I had a similar setup many years ago.
I had a drip feed diesel cabin heater in my living quarters. The heater was
mounted on a piece of 3/4" plywood with a sheet metal baffle with air spaces to
stop radiated heat to the plywood.
The fuel supply consisted of two former lube oil containers on the same
bulkhead which I filled with diesel oil with an electric pump to fill the
reservoirs from the main fuel tanks. The containers were about a liter and a
half and situated on the plywood a couple of inches above the needle valve on
each side of the exhaust stack with sheet metal baffles between the stack and
the reservoirs.
The metering valve consisted of a needle valve and sight glass to view the
dripping fuel oil. One would adjust the drip with the needle valve to adjust
the fire.
The first problem was that the valve was sandwiched between the fire box and
the outer shield or cabinet. The heat of the fire warmed the valve and fuel
inside it thinning the fuel so it dripped faster as the heater got hotter.
China Syndrome resulted. When the burning chamber began glowing bright red I
shut it down and moved the valve to about an inch or so outside the cabinet.
This helped a lot but it still had a tendency to avalanche hotter. I thought
perhaps heat was rising up the 1/4" copper tube between the valve/sight glass
so I put an "S" curve in that pipe.
This worked well and my wife used the heater successfully for one cold winter
in Charleston SC when I was at sea. We only used it that year because we moved
south to Florida shortly thereafter.
In your case I suggest you look into a float valve system. When I lived in a
mobile home the heater was a pot type oil heater. The oil was stored in a tank
outside up on a stand and gravity fed a float valve chamber much like in a
car's carburetor. The float valve system insured a constant, steady, flow to
the fire chamber. Accidental overflow went out an overflow pipe to outside.
There was a control to increase or decrease flow to the fire chamber under
thermostat control. There was a thermo switch on the fire chamber that would
shut off all oil flow if the chamber overheated. You might be able to get
these parts at a mobile home supply company.
On your setup you could use your jerry cans to fill a "day tank" via siphon or
pouring into a funnel. The day tank would have a feed line (with valve and
filter) from it's bottom to the float chamber.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
Norm
S/V Bandersnatch
Lying Washington DC
----- Original Message -----
From: caleb crosby
To: [email protected]
Sent: 10/18/2007 1:53:37 PM
Subject: [Liveaboard] gravity feed from a jerry can
Hello,
Cold's coming. I'm wintering aboard my 27 Bristol
in Belfast Maine this year. Last year I installed a
Dickinson heater and used a Nauta flexible tank in the
chain locker/forepeak. It worked, but I was glad to tear it out and
say good bye.
I'm trying to make a 5 gallon jerry can gravity feed the stove with a primer
bulb
but it won't maintain a steady flow rate no matter how I tweak the vent cap.
I'd like to make the jerry can work because I'll be hauling my diesel
and with two cans I can just switch them out and keep things simple. Also the
jerry can on the roof
near the stove pipe may keep the fuel warmer. last year in Portland on the
coldest nights
the diesel flowed poorly and when you most needed the heat - you got the least.
50% whack with kero
helped but not enough.
Brrr.
I saw one link on a military jerry can with a spout that _might_ work.
http://www.davidsonproducts.com/gastransit.htm
Anyone have any suggestions for a getting gravity flow out of a jerry can?
Or can anyone suggest a DIY approach to making a tank affordably.
Many thanks-
caleb crosby
B27
Belfast Hbr.
Maine
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