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Author Topic: Water or steam injection  (Read 5505 times)

starfire

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Re: Water or steam injection
« Reply #15 on: April 25, 2021, 08:02:54 AM »
Take a 20 liter plastic oil drum, whack 2 x 2 inch holes thru the top. Insert a length of 2 inch PVC pipe into 1 hole to the bottom, cut the bottom end at an angle to allow and guarantee an  air gap. It just needs to exit the top of the container a few inches, this is the air inlet. Another 2 inch PVC pipe is inserted into the other hole  a few cms and is glued to keep it at the top well above the water level. This connects via flexible tubing to the Lister air inlet manifold.. A small overflow hole is drilled around 1/2 to 1/3 the way up the container to prevent the water overfilling. A third small diameter pipe is inserted thru the container top to supply a slow trickle of water into the container. I used 3/8th clear tubing for this.
Thats all there is to it. The vacuum pulled by the inlet stroke will suck air up thru the water giving a saturated air density into the engine, easy, quick with no moving parts. I got this idea by observing that cars seem to run smoother on rainy days. Keep the pipe to the engine intake fairly  short and use wire reinforced pipe to prevent suck in.
Because its cheap and easy to do, just cobble something together and try it first before making a good permanent one. I think water injection  works similarly to when throwing water onto an oil fire, the heat turns it instantly  into steam that shatters the unburned oil droplets and atomises them further causing total  chaos and mayhem. Even a petrol engine benefits from this, and I wonder why manufacturers havent seemed to follow this up. Piston WW2 aircraft used it frequently to maximise the HP and increase efficiency.  Given enough water, and it takes a frightening amount, a diesel will stop the detonation knock and  will run as smoothly and quietly as a petrol engine.

starfire

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Re: Water or steam injection
« Reply #16 on: April 25, 2021, 08:37:53 AM »
And, while I think of it, and havent seen it mentioned here, heard recently the term "hydrodiesel"  This refers to an emulsion of oil and water that is used as diesel fuel. Oddly enough, years ago I tried mixing vege oil and water using a large mixer, a big version of a kitchen whizz we call them here, or a food processor probably in other countries that know no different.  This didnt work to well, the two ingredients would separate out overnight requiring a major fuel system cleanout. The addition of dishwashing liquid done the trick, but it was messy and cost extra money and time. I think this "hydrodiesel" is just another way to achieve the same results, but given a fancy name  I guess people will buy it. This is the problem when you acquire literally dozens of 44 gallon drums of selected oils, paint thinners, used volatile cleaning agents, and some questionable unidentified stuff you cant talk about, the passion is to BURN it to create free power.... it can become an obsession..............
« Last Edit: April 25, 2021, 08:42:56 AM by starfire »

dax021

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Re: Water or steam injection
« Reply #17 on: April 25, 2021, 09:40:45 AM »
Thanks, got it.  Will give it a try

BruceM

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Re: Water or steam injection
« Reply #18 on: April 26, 2021, 05:52:49 AM »
I think the Arduino remote start is a great father-sun project, Listeroil.  My 6/1 Listeroid is set up for remote start via a Picaxe 40x2, a bit before Arduino caught on. I'd probably select the Arduino if doing it today; it's cheap and widely supported; I've used the ATmega 328P (same processor as Arduino Uno) for an inverter design.  A good choice, I'm not familiar with WIFI for it so can't comment on that.

FYI- 5V is handy if driving logic level mosfets directly, 3V is much lower power consumption where that is important; not important for your application except perhaps for whatever electronics must be on all the time, drawing down your genset battery perhaps.

If you hit a snag or need assistance, send me a PM. 

20 to 50 cc per minute is plenty of flow.  I use gravity flow and float valve (all cheap 1/4 inch drip tubing/fittings)  to fill a small tank with water level just below intake height, and 1/4 inch tubing with small solenoid valve to a tube up into the intake. Intake suction feeds adequately, flow rate is adjusted by float valve water level.  The Picaxe turns on the water delivery solenoid after 10 minutes with load, load sensed by AC current and air compressor pressure pulsations.  Turns off if no load detected, or engine shut down requested.  I add about 25% methanol for winter.  Has been working very nicely, no pumps, to trouble.  The idea of intake suction feed was learned here on the forum by a guy who had been using it for years.  Adding a float valve lets me have consistent, adjustable  flow rate from a small lidded (see through) container, gravity fed from a see through 4.5 gallon tote with lid. 

Good to see you here Starfire, your breastmilk/water bit was a hoot.  I wouldn't like that water bath for my climate, would cost a fortune in methanol in winter as I expect it would keep evaporating out of the water/methanol mix.  Otherwise seems a nice simple method.




starfire

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Re: Water or steam injection
« Reply #19 on: April 27, 2021, 12:09:26 PM »
Hello Bruce. We are lucky in having a temperate climate.  I never did like milk, more into admiring  the containers it comes in these days. Maybe I was just  too young back then to really appreciate the wondrous things in life.