The Junior Stationary Internal Combustion Engine

This topic has 17 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 25 March 2011 at 06:33 by Richard Parsons.

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23 February 2010 at 15:49 #49070
Charles Osborne
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@charlesosborne57747
I have the set of castings for this ( partially completed ), and all the Stan Bray articles up to No. 10 detailing it’s construction.

I purchased the ME magazine to get the last article about this, but this magazine No. 4196 of June 2003 did not continue the series. Could anyone tell me please, was this series of articles concluded and what magazine number or numbers had the final details in. They seem to be very important as they have details of glowplugs and probably fuel and running operations.
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23 February 2010 at 15:49 #4975
Charles Osborne
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@charlesosborne57747
23 February 2010 at 17:07 #49071
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Looks like it comes in 4204 judging by the ME index on Colin Usher’s site

Part 11 “Governor and silencer, final assembly and starting. Sleeve, yoke, glow plugs, spark plugs, starting and running, silencer”

Jason

Edited By JasonB on 23/02/2010 17:08:42

Edited By JasonB on 23/02/2010 17:11:12
24 February 2010 at 16:16 #49123
Charles Osborne
Participant
@charlesosborne57747
Hi JasonB, thanks so much for the info. I didn’t know of the full site index for the ME. Have now ordered a back issue from Tee Publishing ( if they have it in stock ).

I feel I can now progress and perhaps get a working engine in the ” future ” !!! Thanks again for posting so soon.
24 February 2010 at 18:17 #49127
Jeff Dayman
Participant
@jeffdayman43397
As I recall Stan Bray had big trouble getting his engine to run. He found the cause was that the flywheels were too light (aluminum) as supplied. He made heavier ones and the engine ran fine, as I recall.

Only mention it to maybe save you some grief.

Good luck, Jeff

Edited By Jeff Dayman on 24/02/2010 18:18:28
26 February 2010 at 09:20 #49198
Charles Osborne
Participant
@charlesosborne57747
Thanks Jeff,I will plan to add a thick sheet iron disc behind my already finished flywheels. I had to do this to a Trevithic 1/16 scale Dredger Engine ( 1806 ), that I built many years ago, from ME plans around mid 1988, to get it to run.
21 March 2011 at 23:51 #65810
Martin Cottrell
Participant
@martincottrell21329
Hi Charles,

Any chance of an update, did you manage to get your engine running? The reason I ask is that I am building the same engine and I’m not sure which glow plug to use and also which fuel to run it on. Will it run on regular petrol or will it require the fuel as used by the model aircraft boys with their 2 stroke glow engines?

I too read of the problems that Stan had with the light alloy flywheels supplied with the casting set and have aquired a pair of cast iron flywheels which hopefully will help. This is my first I.C engine so any tips would be gratefully received from anyone who happens to be reading this!

Regards, Martin.
22 March 2011 at 12:21 #65833
Richard Parsons
Participant
@richardparsons61721
Martin – Glow plug motors basically use hot platinum as a catalyst which oxidises methanol (CH₃OH) to CO₂and H₂O. This is exothermic (makes heat) and ignites the other components of the fuel.

Hope it helps

Dick
22 March 2011 at 23:29 #65872
Martin Cottrell
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@martincottrell21329
Hi Dick,

Thanks for the quick reply. I assume from your response that I should be using a methanol based fuel as I am using glow plug ignition? Incidentaly, this engine is a four stroke engine whereas I believe the glow plug engines used in model aircraft are 2 strokes, would this affect my choice of fuel and glow plug in any way?

Sorry for the multitude of questions but this is new territory for me so getting a few basic criteria correct from the outset will hopefully eliminate some of the need for guesswork and experimentation (frustration!) when I eventually reach the stage of trying to run the engine!!

Regards, Martin.
23 March 2011 at 08:20 #65874
Richard Parsons
Participant
@richardparsons61721
No you can ger 4 stroke glow plugs. They are thicker as they have to retain their heat longer. You will also need a battery (for both types) to heat them up to start the engine.

Plugs used to come in 1.5 volt and 2 volt varieties.
23 March 2011 at 08:31 #65875
John Olsen
Participant
@johnolsen79199
From what I saw a week or so back it would appear that four stroke engines are pretty much the majority for radio controlled model aircraft these days, leaving aside the large number of electric models.

regards

John
23 March 2011 at 10:49 #65878
Martin Cottrell
Participant
@martincottrell21329
Ok, so if I use a 4 stroke glow plug, will the engine run on ordinary petrol?

Regards, Martin.
23 March 2011 at 11:48 #65880
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
I think you will still need glow fuel as regular petrol won’t ignite in the same way. The glow fuels also have about 20% oil on average which may be a bit high on an engine like this so you may get the plug oiling up and a buildup of carbon on the valves

Quite interesting that Stan says you may not need a power source to start a glow engine, can’t see how you would get any heat into the plug without it??

J
24 March 2011 at 06:42 #65941
Richard Parsons
Participant
@richardparsons61721
Martin in a word NO you need the methanol! See my first post on this topic. JasonB when running the platinum is very hot because of the chemical reaction so the oil gets burned off. It is hot all the time. That is why a 4 stroke has a different type of Glow plug. I am afraid thet for the platinum to perform the trick of oxidising the methanol it has to be red hot so you need to put in a power source to start the reaction going. Once it is running it can sustain its self.

glow plugs glow all the time the engine is running.

John yes they are. They are quieter than the 2 strokes. The modern kill-joys do not like noise (or people enjoying themselves) My old mate ‘Harry’ and I were flying R/C gliders over the Chiltens when a Panda car screeched up ‘Che-che and ‘An-an’ got out then another car drew up and out got two noise abatement officials got out. I was setting up and Harry had his glider in the air. Get those aircraft down at once yelled the one of the official comitting a trespass -coming into the field. Harry obliged, the man shook me roughly “GET IT DOWN NOW” pointing to another glider. “No I cannot” I said the man grabbed my transmitter and fiddeled with it. “nor can you it comes from Booker”. The Council men confiscated our planes and the gear and the coppers ordered us out of the field. When we refused to go so they ‘knicked’ us. Harry’s dad was a barrister and owned the field. Oh dear ‘whata mistaka to maka’. The council men rushed off to Booker.

Edited By Richard Parsons on 24/03/2011 06:45:12
24 March 2011 at 07:47 #65943
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Richard, I’ve run RC cars quite a bit so do know that the plug needs to be hot all the time thats why I commented about Stans comment in his build that says you may not need a power source to start up the engine.

The slow running of these engine may not fire as often as an RC 4 stroke so the plug may not stay hot enough to fire without the power supply on all the time and this will also help burn off excess oil.

J
24 March 2011 at 09:05 #65951
Terryd
Participant
@terryd72465
Hi Richard,

I love that story, I found that one funny unlike some others I’ve read.

Best regards and thanks for the giggle,

Terry.
24 March 2011 at 23:09 #66019
Martin Cottrell
Participant
@martincottrell21329
Thanks for the helpful replies chaps, glow plug fuel it is then! Hopefully in a while I’ll be able to report a successful maiden run & with luck Richard I’ll avoid the attentions of the “noise police”! I have to say my neighbours are quite tolerant of the strange noises and screams of tortured metal that hail from my workshop. We have this understanding that I can make my strange noises in exchange for the occasional puncture repair, mower repair etc. that modern man seems incapable of doing for himself nowadays!

Regards, Martin.
25 March 2011 at 06:33 #66027
Richard Parsons
Participant
@richardparsons61721
Terry The problem started about two years before when the ‘new estate’ was built in a nearby village. It was sold to folk who did not understand that milk came from cows before it got into bottles.

It just so happened that H and Co were flying up on the hill when crop spraying was taking place in the vale. Of course H and Co were blamed for the noise of the aeroplanes and that is how the whole thing started.

‘Che-che’ and ‘An-an’ with their Panda car were deemed to be more efficient than the local constable Oaf and his ‘Noddy bike’ (a Velocette).

Edited By Richard Parsons on 25/03/2011 06:34:28
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