Belliss & Morcom Steam Generator

This video is about Belliss & Morcom Steam Generator.
The video was taken using an iPhone 6s plus at the Queensland steam and Vintage Machinery Society, here we see Shane operate the generator upto 350 RPM.

[@vincentrobinette1507]

16 pole = 375 RPM for 50 Hz, or 450 RPM for 60 Hz...Awfully fast for a machine that size! It looks very well balanced, very little vibration. With that precision balance, it should be reliable at those speeds. It's very quiet. No loud "clanking" sounds, very tight clearances. It was obviously built, to be able to run fast enough to get those AC frequencies out of a 16 pole synchronous alternator.

[@MenzelMotors]

nice color, greetings from Berlin from the people who make large industrial electric motors

[@citroenfil]

Would be good to see it producing power and under load.

[@65bug519]

That is a very modern steam generator, it looks and sounds like the Fairbanks Morse 2 stroke diesels that replaced it.

[@holsetcummins]

Very beautiful and classic video.

[@LaLaLand.Germany]

Can this genny still make power? I imagine it taking an awful lot of steam, was there a condenser originally? Fine engine, though. I hope it can stay a museums piece, with times becoming worse it might be nice to have this still around.

[@steamtrainmark]

If it was wired up, yes it could still make power.

[@EmmaRitson]

thanks for another great video.

[@joytsutsui]

May I ask about Belliss & Morcom steam generator. It like a legend of generator and keep in museum. Where can we find used steam generator for sale.

[@philnewcomers9170]

Preston steam services

[@danielbedrossian5986]

I am curious, how these old generators could work together providing AC power in even a smaller grid. I litterally can hear the steam engin speed up and slow down, and so I don't know how multiple generators can stay sincronised.

[@steamtrainmark]

I believe this unit was DC, I will have to check when I am at the club next.

[@fromgermany271]

@@steamtrainmark The drawing say 437 *KVA* That’s an AC power rating. It also says „Alternator“.

[@fromgermany271]

How they stay synchronized? Via the wires! I remember an experiment in a science museum, where 2 small synchronous 3-phase motors with permanent field magnets (just to avoid exciter power need) where connected by wire. You could not stop the one if the other was rotated by someone else (strong enough). Once you synched them, these generators will only loose that synchronization, if you massively overwhelmed the system.

[@danielbedrossian5986]

@@fromgermany271 , and two barely self regulating steam motor are already good enough for the said two generators? I mean yeah, somehow the early powergrids could stand up and work, but I am still kinda surprised.

[@Kevin75668]

Generator sets like this were primarily meant to provide power to factories and mills that either didn't have access to sufficient grid power, or could produce it less expensively themselves, often by burning waste material in their boilers.

[@barrywhitley2535]

Nice machine.

[@luckygen1001]

I took a lot videos of this engine on the same day, that's when they had the power failure and all the rain.

[@steamtrainmark]

luckygen1001 thanks mate, you do some great videos and need to watch a few more.

[@luckygen1001]

If you are interested I have videos about the stationary steam engines I have designed and built.

[@steamtrainmark]

Yes I shaw would, we will be steaming again this Sunday and the following Sunday.

[@luckygen1001]

Have a look at this video I made, "55 Amp Leece-Neville Alternator modified to generate 240 volts" it is a direct copy of a belliss & morcom using a car alternator and a motor from a laser printer.

[@TheVasan693]

@@luckygen1001 I also.

[@philnewcomers9170]

you did not show it being put on the board ie being conecected to the mains

[@steamtrainmark]

It has never been connected to mains unfortunately.

[@yanikivanov]

This is great..... looks powerful. 150 kw?

[@getwellgetfitgetlaid3514]

437kVA, translates to 437 kilowatts RMS. And the steam engines was 500 kilowatts.

[@angie2268]

Not Good for the generator to allow the wet exhaust steam to be drawn through it .

[@justin8894]

Used the wrong version of “there/their”

[@NGHmusic]

You forgot a period.