Wilesco D52 Marine Steam Engine
From Boaty I bought a Wilesco D52 marine engine and set it up statically for a test run.
I followed all instructions but when it started up it ran for about 30 seconds at a reasonable speed which was okay for the size of boat I had in mind.
After the 30 seconds it slowed down considerably and it appeared that the way the burner was designed it was struggling through lack of air thus it did not have sufficient heat to maintain steam pressure.
I took the burner out and also removed the mounting bracket for the burner. I drilled extra air holes in both and also some corresponding holes in burner tray and base of the holder. I chopped the fuel tablets into smaller portions and when the boiler was fully fired up the performance of the engine increased slightly and it was more consistent over a longer time period.
In relation to the physical size of the engine and boiler, it appears to under perform .
Has anyone else had same problems with this model of engine and if so how did they overcome them.
Boaty
I followed all instructions but when it started up it ran for about 30 seconds at a reasonable speed which was okay for the size of boat I had in mind.
After the 30 seconds it slowed down considerably and it appeared that the way the burner was designed it was struggling through lack of air thus it did not have sufficient heat to maintain steam pressure.
I took the burner out and also removed the mounting bracket for the burner. I drilled extra air holes in both and also some corresponding holes in burner tray and base of the holder. I chopped the fuel tablets into smaller portions and when the boiler was fully fired up the performance of the engine increased slightly and it was more consistent over a longer time period.
In relation to the physical size of the engine and boiler, it appears to under perform .
Has anyone else had same problems with this model of engine and if so how did they overcome them.
Boaty
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Aussie paddleboats have as a rule open engine room, it is very convenient for access and control of the steam engine and boiler tuning.
When I choose the type Wilesco D52, I chose LPG heater instead of using the tablets for heating.
More infos about this model you can find at
Tom
After my experience with the Wilesco D52 I agree that it is more of a toy than a serious means of propulsion for steam powered model boats. The boiler does appear to be the main problem and even though I have done some modifications to the firebox and enlarged the orifice from the boiler to the feed pipe there was no great increase in performance.
As I have had no luck with either finding the plans or a used model of SS Activity I have put the project on hold.
As I also collect model steam engines, mainly Mamod, I even had ideas about fixing the Wilesco to a larger metal base and keeping it as a static steam engine. 😀