generating steam

[preston]

My wife's uncle wanted to play on my project, but his wife won't let him. So he built a steam generator for me. I think it's pretty cool.

http://www.clcombat.info/Images/Haven/gen2.jpg

It's a flash boiler, with no reservoir to fill or empty. The entire steel box is heated and water added (slowly) via a water hose. The water drips onto the bottom of the box (a hefty steel plate) from holes drilled in the 2 water pipes and flashes immediately to steam.

Heat comes from an off-the-shelf propane heater.

http://www.clcombat.info/Images/Haven/heater.jpg

I expect he started with the heater and built the box aound it.

Here's a view from the other side.

http://www.clcombat.info/Images/Haven/gen1.jpg

The elbow fitting (not too clear here) is an overflow, in case it's overwhelmed.

Finally, here's the steambox I built for it. Nothing fancy.
http://www.clcombat.info/Images/Haven/steambox.jpg

This is just a trial fitting. It requires an additional diagonal brace to avoid catastrophic collapse!

Preston

[james burt]

could start a small business making those.
looks great!

[preston]

Originally posted by james burt:
could start a small business making those.
looks great!Probably too expensive to build for sale. I think most people whip up their own. Still, it seems like a nice approach, and finding it in my garage one morning was even better.

Preston

[ssor]

It looks to be completely safe too, as long as you don't get distracted on start-up and forget to turn the water on.

That's a good man to have around.