grape, after as long as 15 minutes or more of fiddling around with the fuel and air combinations. The fact that we were able to bring every single engine to self-sustaining resonance, is an indication that things aren't all that difficult.

Again-- don't give up!

Bill H.
Acoustic Propulsion Concepts


".......some day soon we'll be flying airplanes powered by pulsejets."

El-Kablooey
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re: Need fueling help

Post by El-Kablooey » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:20 am

Yeah I know, I need a better blower, or some instructions for the proper sized rosscojector. with my current blower all I can get is giant fireballs without holding the air pipe just like in the vid. I didn't think I could get enough volume from an air tank, but haven't tried it yet.. maybe the gods will smile on me tomorrow.
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