Transcript Rotary Steam Engine - Old Dominion University

Rotary Steam
Engine
Group Members:
Brent Bass, Kenneth Ewa, Jesse Buck, Christian Diaz,
Shane Gillispie, Michael Hargett, Dylan Hinson, Jonathan
Labonte, Andre Lawrence, Franklin Spruill, David Allgood
Nondisclosure Agreement

Some vital materials used are subject to a signed nondisclosure agreement. Please respect that some
questions may not be fully explained due to the NDA.
Combustion

Using six different fuels (natural gas (methane),
propane, diesel, biodiesel, gasoline, ethanol (E100)),
final testing was completed.

The performance characteristics (flame temperature
and heat transfer (Qh)) were determined through our
MATLAB program.

Each fuel underwent a cost analysis and a feasibility
study.

A final conclusion on which fuel will be selected as the
best candidate for the rotary steam engine, as well as
an updated model, will be determined shortly.
Refinement of the MATLAB program will be completed in
the next week.
Engine

In the engine analysis, a preliminary model of the dual
core Spindyne engine has been constructed.

We have found mass flow-rate, work, torque, and power
that can be produced by this engine.

Our calculations show that with a one core we can
produce 70.571 horsepower and with two cores 141.142
horsepower with a respective mass flow rate of 0.11513
pounds-mass per second.

The assumptions in certain processes within the engine
analysis are adiabatic, steady pressure variations, fixed
mass, UFUS, and 0.86 percent error within the model.
Further work on our model will be performed.
Condenser and Pump
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For the condenser analysis, we attempted to form a
model for use for heat and mass transfer analysis.
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We believe that the existing Spindyne is not feasible
because the use of metal foam inside the cooling tubes
will present an issue within the system.

Through our model of the condenser and pump

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Condenser heat rejection (Ql): 95.25 BTU/s
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Pump power: 0.39HP
Currently researching commercial water pump to handle
these conditions.

High-pressure Triplex Pressure Pump which requires 1.7 HP
@1000 PSI
Metal Foam
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The metal foam component of the radiator primarily
concerns use of copper foam or aluminum foam.

For the purposes of this project, it is recommended that
copper foam, based on the higher level of thermal
conductivity, be the first option.

However, aluminum foam’s level of thermal conductivity
is also high and is more cost effective than copper
foam.

Most suppliers machine the components to the
dimensions needed.
Boiler

Copper material has been selected for the boiler due to
high thermal conductivity and cost efficiency.

To protect all surfaces that come in contact with
saturated moving fluid, a chemical treatment is
needed.

A study into what treatment would be most effective in
terms of cost and effectiveness has yet to be
conducted.

This study will begin in the next week.
Miscellaneous
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Cost analysis of the desired materials used in the engine
and the rest of the system is ongoing.

Thermal efficiency of the cycle will be determined once
an updated combustion model is found(Qh). We are
expecting around a 25% efficiency.

Carnot Efficiency @ current operating conditions =
45.87%
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FE analysis

Spindyne has responded stating their drawings were done
in AutoCAD. We are in the process of converting their
AutoCAD files into MCS PATRAN to perform a FE analysis on
the rotor and engine core.