JET Powered Lawnmower - Accidental Fire!
During this engine test of Steve's Jet Lawnmower, we had a bit of a catastrophe....
This sit-on Lawnmower has a home-made gas turbine, or jet engine under the seat. made form a lorry turbocharger, and home built combustion chamber. We don't claim to have built it, as Steve bought it off eBay. (This is in the UK)
I'd invited my old man over to see the engine run, as he's also an Engineer by trade and would find it interesting, he'd never been to see it before, so perhaps that may have been a bad omen to begin with! He was videographer for the engine run.
Disaster.....
During the engine run, one of the afterburner fuel hoses had melted due to the heat produced at the back end. This, we didn't know at the time.. so when we came to switch on the Afterburner, or Reheat fuel, the petrol / diesel mix squirted over the outside of the jet pipe with disastrous consequences. Good job it didn't explode!
So once the Lawnmower had turned it'self into a bonfire, we had the challenge of putting it out! As the fuel pumps were still running and pumping fuel into the fire, there was no way of putting it out with water / extinguisher!! It was rescued by pulling the battery lead off, and the fire brigade wasn't called! Never the less, it's made an interesting video:
Cheers, Scott.