High service temp reinforcement resin

Hello

I am trying to find a suitable resin for making steam cylinders from carbon tow.

I wish to design for a boiler pressure of 70 bar, saturated steam at this pressure is 285C but it can be superheated, so I guess at least 400C service temperature minimum is required.

If I cannot find such a matrix resin, I will start looking for a suitable insulation material for the inside of the cylinder. Maybe a ceramic material could serve as mold, liner and insulation in one?
Then I could use a high temp epoxy, such as this one, rated up to 315C.

I have seen carbon/metal prepregs with service temps to 700C, but it required vacuuming at 1300C which I am not sure how to do.

ps. The title should read "high temp matrix" or something.
pps. 500 strokes per minute (equivalent 250 rpm) should be enough.

 

sorry Sigurd,
as much as I like steam engines in general, as much as I appreciate any new approach in this field, and as much as I am willing to get you supported on your way to find clever solutions, here I like to leave the ring.
The engine you are going to install is a clever little invention, but has its main advantage in the low pressure operation. And I am going to build and install such a system myself.
The boiler, you try to engineer and build, is by far out of range of what makes sense, in both fittings, lightweight boat and lightweight engine.
So, do´nt take it as a personal affront, but I refuse to go that way, no matter if it is possible, affordable or even ingenious.

Regards
Richard

 

Maybe you are right. I wish to find out. I want to try some oscillating propulsion. That is why the speed is so low. I think it could be built light, but I am not sure.
I don't need ceramic inner liner. If I can find a cheap metal cylinder liner, I can mold ceramic around it. Then I can wind carbon/epoxy around that. But I want to see if I can find a different matrix for the carbon. Then I could perhaps use carbon for the piston and rod also.

 

Understand.........

 

Fancy stuff. Is weight most important thing? I have seem some amazing things done with Aluminum.

 

Alum. is a extreme heat conductor, he needs the opposite, regardless of weight.

 

SS Tanks

Stainless tanks spheres one within other in a vacumn. Sounds like something Nasa would have built like LOX tanks.

 

no, not a tank,,, a cylinder, containing a piston.

 

Sorry, trying to understand. You want a piston with rod, crankshaft to convert steam to mechanical motion?

 

Look here:

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/propulsion/boiler-design-green-steam-engine-26363.html

I am building one of them too, but three cyl. and low pressure.
Regards
Richard

 

cool. take lotsa pics, please?

The one that struck me as the least likely, is the three cyl. Because the two cyl. looks like it uses a single valve, the four cyl. would then use two valves, but the three cyl. would have to use three!

I could end up with two bar and three horses, still be ok. Looking into higher power possibilities for now though.

 

Naturally Sigurd, but it might take a while ´cos I do´nt need the engine before end of the year. It is part of a solar powered off grid generator installation.
And I do´nt assemble / machine it myself, I get it done at one of the yards.
The Valves are simply two or three way valves I assume.
The only reason to go for the three cyl. is, that she is self starting in any piston position. The two cyl. is´nt.
Two bar sounds reasonable and easy to achieve. (I go for less than 1 but will enlarge cyl. displacement for increased power)

Regards
Richard