I have been turning over an idea that (I think) might make this vacuum automixer even more useful. The idea is to create a slight bias, to make the mixture either slightly rich or leaner from inside the vehicle cabin. To learn a little about muscle wire see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8eHD_lBpHM
Hi, Rindert!
9.1.2018
The muscle wire is an interesting “tool” for many applications.
But, in this system it is ill-placed; the membrane has nothing to do with with gas-dispensing!
The membrane’s role is ONLY to deliver an airflow at the same pressure as the momentary pressure in the arriving gasline!
It’s role is to help equalizing dynamical gas-pillar changes at a relative low difference level.
Gas/air dispensing happens mostly at high vacuum levels with precision tracking flaps. They have to respond fast and correctly with equal qualifications.
A membrane chamber has not the properties for dispensing at the highly variating vacuums the dispensing flaps have to handle.
It has been said before, hopefully adopted this time.
I did it again. Gutted a pair of old brake chambers. Machined a rod bushing, threaded in another bung on the air side, made a slide rod and a diaphragm from 6mil plastic. Works well and will be on the shelf for future projects.
That is a OLD brake chamber, what was that off of??
1940-1950’s oil tanker that was used in the movie Maximum Overdrive here in Greensboro NC. The wrecked trailer sits in our “boneyard” at the plant site I work at.
Now, I’m not mad, but…uh… There are fans of that movie that would pay a pretty penny for a piece of that history…
Get a certificate of authencity for a movie prop for it. And you MAY be able to sell it for a lot more then scrap. Then you can probably buy a non-movie one and tractor to pull it with, and you will have yourself the worlds biggest fully portable system. The only thing dragging the price down is the size, a lot of those movie colllectors like smaller shelf type of stuff.
Ohh I know. I’m a huge fan as well. But with it being the city, they are scrapping all of what’s left in that field for facility development. I’ve told the fan group and forums years ago. Even tried to have the city set up an auction for it just to save something. They claim it’s a liability to do anything but have a company to remove the 4 acres of industrial scrap including this trailer. That’s how I was able to build my large Ben Peterson style gasifier out of stainless air supply tubing. I’m getting everything I can get in this short opportunity before it’s gone to waste. But I completely agree with you on that trailer. I’ve talked till I was blue and pleaded with them with just blank stares back at me. So I’ll find out the third party contractor that will remove it and tell them they could make some money selling it to a collector rather than scrap it. That’s how I saved one of our large Fairbanks Morse opposed cylinder engines that the city sold for junk. Told the contractor and they sold it to our local antique engine and steam museum for a running display.
It is most definitely a liability to open to the general public especially since it is industrial and the general public will most likely have to cut up stuff to move it. Sign a waiver and start hauling stuff out. I would be looking for crap to make like a rebak chunker among other things.
Not to stray away from the thread topic. But I do have an eye on a hefty gearbox to make a indestructible chunker. But we will see. Got to definitely build a trailer just for it while I’m at it.
Getting close. Only thing left is to cut the actuator shaft to size and make a joint to connect it to the throttle body. Then mount on the truck for a test.
Your mixer is a fine piece of work Kyle. Something of actual value rather than some movie memorabilia piece of crap sitting in a junk yard.
Haha thanks Tom! I over think alot of stuff but all I have is time so why not. Definitely couldn’t afford something like this or anything else I’ve made for this Gasifier. (Good luck buying these off the shelf) I’m hopeful that it will work well so I can improve the countless other things that this unit needs which will be never ending. Looking forward to that other 70% of operator experience in this old truck.
Still thinking about adding one to the GMC, I saw a cheap Jeep 4WD vacuum actuator to see how long the stroke is.
It uses differential pressure, has a port on either end of the diaphragm.
I’m assuming you don’t necessarily need that long of a stroke if the automixer is just there for fine tuning, and have a manual mixer for gross measurements.
My vacuum canister that Chris built doesn’t move very much when in service. I put my live video camera on it and was very surprised at how little the 1 7/8" valve actually moves when in operation of mixing the 1: 1 : 1 ratio of air to wood gas. I am sure it will work fine.
Okay so this actuator may be useful I think. Stroke is 9.1mm lock to lock. The diaphragm housing is 3.5 inches or 89mm in diameter. Most notably I can move it with my breath. All I would have to do is fashion a piece to go on the end, and a collar fitting to mount the actuator.
I’m thinking, weld a bolt on the end and have a reverse pitch threaded clevis and adjusting sleeve like on a tie rod.
Clamp some vise grimps to the rod so when welding the heat will not go into the diaphragm and melt it.
I would try to thread the shaft.
[quote=“Cody Edison Tate, post:285, topic:1778, username:ForbiddenTuna”]
Hi Cody
can you give us the link where to find this awesome little thing?
Thierry
Cody,
Much heat would ruin it. Use a setscrew collar or JB Weld, or something.
Just my opinion.