I had been asked if I thought a ceramic burner could replace a 3 wick meths burner in a fire tube boiler of an '0' gauge model locomotive. Frankly I don't know, and still don't, as the enquirer will have to fit one of my 'Quick to make' ceramic burners to the model to find out.
These burners really are quick to make and require little machining however they can only be relatively small and to set sizes. They use copper stop end pipe fittings as their body. In this case a 28 mm one.
A ceramic tile that is used on portable gas heaters. These heaters use two types of ceramic tiles, one that is hard and cannot be cut, the other soft and can be. There are several styles of these soft tiles mine was supplied by 'Blackgates Engineering' here in the UK.
The components; 28 mm stop end, a section of ceramic tile, a piece of 28 mm copper pipe, a piece of K&S brass tubing 1/4" OD and a No.3 gas jet. The piece of wood is a plug for holding the stop end while machining and drilling it.
Both the stop end and pipe were cut to length using this technique.
The piece of pipe was hard soldered inside the stop end to support the ceramic when it is in place.
The hole for the feed tube was drilled. I find lubricated centre drills do this very well in annealed copper. Slow rpm and a lubricant help.
The feed tube was hard soldered into the body.
To create the air hole, first a small hole was drilled in the annealed brass tube which was opened out using a broach. For a clear run for the air all burrs must be removed from these holes
Air hole.
Turning the jet to a slide fit into the feed tube.
A trial fit of the jet which has been Loctited to a copper pipe.
The ceramic tile is cut over size using a piercing saw.
Turning a shoulder on the ceramic tile.
Cutting the turned portion of the tile away.
With small burners I drill extra gas holes in the peaks of the ceramic tile not all the peaks are shown drilled.
Completed burner.
First test firing shows there isn't enough air.
The air holes have been made larger.
Just about right.
A confined space test which is how the burner will have to operate in the fire box of the model locomotive.
Burner on the drawing of the fire box. If it works but doesn't make enough steam a rectangular burner will have about a 50% greater heating area.
If there are any questions I will try and answer them, I have no training in gas technology, I have just read what others have done and copied them and if the burners didn't work I play with them and have had a certain amount of success.
