Author Topic: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build  (Read 930943 times)

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Offline WhizzbangK.C.

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Re: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build
« Reply #1260 on: March 21, 2016, 09:57:44 PM »
Thanks to a hint from PorkPie I have reconsidered the ejector style oil tank vent, the risk of setting the oil smoke on fire and on top of that risk pulling oil up through the hose with the under pressure created I decided to make a separate ventilation instead. I spent a couple of hours in the workshop building a catch tank for the oil tank vent tonight.



Since my foot will be on the footpeg there isn´t room for a larger volume catch tank but I think this will do, a nice big breather filter on top will let any air trapped in the oil tank out quickly.



As soon as the weather improves and I find a couple of hours of spare time I will roll the bike out for a test start!

Cheers!
/Anders

Did you fill that catch tank with stainless steel wool? Something like is found in the kitchen aisle of the grocery store for scrubbing pots and pans. It really helps separate the oil mist from the air if you start to get any kind of flow through it.
Ah, this is obviously some strange usage of the word 'safe' that I wasn't previously aware of.  Douglas Adams

Offline Mobacken Racing

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Re: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build
« Reply #1261 on: March 22, 2016, 12:48:00 AM »
Did you fill that catch tank with stainless steel wool? Something like is found in the kitchen aisle of the grocery store for scrubbing pots and pans. It really helps separate the oil mist from the air if you start to get any kind of flow through it.

That is a great idea, the hole on top is large enough to push a rolled up steel wool sheet through. Thanks! :-)

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build
« Reply #1262 on: March 22, 2016, 01:22:16 AM »
This might be the type of scouring pad that Ed is mentioning.

The scouring pad is in an oil/air separator which is on a larger diameter hose above the engine.  Liquid that drips out of the pad trickles down the hose and back into the engine.  Otherwise, the pad fills up with oil and water.  The air goes up through a hose to the catch tank.  It has a drain and a sight glass.  The hose ends in a little filter above and to the side of the back wheel.

Do not be surprised if it takes some trial and error to get the system working. 

Offline WhizzbangK.C.

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Re: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build
« Reply #1263 on: March 22, 2016, 01:24:48 AM »
Did you fill that catch tank with stainless steel wool? Something like is found in the kitchen aisle of the grocery store for scrubbing pots and pans. It really helps separate the oil mist from the air if you start to get any kind of flow through it.

That is a great idea, the hole on top is large enough to push a rolled up steel wool sheet through. Thanks! :-)

Make sure you use stainless. The courser, the better. The vented gases can contain a lot of water, as well as drawing in damp outside air when it cools off or as weather changes. Regular steel wool will disintegrate into rust in no time if moisture hits it.
Ah, this is obviously some strange usage of the word 'safe' that I wasn't previously aware of.  Douglas Adams

Offline WhizzbangK.C.

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Re: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build
« Reply #1264 on: March 22, 2016, 01:27:05 AM »
This might be the type of scouring pad that Ed is mentioning.

The scouring pad is in an oil/air separator which is on a larger diameter hose above the engine.  Liquid that drips out of the pad trickles down the hose and back into the engine.  Otherwise, the pad fills up with oil and water.  The air goes up through a hose to the catch tank.  It has a drain and a sight glass.  The hose ends in a little filter above and to the side of the back wheel.

Do not be surprised if it takes some trial and error to get the system working. 

That's exactly what I'm talking about Bo. It works better than anything else I've ever tried, and I've built a few of this type breather in the past.  :-)
Ah, this is obviously some strange usage of the word 'safe' that I wasn't previously aware of.  Douglas Adams

Offline Mobacken Racing

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Re: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build
« Reply #1265 on: March 22, 2016, 06:26:41 AM »
My vent will have a very easy life compared to a crank case vent for a piston engine, no sudden rushes of oil misty air just a slow and steady air leakage from the engine that reach the oil tank through the bearing system.

Offline Mobacken Racing

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Re: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build
« Reply #1266 on: March 23, 2016, 05:49:39 PM »
Since the winter won´t go anywhere anytime soon I figured it would be best if I can do the test run with the bike still on the workshop floor, but the angle of the jet exhausts would send papers and stuff flying all over the workshop so I had to come up with some way of directing the exhaust more rearwards.

I got around to make a pair of jet pipe extensions today, nothing fancy but they´ll hopefully do the trick.



The exhaust end is possibly a bit narrow but in order to direct the jet flow rearwards enough I couldn´t make it any more open than this. It´ll work just fine at the high idle run I am planning to do. :-)



Cheers!
/Anders

Offline Speed Limit 1000

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Re: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build
« Reply #1267 on: March 23, 2016, 09:28:41 PM »
BAD A$$ pipes :cheers: That will make a good street bike :-o
John Gowetski, red hat @ 221.183 MPH MSA Lakester, Bockscar #1000 60 ci normally aspirated w/N20

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build
« Reply #1268 on: March 25, 2016, 12:38:44 AM »
This is an American company so their products might not be obtainable.  There is lots of useful info on their website that might be a help.  www.freemansupply.com 

Offline Mobacken Racing

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Re: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build
« Reply #1269 on: March 29, 2016, 04:18:15 PM »
Thanks wobblywalrus for the link!

I ran the bike today to test the modifications I´ve done during the winter, both tachometers work which is great. I just need to calibrate them a little, the gas producer is hopefully not even near the displayed 200.000rpm..... :-)

https://youtu.be/tPjNGAi8AiU

Cheers!
/Anders

Offline Glen

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Re: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build
« Reply #1270 on: March 29, 2016, 08:23:19 PM »
Love it, sounds great. go fast. :-D
Glen
Crew on Turbinator II

South West, Utah

Offline Mobacken Racing

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Re: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build
« Reply #1271 on: April 01, 2016, 03:19:00 PM »
Jon sent me a pic of Nancy posing with the tshirt I sent her, she is without a doubt the prettiest wearer of our Mobacken race wear. (sorry Olov... :-) )



And from the other side of the planet came a photo of another tshirt wearer, my very good friend and gas turbine mentor John Wallis. Here standing next to his newest gas turbine engine ready for its first fire up on the test stand.



Cheers!
/Anders

Offline Frank06

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Re:
« Reply #1272 on: April 01, 2016, 09:10:16 PM »
Sounds tough!  This will be a good year...
E-Racer

Offline Mobacken Racing

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Re:
« Reply #1273 on: April 02, 2016, 12:40:26 AM »
Sounds tough!  This will be a good year...

I sure hope so, this weekend I will try to get the tacho sorted out and as soon as the back yard is ice free I will take the bike outdoors for another test run at higher revs.

After watching a handful of previous test videos I noticed that the engine has a temperature spike between 0.8-1.0 bar boost pressure (P2), so I will push the engine over that region to find out of the temp drops a bit. Nothing to be concerned of in that case since I will be running the engine between 2-2.5bar while racing the bike. :-)




Offline Mobacken Racing

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Re: APS/Ω Gas turbine bike build
« Reply #1274 on: April 04, 2016, 04:18:28 PM »
Today I decided to make a test rig for the eddy current tachometer, I need to get the scaling right before I start the bike up again.



Since the compressor has 14 blades I need a trigger wheel with a teeth number dividable with 14 to be able to find the right scaling factor, first I milled a 42 tooth trigger wheel but I couldn´t get enough rpm in the lathe for the tachometer to start registering rpm. Luckily I had a pile of old gocart sprockets so I took an 84-tooth sprocket and modified it for better trigger signal. That did the trick! :)



I measured 1710rpm on the sprocket with the highest gearing in the lathe, that equals 1710x6=10.260rpm on the compressor wheel. The bike tachometer read 31.400rpm (+-100rpm) which is just about three times too much. Now I just need to check the Auber manual to figure out how to reprogram it correctly.



I am extremely glad that I seem to have finally solved the tachometer problem, making a reliable tacho has been a constant issue since I built my first gas turbine 14 years ago....

Cheers!
/Anders