SteamshipDream in Borneo

Hai, I am presently trying to design best suited steamship for rivers in Borneo. Bad weather and shallow bend and cheap coal have made me a believer of steamships.........

My question would be:
1. Is there an Improved drive system for ye old coal boiler steamship?
2. Which steamship design would suit the moonson season of Borneo?
3. Is this field a stagnant sector or is there a special forum in which I can meet up with crazy people who know their steam........
4. Of course is there anybody who can make a professional power plant for my future river Queen?

We are not only looking intensively to make transport affordable to the local native, but also paving toward ensuring river doctors supported by the government would trust steamships to provide transport option and working platform to every dayak city and remote villages.

I hope ideas contributed would be a smile on the face of Borneo future children.

Thanks guys.....

WellyDeckhand

 

Welly you'll find 'steamboat' sites throughout the civilised world, just try your favourite search engine!
I would have thought wood burner's would be better in Borneo, or is there on wood left due to bad logging?
Unless times have dramatically changed I didn't realise Indonesian Government was welcome in the dyak longhouses!

 

Depending on how fancy you want to get . . . here's a thought.

Instead of steam, use electricity. Start with a Stirling engine/generator like this one, http://www.stmpower.com/ and couple it to electric drive motors. I believe electric drive is commonly used for ferries and the basis for diesel electric locomotives is a diesel generator and electric drive. You could use anything for fuel that will burn. Coal, wood, straw, cornstalks, liquid fuels . . . whatever. Electricity is much easier to control, you can place your engine in any convenient location, no transmission is necessary, and I believe a 55 KW electric drive would have performance similar to a 165 KW diesel with mechanical transmission drive. With electric drive you can easily make your props rotate on a vertical axis, so you have excellent control for tight spots. You can also add a few batteries for those moments when you need a burst of power (a hybrid approach), or to charge with solar panels for a little "free" transportation.

The STM power unit referenced above puts out 55 KW (aprox. 74 HP), weighs about two tons and costs (I think) about 65,000 USD. I haven't searched it out, but there may well be someone making Stirling engines closer to home for you.

Bill

 

More question

I try the search engine ....but......! No new stuff can be found...... cause ferry steamer is really confine to certain area for usage depend on local authority..............

The Steamer had hard time fighting with new efficient and enviro friendly options.

In Borneo....... we are talking about the native Dayak.... They are not kinda smart businessman.....They dont hav the ability to churn up more cash if fuel hike up or the authority take away the subsidies which i think they did.

The coal here is dirt cheap..........As a local resident I could buy 4 ha of coal infested land and mine it for my own usage........ No sell or export permit of course.

It up to the local ship builder with their internet maniac buddy to do something about it .....I think......

I was thinking Of steamer that can carry 300 passanger.....matt floor sleeper....type.......can take cargo of approx.20 tons?

Cheap is my main goal but also cheap fare I will return to the dayak people....


WellyDeckHand

P.S. The authority are welcome to the village if they bring facilities and cash.... if not they will throw away the sardine n try new meat on the block.....he.....X100

 

Thanks a million

I have been searching but didnt understand wat the steamer gonna hav..... this put me in a better view of the river babe.

So this generator is driven by steam power and convert to engine power?

Do you have anymore info? A big mean machine for river transport and a small machine for medium floating river clinic.........

Thanks

WellyDeckHand

 

No, you can skip the steam entirely. This generator runs on essentially ANY heat source. It is based on the Stirling engine, which is an external combustion engine (as opposed to the more common internal combustion engine). It uses hydrogen gas (or helium) as an internal working fluid, but this is sealed inside and never needs replacement. As I understand the particular model at the link has a built-on combuster to burn gases, but you could probably just build a coal fire and use the combuster as a flue and get the same result.

Google on "Stirling engine" for a LOT more information on this technology. Or try these to get started:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_engine

http://www.sesusa.org/

 

Yeah Welly that's what I was afraid of - the dyaks ain't changed much then! Bloody good trackers but strange appetites!

 

I am quite a good tracker myself for finding good dayak ideas............. the good ideas which are keeping me alive......

So please contribute your weight to this thread if u think Dayak need exposure to civilization through the help of cheaper transport.

The Doctor steamship will be govt. sponsor.......

 

Actually mate I don't think it's such a good idea! When i was out there they were doing OK without outside influence. Outsiders would only ruin their fragile existence and make them very unhappy and susceptable to all sorts of terrible diesease!

Luckily the only thing they'll get from the Indonesian Government is food poisoning!

 

It very hard for us as human to deciede what other people need........ But for the dayaks....... they need knowledge and health care...........

50% patient need medical attention from sickness include stroke, sugar level disorder and malnutrious.
50% patient need medical help from accident and wounds from animal attack.

It is improper to see them as animal isolated within protected compound 'Reservation Area' as pets......... and hope to take documentation as they fight with wild beast with their bear hand.

I would say giving them a little bit knowledge of the outside world and the freedom to choose as they think best for the future is more human.

Our believe that they are like children and their real parent put strict rules mean forcing them into extinction?Mmmm......... Maybe the rule bend a bit somewhere........ but they are far from extinction unlike animal without a brain.

Come over to Borneo and u will be surprise........

During all incident foreign or domestic Borneo is still herself calm and well groom by nature.

I am doing my part as a resident to this beatiful land where the people have a romantic history as the best trapper and head-hunter of Borneo...........and truthfully earn a livin by builting boat and thinking of new project like the steamship that count.

Phew........... cant believe i type all that **** man..... ...............................Mmmm........Gonna go find a Shrink now

 

Go for it Welly, you sound like a damn good man to me!

Bill

 

Well I am single n u can try courtship with me but I doubt it will work ....... I appriciate your compliment but I rather u critic my ideas to make more solid.......... ..........Sorry for being an A55.

 

Sounds more like "Charlie" to me Billy, if you get my drift!

 

Trust me sex change is not an option........steamships boiler change a must.....

So walrus any whisker on steamships for a starter?

 

We would like to do that, but you have to put out some more information. Did you check out the Stirling engines, or are you determined to go with steam (which has a bunch of problems of its own)?

What size boat are you thinking of? What draft? What conditions will it be operating under? What's the budget? What material (steel, aluminum, wood, concrete, etc.)

Something like the "African Queen" like in the movie? That was a real boat, by the way, its on display at Key Largo in Florida. Just stop and chop some wood to keep going. In your case, dig up some coal.

Bill