Locomotive turbine conversion?

wrote in message
ups.com...
The UK's APT (Advanced Passenger Train) of the 1970s used 6 gas
turbines to power it. Never made it into service.
pics of one of the turbines. http://www.apt-e.org/index/apt73.htm

David


That was only the experimental version, the prototype and production
versions
were intended to be electrically hauled. The BoBo power car design was used
to build a new locomotive, the Class 91 capable of 140mph, which pulls the
Inter City 225 on the East Coast main line today.

Keith



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Eunometic wrote:
I think conversions of gasoline based internal combustion engine
turbochargers to gas turbines are not that uncommon. I saw a Sydney
University student do it for his thesis once.

An issue with diesel turbochargers is that they may be made of alloys
less heat and corrosion resistent than that of gasoline ones since the
diesel cycle has a much lower exhaust temperature (550C) than a
gasoline engine (850C). This should effect life iof the turbocharger.
Many automotive turbo's are now ceramic based.

I believe the turbochargers of diesel trucks such as SAAB and Volvo and
other European types are turbocompounded have for many years had a
hydraulic torque coupling to put surplus power not needed for the
compressor back into the drive shaft.

Most of the turbocharger conversions are using diesel, or kersosene for
fuel. Gas is much too volitle and dangerous.

You're right - but it was still the nicest of the APTs! would look
state of the art, even today.The protype had a few things batting
against it - one of which was that the turbines were built by Leyland
....this was around the same time they were churning out
Princesses/Ambassadors and Allegros...

David

As a note, Jay Leno's jet turboshaft motorcycle:

http://media.popularmechanics.com/im...0108AUCCAB.jpg

Remember that thing?

Rob

Rob Arndt wrote:

As a note, Jay Leno's jet turboshaft motorcycle:

http://media.popularmechanics.com/im...0108AUCCAB.jpg

Remember that thing?

Made in New Iberia, Louisiana...

Anton wrote:
wrote


Have you ever taken a car and fitted a much larger engine to it?

Read up.Before that 2.8 V6, engine vas 1.6 4-cyl.

OK, good then. A lot of times people ask questions like this and don't
really have the slightest idea what they're getting into. Clearly you
have a little more experience.

Have you ever worked with turbine engines before? (Obviously not, based
on your questions)

No.I prefer NA engines.Even now.I'm interested in turbines as engines, not
like add on to piston engines.

Yeah, I know, I mean "gas turbine engines," not turbo/supecharged
engines.

In order to succeed, you first need to turn your turbochargers into a
turbine engine. Before you can even begin to think about doing this you
need to learn how turbines work. Then you can begin laying out a plan.

I know principles, after all, I'm studying railway traffic, and we have many
mechanical courses.

Well, when you asked, "what is a compressor," I wondered. That is like
asking a piston mechanic, "what is a cylinder?"

This is a project that would probably keep you busy for 5 years if you
work part-time.

You mean on locomotive turbine into car, or just plain turbocharger
converting to gas turbine?If is this last, then you must se what people on
intrent have made for month or less with scrap turbocharges from local
junkyard.

Are they generating useful power, or just making a lot of noise? Making
noise is easy, making power takes engineering skill. That's what will
take you time. Are they skilled mechanics doing their second or third
project, or a first-time experimenter just like you? I'll bet the
second time you do this, you will do it a lot faster than the first.

As for how much power it puts out, who knows? There's a ton of
variables in there. I'd suspect a few hundred horsepower, maybe more,
quite likely less. It will probably turn out heavier than an equivalent
piston engine, and thus the car will actually go slower.

Why?That doesn't mean that it must be like you said.

Well, let's look at it this way. Teams of engineers, with literally
billions of dollars to spend, build turbines that put out maybe 800
horsepower (and of course a lot larger too). Of course, you don't have
to worry about safety or reliability, so your job is easier that way,
but you're also working with inferior materials and knowledge (not
meant as criticism, just fact).

You may be able to get 500, 700, 1000HP out of a turbine but my guess
is that your turbine will end up weighing a LOT. Weight is not the
first concern when building parts that go on locomotives- durability
and low maintenance cost matter a lot more. The result is that heavier,
cheaper materials are used and often overbuilt (adding more weight).

Weight is your enemy. If my car has the same power as yours, and mine
is heavier, then your will be faster. Simple physics.

How cool will
that be?

Why that tone?I mean, what is so wrong if I ask something like this

Sorry, I'm not trying to be discouraging, just realistic. If you think
you can build a turbine in a few months that will make your car go
super-fast, you're probably going to be disappointed. If you're ready
to spend a couple of years in the shop, building, testing, fixing,
building, fixing, testing, then you just may be able to get something
pretty cool.

Hey, really, I wish you the best of luck. I hope it works.

Best,
-cwk.

Hello

I know this is not exactly what you guys are up to, but you might find it
interesting anyway.
http://www.junkyardjet.com/

There are many sites like this. Guys build jet engines out of automotive
turbochargers, usually with something like an old fire extinguisher for the
expansion chamber, and the burner assembly form a household heating oil
furnace to supply the fuel feed and ignition. Lots of them actually working.

Before the 1963 Chrysler gas turbine car was the Rover JET-1:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/d...00/2516271.stm

Rob

B-17 with claimed gas turbine engine, WW2:

http://www.de220.com/Strange%20Stuff/TEST-80G419784.jpg

Rob

p.s. What was the engine?

there was a site in New Zealand put up by a guy building his own
pulsejet powered cruise missile with parts from hardware stores etc.
Main site: http://www.aardvark.co.nz/pjet/

....and his cruise missile project:
http://www.aardvark.co.nz/pjet/cruise.shtml

David