CONTRACT #RD-1

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-03424A002400100006-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 20, 2011
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: January 28, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

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CONTRACT ,-1
A REPORT ON PRELIMINARY TESTS OF A ONE QUARTER
HORSEPOWER STEAM POWER PLANT DESIGNED AND BUILT
TO EVALUATE THE POSSIBILITIES OF THIS METHOD OF
POWER GENERATION
Prepared by
January 28, 1949
Approved by
if.
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INTERIM REPORT
Phase one of this project has been completed.
A test unit comprising an engine, a boiler, a burner,
and necessary test equipment has been fabricated, and
sufficient tests have been run to give general results.
For the duration of the fuel supply, which is
approximately two hours on the test unit, the engine will
produce .225 horsepower continuously.
The size and weight of the test engine compon-
ents indicate that it will be possible to construct a
power unit of this type within the size and weight re-
quirements contained in the proposal.
It can be expected that the final model will
produce a full one quarter horsepower with a gasoline
consumption not exceeding one pound per hour.
The experimental unit is simple to operate and
as soon as warmed up produces a steady output of power
with very little attention.
The engine produces no exhaust noises. The
other engine noises are of such a nature that we believe
we can reduce them to an acceptable level. The noise pro-
duced by the boiler and burner presents no particular
problem.
In conclusion, we wish to state that in?our
opinion the experimental unit demonstrates that a small
steam power plant having the general specifications as
contained in our proposal of May, 14, 1948, is entirely
feasible. We therefore wish to proceed along the lines
indicated in our proposal.
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1. DESCRIPTION OF ENGINE
As explained in previous reports, the test engine was de-
signed to provide for adjustment of all important operating character-
istics and for the substitution of various components to allow for
changing the bore, stroke, and valve timing, and in general to make
as universal a test engine as possible. This principle was carried
out in order to avoid the expense involved in building a new test
engine each time it was desired to change the fundamental design
characteristics. This type of construction does not provide a light
weight rigid unit such as will be required for the final model, but
the experimental advantages gained more than offset the additional
weight and lack of rigidity.
The materials used in the piston and cylinder allow opera-
tion without the use'of lubricants in the cylinder itself. The
main piston, the valves, and all other parts exposed to live steam
run entirely dry. The formation of carbon in any engine tends to
change its performance characteristics as the carbon accumulation
increases; by running our engine without lubrication we expect to
eliminate the carbon problem entirely. We have not as yet run
sufficient tests to determine the expected life of our cylinder and
piston materials, but so far the indications have been that a satis-
factory service life will be obtained at the speeds and temperatures
used.
The test engine operates on the uniflow principle; steam
is admitted through the main valve for approximately 30? of crank-
shaft rotation and exhausted through s, row of ports around the
cylinder just above the piston head when the piston is at bottom dead
center. An auxiliary valve operated by a special aam allows some
steam to escape on the compression stroke, thereby controlling the
amount of compression and to conserve as much heat energy as possible.
Anti friction bearings are used throughout on the test engine pri-
marily to take care of such mis-alignment as may occur due to the
non-rigid construction of the engine frame. As explained in the
preceding paragraph, ease of accessibility and adjustment was our
first requirement and in order to gain this we sacrificed rigidity to
make our test model more universal in nature.
The test engine runs fairly steadily at any given burner
adjustment without controls of any nature, but it will be necessary
to add controls when the electric generating equipment is attached
to the engine in order to provide for proper regulation. The boiler
steam pressure can be used to control the burner through a bellows or
other cylinder-like control system and the temperature of the water
acting upon a liquid filled thermostat can control the admission of
water from the feed water pump to the boiler. It is expected that
these two controls, both of which we feel can be added quite simply,
will provide the regulation required insofar as the boiler is con-
cerned. Depending upon final generator characteristics and electric
load demands, it may be necessary to add a governor to control the main
throttle valve.
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We plan to do considerably more test work on the experimental
engine before deciding upon the design characteristics of,the next
model. A smaller piston and cylinder will be installed on the unit
to enable us to make comparisons of one and two cylinder operation.
If our experiments indicate that we can decrease the bore and stroke
without appreciable loss in efficiency,, it may be advisable to go to
two cylinder construction. This will provide a somewhat smoother
running engine and the problems of noise control will be reduced.
Several photographs of this test engine are contained in the
Appendix for reference purposes. A condensed data sheet showing the
results of several test runs is also appended.
In general the boiler design used in the experimental unit
has been satisfactory. The heat exchanging elements are tubes wound
in pancake form with enough space between coils to allow for the
passage of flue gases. In this experimental boiler some of the water
tubes come outside of the outer insulating shell of the boiler to en-
able us to attach thermocouples for taking boiler temperature readings.
This causes some loss of heat and efficiency which will not be present
in the finished unit but which is necessary for experimental purposes.
The size and shape of the combustion chamber and the low temperature
of the exhaust flue gases indicate that the burner and boiler efficien-
cies are high. If clean water is used to supply the boiler it should
have a satisfactory service life under operating conditions.
A feed water pump driven by the engine will supply the boiler
with water; this will be controlled directly by the temperature of the
boiler and will be of simple straightforward design. In the experi-
mental model an electrically driven feed water pump has been used to
simplify the problem of engine design and to permit wide variations
in adjustment. As the original calculations on the water rate or
steam consumption of the engine have been verified by test results, we
can now proceed with the design of an engine driven feed water pump of
small size 'and weight which will do the job satisfactorily.
Very little work has been done to date on the design of a
condenser system to allow reuse of the water. If continuing tests of
the engine demonstrate that steam cylinder lubrication may be elim-
inated, the design of this system will be somewhat simplified because
we will not be faced with a problem of separating lubricating oil from
the water. As the condenser is one of the minor design problems in
the development of a steam power unit it is being deferred until more
experimental data is available and until the next test engine has been
completed.
IV l T7,97
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TRANSMITTAL S~
//-DATE
TO:
BUILDING ROOM NO.
REMARKS:
FROM:
BUILDING
ROOM 0.
EXTENSION
e n 12. 38-8
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The burner at present in use is of the vaporizing type, and
consists of a unit from a commercial Colman Camp stove with minor
modifications. Fuel pressure for starting is built up with a manual
pump and at present must be manually maintained at intervals. It is
contemplated that later engine designs will incorporate a pump for
automatically maintaining fuel pressure.
Up to the present time only commercial gasolines have been
used, but it is known that this type of burner is suitable for high
test or aviation gasoline and, with minor modification, for kerosene.
Study of the problems involved in burning other fuels has been subor-
dinated to the more urgent parts of the program.
It is anticipated that the problems of cold weather opera~ion
of the burner and boiler may be minimized by inclusion of a small
wick type pilot.
COMPARISON OF SIERRA AND BRITISH FIREFLY POWER PLANTS
To assist in evaluation of results to date on this program,
performance tests were carried out on the British "Firefly" unit.
Comparative figures are as follows:
RD-i
Firefly
Horsepower
.225
.16
Fuel consumption
1.1 lb/hr
4.0 lb/hr
Water rate
27 lb/hp/hr
135 lb/hp/hr
These figures indicate that the efficiency of the present
unit is about five times that of the foreign power plant; size and
weight comparisons also show very favorable gains.
Another basis for evaluation of results to date is found
in the fact that in this fractional horsepower engine efficiencies are
being obtained which are ordinarily expected in steam plants of a
hundred times this size.
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CONDENSED TEST DATA
Run No.
Speed rpm
Shaft Horse Power
Boiler Pressure psi
Admission Pressure psi
Fuel Pressure psi
Feed Water Temp. F.
Boiler Steam Temp. OF.
Admission Steam Temp. ?F.
Flue Gas Temp. ?F.
Steam Consumption lb/hr.
Water Rate lb/hp/hr.
1 2 3 4 5 6 AV.I
1040 1174 965 1257 1534 1749 1287
.218 .225 .237 .242 .231 .237 .232
218 220 280 208 185 168
203 190 205 192 170 152
32 32 32 32 33 33
60 60 60 60 60
655 720 720 730 720 745
555 565 592 600 600 620
222 225 228 228 225 225
6.25 6.45 6.25 6.45 5.62 6.35
28.6 28.6 26.3 27.7 24.3 26.8 27.0
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SIERRA ENGINEERING CO. " A 'L4I PLEJ
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SIERRA ENGINEERING CO. KJJU JL
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 SIERRA ENGINEERING CO.
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SIERRA ENGINEERING CO. SLrIRIE1 GuV1 u/
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