tools, materials & knowledge for model makers
I thought I should look at the boiler heat loss versus published data. Although my test object is just a short length of copper pipe, it does represent a copper pipe. So, I went searching for some data and there is a table of data on the Engineering Toolbox (Ref 1). This data is really … Read more
The cooling curve and heat output of the Unclad versus Maximum Insulation boiler are compared. Previously we looked at the repeatability of the cooling curves and the known parameters for the boiler test object. Now, using the simple model that we discussed we can estimate the heat output of the test object versus temperature. The … Read more
Before starting the simple modelling I think it is worth looking at the known parameters for the boiler test object. From these there will be some simple assumptions and estimations. Assumptions Lumped point mass. Single temperature measurement represents the temperature of the object. Heat capacity does not change with temperature. Local air temperature represents ambient … Read more
Before going too far with the calculations I needed an initial check on the boiler test object repeatability. All of the data analysis will end up informing the insulation of the Burrell traction engine boiler. This initial look at the data will give me an initial feeling as to whether the data is good. Test … Read more
In model making and engineering we use wood as a thermal barrier, hence it is good to understand the thermal conductivity of wood. A typical example is in the insulation of a boiler. The thermal conductivity of wood is affected by: density moisture content grain direction structural irregularities temperature Density Plotting the thermal conductivity across … Read more
My original boiler heat loss test object was a round disc of mild steel and copper. However, this doesn’t relate that well to the actual boiler. This is so that I can test different types of boiler insulation and multi-layer insulation. My original idea for measuring the thermal insulation for the boiler was to make a … Read more
Looking at the thermal insulation of a boiler and just how thin I could make an insulator I started looking at Multi-Layer Insulation or MLI’s. The effective thermal conductivity of an MLI is in the order of 10-5 Wm-1K-1 as given by Sutheesh and Chollackal [ref 1]. The thermal insulation I achieved for the vertical boiler … Read more
Hopefully this is the final cladding of the small boiler. I say that as it is meant to be a test setup. A way of developing my knowledge and skills. However, at the same time this needed to also fulfill my need for it to look good. The boiler cladding consisted of a number of layers. … Read more