# Microturbines: Any available to the hobbyist?



## TX_Dj (Jul 25, 2008)

abudabit,

Yes... check with your favorite RC hobby companies, they all stock (or know where to obtain) various miniature turbines.

Be advised, a turbine consumes upwards of 3x the fuel per kW generated as a typical reciprocating engine running on gas/petrol.


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## 1clue (Jul 21, 2008)

http://wrenturbines.co.uk/
http://www.jetcatusa.com/

Brace yourself. If you're independently wealthy and have stock in some of the more exotic fuel suppliers, then this stuff will seem really neat.

If not, you will STILL think it's really neat, but you will realize that you could buy a whole new car for what the conversion would cost you, and then buy another whole new car for each month you drive it.


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## 1clue (Jul 21, 2008)

Oh yeah, I forgot. The noise is stupendous. It's not so much that it's loud, but picture the dentist's office with the drill, only it's like that when it's 500 feet away.

Not sure if the jets use conventional jet fuel or the stuff the glow fuel engines use. The latter is around $15 a US gallon.

The guy I talked to said a 2L tank of fuel on a single engine Wren jet could run for 10 minutes.


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## 1clue (Jul 21, 2008)

I'm sorry, for some reason I can't leave this topic alone.

Go to YouTube and look for RC jet crashes. There's one where the guy augers in a realistic twin-engine jet and in the background you can hear his wife say, "There goes $20,000!" and she didn't even sound particularly upset.

Maybe in part it's because I grew up dreaming of this sort of engine, thinking that the whole rocket man jet pack would be practical. It's well within the reach of a First Class Citizen, but even if that was me I doubt I'd drop that much cash on it.


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## Tubularfab (Sep 25, 2008)

I have 3 apu gas turbines that range from 30 to 150 horsepower. The 150 horse one has a 30 volt 400 amp starter generator on it and a second matching pro where another could go. I wish it were 72 volts!! I do have thoughts of it going in my first test vehicle. I know a standard diesl would be more efficient but nowhere near as cool!


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## aeroscott (Jan 5, 2008)

you guys need to google microturbines you will find capstone turbines , read it . then go to agile turbines read how first Ford in the 60's built a turbine 18 wheeler that was 40+% eff with re cop and multi stages . then read on about agiles idea of using turbo chargers (cheap) to do the same thing . I was blown away . capstone and agile are working together and put them in hi-bred buses . 50,000 hours to rebuild , no lube oil (air bearings) , 68 decibels , 43% eff. , 10% , 30% , 100% power all at the same rpm with 50 mil sec for power response . capstones single stage re cope unit is 30 kw or 60kw , 23% eff 15000 units in the field


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## aeroscott (Jan 5, 2008)

Tubularfab said:


> I have 3 apu gas turbines that range from 30 to 150 horsepower. The 150 horse one has a 30 volt 400 amp starter generator on it and a second matching pro where another could go. I wish it were 72 volts!! I do have thoughts of it going in my first test vehicle. I know a standard diesl would be more efficient but nowhere near as cool!


I have the small garret 30kw it puts out 3 phase , 400 cps, 200 volts , these generators are interchangeable with the dc ones ( on military stuff ). if re cop heat exchanger could be added , we might have something . even without it would be soooo cool . as to sound it high frequency so should be easier to deaden .I've been told this small one can put out 100 hp ( mill over powers there generators .)


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## abudabit (Sep 18, 2008)

Sorry, might not have been clear. I'm talking about gas turbines which turn a generator. Still, looks like there isn't much out there for what I'm looking for.


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## aeroscott (Jan 5, 2008)

did you read the info on capstone and agile .


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## 1clue (Jul 21, 2008)

abudabit said:


> Sorry, might not have been clear. I'm talking about gas turbines which turn a generator. Still, looks like there isn't much out there for what I'm looking for.




Both of the model airplane jet sites I referenced have a "turboprop" version, which means a mechanical shaft you could gear down to turn a generator.

I seriously doubt that these are what you really want anyway, they are very light and very small but they also cost thousands of dollars.


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## TX_Dj (Jul 25, 2008)

Which is still cheaper than a "real APU"...

either way, whether you're building your own APU from parts or using one salvaged from an aircraft application, the amount of fuel consumed (by volume) is greater than that of a piston engine. However, the variety of fuels the turbine type can run on is greatly more than the piston engine, considering it can run on just about any combustible/flammable fuel, if metered correctly. More or less.

For the most part though, they consume much more fuel, even if that fuel may be cheaper by volume. You of course gain the advantage of reduced vibrations, but also gain the additional noise and cost of maintenance...


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## abudabit (Sep 18, 2008)

Well dang, that sucks. Oh well, it was worth looking in to. 

Supposedly they get 70% efficiency if you are able to use the heat from the exhaust (since it is more easily concentrated than normal motors) but I have no idea how one would do that in a portable manner.

Speaking of circular engines, I wonder if rotaries have a place in the future of hybrids since once they get moving at a steady pace they can be more efficient than pistons.


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## TX_Dj (Jul 25, 2008)

Rotaries are more efficient than reciprocating engines, but they all have the same weakness. The apex seals. As they wear, the emissions of the engine go up, and the efficiency and power and fuel economy go down.

I wish someone could come up with a better design, because the wankel has always been a favorite of mine... lots of power-to-weight from a tiny lightweight engine.


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