Project help needed- Turbine engine

============ Some of these look like a "spicy meatball" but may be of help/interest.

on for 15.3k hits home made turbines As this is for show, a pulse jet may be better as it is louder. Perfect AMC project as it has minimual utility [bug fogger], and is loud and obnoxious. [pulse jet gocart] actual pulse jet bug foggers -- adapt?

some videos

?v=1e-Ar7gb4tQ google on for 138k hits

model stuff

hope these are of help/interst and let the group know/see what you come up with.

Unka' George [George McDuffee] ============ Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), U.S. president. Letter, 17 March 1814.

You should check this out, this guy has installed a jet engine in a VW Beatle.

His Google Fu is strong.

Hey Rob,

Have a peek at the stuff on YouTube....such as:

Have fun. Take care.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well, these small engines don't produce much thrust, you may not be able to even break static drag unless you change your golf cart to use bicycle tires. I think people have gotten something like 60 - 80 Lbs of static thrust out of them for microplanes. The GSU/Huffer engines don't generally produce much shaft power, anyway, just enough to turn an aircraft generator, so that's about 12 Hp. But, you have to load the power turbine, or just lock it in place, or it will overspeed and burst. Some of these engines the power turbine can be removed easily (and some of them don't have a power turbine as part of the basic engine section, it is just the gas generator.) Most of these engines don't have a throttle, all the controls are automatic, so mostly you have an on-off switch (assuming you DO get the engine control). Without the control unit, you would have to do a lot of work to even start the engine.

Jon

Nice reply, Jon. I think you let him down gently. The idea of using a gas turbine in a drag racer is almost as bizaar as the troll that wanted to put a steam engine and boiler in his pick-up.

Bob Swinney

I've always thought these guys looked like they were having fun:

--Glenn Lyford

RDF, I have never seen any turbine powerplants on auctions, never ever. A good issue of thrust was raised. I would love to stop by and have a look at whatever you are making when you have something of interest.

i

The big problem is that he's looking at it the entirely wrong way. He want's a turbine powered golf cart based on a turbine from a GPU... well, DUH!, that clearly points to turbine electric. Keep the turbine / generator combo from the CPU intact and use the generator to power the golf cart. For the afterburner effect, just have an ordinary auto fuel pump feeding an injector spraying into the turbine exhaust stream. Forget about useable thrust.

Duh !, indeed. The Pennsylvania RR came out with a very large, very powerful, turbine-electric locomotive back in the 1940's. From what I've read, it was only marginally successful. It basically only proved that "turbine-electric" is practical only in very large packages such as steam ships, etc. "Forget about useable thrust" is a good idea, esp. in smaller power plants.

The big problem is that he's looking at it the entirely wrong way. He want's a turbine powered golf cart based on a turbine from a GPU... well, DUH!, that clearly points to turbine electric. Keep the turbine / generator combo from the CPU intact and use the generator to power the golf cart. For the afterburner effect, just have an ordinary auto fuel pump feeding an injector spraying into the turbine exhaust stream. Forget about useable thrust.

turbine-electric

successful. It

packages such as steam

It would be more successful today with better battery technology. In batteryless form it doesn't work real well since the turbine likes to run at a constant output level. With a suitable battery bank, a smaller turbine can provide the average power demand. They have a non turbine version of this as a yard switcher engine now where it spends a lot of time idling and recharging the batteries for the next use.

The OP's project of course doesn't care about efficiency. Just let the GPU turbo-generator provide cart power, and spit some useless flames out the back end.

Pete C.

Pete C. sez:

"It would be more successful today with better battery technology. In batteryless form it doesn't work real well since the turbine likes to run at a constant output level. With a suitable battery bank, a smaller turbine can provide the average power demand. They have a non turbine version of this as a yard switcher engine now where it spends a lot of time idling and recharging the batteries for the next use."

An idea borrowed from the boilerless, compressed air locomotives of 100 years ago. No ? Call me old-fashioned but I don't see any modern innovations on the horizon that promise to contradict the immutable laws of thermodynamics.

Bob Swinney

ago. No ? Call me

promise to contradict the

Not a lot truly new these days, mostly just improvements on existing items. Still greatly improved operating efficiency for those yard engines from the old regular diesel-electric engines idling their big engines for hours between full power uses.

Way COOOL!! is never useless.

Gunner

Ok. I start charcoal for my grill in a chimney starter... using a leaf blower for forced draft :) Try it at night, you'll like it.

I don't know about cheaper, bit I have seen APU's and GPU's as well as raw turbines for sale on ebay from time to time (I don't look that often). They are still in the real money category. I would suggest watching the government surplus sites. I used to be in the surplus business and saw a GPU's go through.

Good Luck, Bob

Some use 5 pound coffee can (metal) and a water pump pilers. Using a leaf blower is cheating. Gets a fire going before a beer is really started.

(Always soaked in lighter fluid in another 5 pound with a bottom.) dump into open ended sitting in the BBQ. Light, has draft - wait, then pilers out the can.

Martin

Mart> Gunner Asch wrote:

Has anyone mentioned "rolling your own" turbine engine using a junkyard turbocharger?

Vaughn