Nick, you sure have an interesting project there...can't wait to see what emerges as you fix it up.
Rog
The thought has occurred to me Nick, that you may be in possession of the only flame fired Jensen 50 on this planet, or any other!
Certainly you have a one of a kind there, and it is impressive!!!
That's a neat thought however there were no flame fired 50's that left the factory that way.
A previous owner built the tall firebox and lengthened the steam and water lines to accomodate.
As you can see, this boiler had a pair of ceramic cartridge insert heaters as did all #50's from the 30's through the early to mid 1960's.
This takes nothing away from the fact that it is a wonderful piece and I believe that generator is the only known example of a free standing DC generator.
The only other flame fired #50 boiler I have seen was heavily modified by Randy Calhoun for marine use. He took a riveted #50 boiler and cut the appropriate holes to solder in a horizontal fire tube to utilize a torch heater in his boat that has a Jensen #80 for her engine. That boiler is also sheathed and insulated.
Gil
Very cool find, Nick! Can’t wait to see it up and running.
Fantastic addition Nick, congrats !!!
When will you release a pic of the whole board, i´m quite curious
The standard #15 AC "alternator" we all know runs with a simple solid slipring for the brush (second "brush" on some cast iron versions is the bearingpost itself, and the shaft acting as the second solid slipring), allowing the current to switch direction according to the magnetism induced, whereas a DC generator needs a split ring commutator, to keep a fixed positive and negative.
(Attachment Link)
If you look at the picture of Jack Boyle´s generator shared above by Nick, you can see that it has two "rings" for the brushes, one in each end of the shaft, making it possible to draw both AC and DC from the same permanent magnet.
Did that make any sense?
I do however wonder about Nicks new acquisition...
My eyes could be deceiving me, but it appears that it has just one commutator, and that looks like a split ring type, which would make this a pure DC generator.
Perhaps that would make this one even rarer than the "ordinary" dual output Jensen 15D?
Jan, thanks for the detailed explanation...now you have me wondering if I could modify a standard, modern Jensen 15 so that it produced both AC and DC... "should" be possible!
Rog
While I was pretty certain that no flame fired Jensen #50's ever left the "factory" in that configuration, I'm also pretty certain that few if any ever got converted to flame firing by their owners along the way. But this engine proves me wrong on that second count, yet I think it likely that very few, if any others, underwent this "treatment". Boilers perhaps, for other engines and applications, but whole plants including engines and generators, somehow seems unlikely what with the availability of replacement heating elements. Personally, I suspect that this was built this way out of parts, and not from an original and complete #50, so it is still possible that this came out of the Jensen "factory's" back door, so to speak, but that of course is just conjecture.
Now if you are really interested in keeping this unique unit in its current operational configuration, which I'd be tempted to do myself, you might do well to consider converting to a SPS propane burner, instead of that Stuart 504 style meths burner, as I think you'll get a lot more heat that way, which could well be advantageous with that big tank. On the other-hand, if you do wish to return it to a more stock configuration, I would also recommend that you contact SPS, as recent threads have shown him to be a master of Jensen firebox construction, so perhaps if you ask really nicely, and offer up the right incentives .... but please excuse my presumption that such a task might even be considered, though I suspect instructions on the process would be freely forthcoming!
Whatever you decide to do, that is still one amazing find ... generator and all !!!
I am just catching up after my Alaska adventure.
Congratulations Nick!
This is an incredible find.
And if you had continued to drive South a few more hours you would have arrived at my house. 🤠
Looking forward to seeing a video soon.
Cheers,
Charlie
Definitely worth the drive Nick, love to have one of those awesome find. Any idea what years they were produced?
I'm late to this party.....Nick...what a find!
I am just catching up after my Alaska adventure.
Congratulations Nick!
This is an incredible find.
And if you had continued to drive South a few more hours you would have arrived at my house. 🤠
Looking forward to seeing a video soon.
Cheers,
Charlie
I had thought of that Charlie, but it was a last minute un-planned trip, leaving at noon and had to be home for my wife's doctor appointment for the baby at 10 am the following morning
An excellent and interesting find Nick. Well worth the marathon road trip!
A very neat acquisition Nick, well worth the drive i'm sure!