Chris's Worthington Brewery Pump

[crueby]

Congratulations on the pump test squirtage! Good luck with the leak detection and fixes.

Thanks Jeff!

I made up a connection to the compressor and a plug for the other hose, that showed me where the main leaks were without having to dodge water streams! I've taken off the pump cylinder end caps, as well as the top cover and force chamber. Each had a spot with a small bur or divot around fastener holes and such, preventing the fiber type gasket from sealing well. So, remade them in some thin (0.030") viton sheet that has more compliance to it, and am getting them installed. Also taking the opportunity to make long studs for holding the forve chamber assembly onto the cover plate, I had some hex head screws there but they with the slightly thicker gaskets that takes up another couple threads, and the screws were just not long enough for me to be happy with them, plus I think the studs will look better.  I'll get all that reassembled and do another air test.

[crueby]

Evening update: the easy fixes are done (new gaskets, etc) and tested on air. The big remaining leak is where  the pump shell bolts to the center section, and fixing that will require changing how they bolt together, sorta. Same holes, but will first bolt the crosswise plate across the two sides of the pump shell with a gasket between them, then bolt that to the center section. I had been trying to have one set of screws do both jobs, and its just too hard to get at the ones down inside the center section to get them properly tight to compress the gasket. So, tomorrow I will countersink a few of them into the plate so I can tighten them down securely and still have their screw heads clear the center section. I know, hard to tell what the swarf I'm talking about, but its a simple fix, just requires doing a quick countersink on three holes per side. Enough fiddling for today, thats a task for tomorrow before heading off to the pool with the submarine for this months submarine gathering.

[Roger B]

That is a fine colour blue 

Glad you have got it pumping and look forward to the video   

[crueby]

Almost there...  Not a lot of time to play in the shop today, prepping for our sub run this afternoon, but I did get most of the leaks sorted out. Down to the last minor seeps, one just needed a little goop to fix a tiny opening where two panels come together at the top of the pump shell, that is in and drying now. The other is on the panel between the shell and the center section - thought I had that fixed this morning but there is a small depression in the back panel of the shell made by sanding off the screw heads after soldering it up.      I need to take off the center section again (just a handful of screws) and patch that spot up. Maybe this evening, definitely tomorrow morning!


This reminds me a lot of chasing pinhole leaks when silver soldering up boilers - lots of parts that came together to form the shell of the pump housing just like a built up boiler. No torch and more solder to fix though!  Same in that its tested with pressure and chasing air bubbles. But, since this housing and all the covers are under near constant pressure from the water during pumping, every little leak has to be fixed or there will be a tiny squirtgun out the leak.


  

[crueby]

Got the last of the water leaks fixed, tested with the pump section pressurized with compressed air, and set it up to pump water again.
and... ITS ALIVE!!!       Here is a video of it pumping water out of and back into the barrel, compressor output set to 60 psi but with a needle valve inline to control the speed. Partway through I open it up more, then shut it down. No leaks, excellent flow! Took a few extra days but it was worth it!
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9yztX0PV3o" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9yztX0PV3o</a>
Then switched over to pumping a full barrel (1.5 liters) into a graduated pitcher and timed it to see what kind of flow rate its producing. It took just 30 seconds to empty the barrel!

Third test was to put on the fire nozzle to see how that works - it currently has a 0.090" opening at the tip, and puts out a much faster stream. It took about 6 or 8 seconds longer to pump the same amount of water.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6BTnRbcG1s" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6BTnRbcG1s</a>
After that, I just HAD to see what kind of distance I would get.     So I took the smaller portable compressor and the model outside and set up in the driveway. Same pressure, 60 psi, no needle valve, and the fire nozzle. Ran a barrel of water through with that, and it shot a full THIRTY feet! Stayed as a solid stream most of the way, broke up into drops in the last couple feet. Not bad! The shop elves are outside now blasting the squirrels and sparrows...      And each other...   

Needless to say, QUITE pleased with how it has come out. Right now, going to get some lunch, then do a little touch up painting on some of the corners where paint got scraped off during all the disassembly/re-assembly sessions the last couple days while working on the seals. In the meantime, a couple pictures as is:

[PaulR]

Wow, that's some serious pumpage! Another fantastic engine very well done. 

[cnr6400]

  Looks and runs great Chris! You probably have some seriously wet shop elves and yard wildlife after the outdoor nozzle testing! 

The pump has a very respectable flow capacity too.
BTW I'd like to volunteer to be a test pilot once you get the pump connected up to a 1000 gallon tank of beer, and the transcontinental pipeline run....

[crueby]

Looks and runs great Chris! You probably have some seriously wet shop elves and yard wildlife after the outdoor nozzle testing! 

The pump has a very respectable flow capacity too.
BTW I'd like to volunteer to be a test pilot once you get the pump connected up to a 1000 gallon tank of beer, and the transcontinental pipeline run....

Deal! Though I take over once the pipeline team gets all the saltwater leaks fixed...  Ack! Ptui!  Pfffftttt!   

[Kim]

That's wonderful, Chris! 

The flow looks amazing - and so consistent and even.  Beautiful work on the model. And congratulations on your working brewery pump!

Kim

[crueby]

That's wonderful, Chris! 

The flow looks amazing - and so consistent and even.  Beautiful work on the model. And congratulations on your working brewery pump!

Kim

Thanks  Kim!  So much better than the other day when half the water came out in all the wrong places! Its pumping a lot more water than I  had expected.

[Krypto]

Wow, that thing really pumps the beer! 

Surprising how much liquid it pumps even at a slow speed.  Great linkage action while the pump is running.

[crueby]

Wow, that thing really pumps the beer! 

Surprising how much liquid it pumps even at a slow speed.  Great linkage action while the pump is running.

I must have miscalculated when I estimated a pint a minute early on, its more like .8 of a gallon.  The plungers in the pump section are 3/4" diameter, so a lot!

[crueby]

I realized that I forgot to get the brewery name on the side of the mash tun!   
I had a number of these made up back when I made the Mann Steam Wagon, vinyl letters with a self adhesive backing on them.

And got the paint touched up...

[Michael S.]

The pump has a fantastic sip capacity. The flow rate could easily fill the beer mugs in the Oktoberfest tent.
Well done 👍

Michael  🍻

[Admiral_dk]

I'm impressed with the pumping capacity 

And it looks very good too 

Per