Monday, February 8, 2016

SteamFlash Rocket Motor 03 - Materials and Construction

Focus on a prototype flash boiler to run at low power.
The working temperature is 100 degrees C or a little above.
A later version may need to be made out of metal and ceramics.
However I want to make the prototype out of transparent plastic so I can video what happens inside for early low power trials.
Human observers will remote-operate from a distance!

The disposable syringe body sold by chemist shops for 2 dollars is a good size and shape.
Info online suggests without being definite that syringe bodies are made of heat resistant plastic.

Online articles also suggest that "epoxy resins" have good heat resistance.
I will try holding the coil in place with the common and easy to work with "Araldite 5 minute" epoxy glue.

Experiment done. Placing a syringe and a glued object in boiling water then checking strength.
Both seem to stay at full strength or nearly full strength.

Such a plastic device could fail after a short time but it will fail by splitting rather than shattering.

Coil setup with connectors from electrical connector strips.


Tighten the screws on the connector inner ends then cut the heads off to enable fitting into the syringe tube.


Starting on the base-plate to hold the coil and block the end of the syringe. Material is circuit board which is epoxy resin with a copper backing.  Mmmmm - possible problem with the copper?


Scrape the copper away from one of the terminals to prevent it causing a short circuit.


Trial assembly


Trial assembly



Sealing the coil in place on the backplate with epoxy glue.
The wire springiness in the coil is pulling unevenly on the connectors. I need to use a scrap of wire to  lift up the near connector.



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