Engine Compartment Fire Extinquishing System

[hanleyclifford]

The more I look at that coil the more I see a new (to me) concept in exhaust system cooling. Why not run the raw discharge thru it and then overboard? Of course it will not take the full volume at pressures our pumps develop but a diverter system would cure that....hmmm

[JOHN COOKSON]

Maybe a handy dandy cabin heater? All you would need is a pump and a radiator in the living space. I think anyway - I'm not an expert in such matters.
Lat 64 are you logged on?

TRUE GRIT

[marthur]

The more I look at that coil the more I see a new (to me) concept in exhaust system cooling.

Maybe a handy dandy cabin heater?

This is actually an experiment on my to-do list. I was just waiting to come across a cheap heater core from a suitable truck or car. And saving up for all the copper

[romantic comedy]

Hanley, that was the concept.

I have only started with it. I dont know that it has much application though. I know that the Tartan 34 has a big problem with exhaust heat. Again, I am surprised that none have caught fire.

What seemed the easiest, was to send some salt water thru the tubing. At 110 feet long, there would be a lot of resistance, and probably little flow. It might be plenty enough though.

It still seems rather Rube Goldberg still.

[JOHN COOKSON]

Hanley, that was the concept.
I have only started with it. I dont know that it has much application though. I know that the Tartan 34 has a big problem with exhaust heat. Again, I am surprised that none have caught fire.
What seemed the easiest, was to send some salt water thru the tubing. At 110 feet long, there would be a lot of resistance, and probably little flow. It might be plenty enough though.
It still seems rather Rube Goldberg still.

I think it sounds like a neat idea.
When (and if) you plumb it do it so the water goes up through the tubing. If you do it this way I think you will get quite a bit of cooling with a small amount of water flow.
There are sort of two schools of thought on this: Move the liquid in the tubing slowly so it adsorbs as much heat as possible on its way through the cooling coil or move the cooling liquid fast so it stays as cool as possible. Or of course somewhere in between the two.

TRUE GRIT

[joe_db]

FYI - You could save some copper by running a 1.5 inch copper pipe inside of a 2 or 2.5 inch copper pipe and running water through the space between, As a matter of fact, some old boats come with exhaust systems made just that way

[hanleyclifford]

FYI - You could save some copper by running a 1.5 inch copper pipe inside of a 2 or 2.5 inch copper pipe and running water through the space between, As a matter of fact, some old boats come with exhaust systems made just that way

I have done a little checking on that and the price comes up around $400. What distinguishes RC's idea is that it remains dry to the iron but the system keeps the strength of the iron and shape of the riser so that a reduced amount of water can still be run thru the waterlift as before. The objective is to reduce the ugly work the exhaust gases have to do driving water uphill but still cool the system for safety. Hence RC's first move should be to install a diverter valve at the hot section and then plumb the copper with an overboard discharge.

[romantic comedy]

I have a stand pipe, so no worries with a water lift.

If I sent some salt water thru the tubing, then back to the stand pipe, it might not flow at all. There needs to be some pressure difference, and I dont know if I would have it. With a separate discharge, some water might flow. i could also make another entrance to the standpipe. I dont want to fool with a 40 year old piece of copper though. Else I cold introduce the tubing water down stream of the standpipe. I would have to tap into the exhaust hose, i guess.

The anti freeze side might also work.

[hanleyclifford]

I have a stand pipe, so no worries with a water lift.

If I sent some salt water thru the tubing, then back to the stand pipe, it might not flow at all. There needs to be some pressure difference, and I dont know if I would have it. With a separate discharge, some water might flow. i could also make another entrance to the standpipe. I dont want to fool with a 40 year old piece of copper though. Else I cold introduce the tubing water down stream of the standpipe. I would have to tap into the exhaust hose, i guess.

The anti freeze side might also work.

So your main benefit is a cooler hot secton which is what Art needs too. I would not tap into the standppe or exhaust pipe but rather install a new discharge fitting well above the water line.

[ndutton]

When deciding whether to use salt water or anti-freeze, know that at a certain temperature threshold* salt precipitates out of sea water and can form salt crystals resulting in blockage. This is not uncommon with water jacketed exhaust elbows.


*Somehow I remember the temp threshold is ~165° but please don't rely on that figure.

[romantic comedy]

The tartan 34 runs a hot section of exhaust. It goes up an enclosed cabniet which gets quite hot. I have left mine open for years. The problem is that the bilge blower is part of this cabinet. Poor design really.

I think that the problem could be solved with more air flow, probably using a fan or two. I did put the tubing on as a fun project. Now I need to run a long distance under power to see how hot it gets.

I have also thought of blowing air thru the tubing. have not come up with a way to do it yet.

[marthur]

You could also use a separate electric pump to circulate sea water through the tube. Just a thought....

[hanleyclifford]

When deciding whether to use salt water or anti-freeze, know that at a certain temperature threshold* salt precipitates out of sea water and can form salt crystals resulting in blockage. This is not uncommon with water jacketed exhaust elbows.


*Somehow I remember the temp threshold is ~165° but please don't rely on that figure.

Good point, Neil; and with the great internal surface area here in relation to the flow cross section the problem is huge. Might be better to incorporate the coil into the antifreeze loop at the coolest end before returning to the pump intake. But then the coil becomes in effect an exchanger and it's integrity vital to the system.

[sastanley]

For those of you with tubing (RC), I have two random thoughts...using a similar design to the engine blower we all have and installing another blower in-line, or what about a high-capacity 12v computer fan? They probably don't have the same CFM as the blower (but are probably a lot cheaper), but some forced air is better than none...

[romantic comedy]

Guess I need to post a few pictures. Hard to explain the set up.

I can easily tap onto the anti freeze loop. Getting it back in circulation might be difficult. Or maybe not. I have thought about a separate pump. I could just use it when I need it. I have a huge heat exchanger, so it would not be a heat issue. Dumping the anti freeze back into the heat x might take some doing.