UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPUR

MALAYSIAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY (MITEC)

JQB10503 / WELDING AND METAL FABRICATION

Assignment

GROUP ASSIGNMENT

Title

POP-POP BOAT
14 MARCH 2015

Due date

Prepared by

NUR SUFIA AZWA BINTI ABDUL

MALEK ZAHAMAT

For Lecturer used only

Received date: .
TOTAL
MARKS

Student ID #

57213114049

1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid
by using boiling water to produce mechanical motion. A boiler is defined as a closed vessel in
which water or other liquid is heated, steam or vapor is generated, steam is superheated or
vacuum for use external to itself by the direct application of energy from the combustion of fuels
from electricity or nuclear energy.
Also included are fired units for heating or vaporizing liquids other than water where these units
are separate from processing systems and are complete within themselves.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

1. Heating the water
The water and air in the boiler expand and push a small amount of water out the exhaust tubes.
Since the amount of water expelled is small, and the speed is near zero, we ignore the change in
momentum of the boat. The internal and external pressure remains about equal.
2. Production of steam
As the temperature increases, the water begins to boil and the pressure increases rapidly. Because
the exhaust tubes are narrow, the water cannot flow very fast and the increased pressure causes
the water to become superheated. Before it boils, water molecules move between the liquid and
gas phase only at the surface. At the boiling point, water also enters the gas phase near the heat
source. As a result, many more molecules enter the gas phase and the pressure suddenly
increases.
3. Super heating the boiler
After the boiler is empty, the temperature quickly goes way over the boiling point of water. As a
result, when cool water enters the boiler, it quickly boils. If too much water enters the boiler, it
will take a longer time for it to boil and performance will be poor.

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION

1. Priming. Two pipes run from the heated chamber (boiler) to exit at the back of the boat.
Why two? The system must be primed before the heat is applied, by putting water into an
exit tube. It will go in only if air can come out. That the second pipe serves no other
purpose was shown by plugging it after the system was primed and running. The pulsing
went on.
2. Temperature of the pipes. After running a minute the heater tray was removed quickly
and the pipes were felt with a finger. They were cool up to where they started to bend
upward, then too hot for the finger. That showed that live steam may get into the bend but
not further.

2.0 LITERATURE
2.1 DEFINITION OF THE POP - POP BOAT
A pop-pop boat is a toy with a very simple steam engine without moving parts, typically
powered by a candle or vegetable oil burner. The name comes from the noise some versions of
the boats make. Other names are putt-putt boat, crazy boat, flash-steamer, hot-air-boat, pulsating
water engine boat. Around the world they may be called Can-Can-boot, Knatterboot, toc-toc,
Puf-Puf boat, Poof Poof craft, Phut-Phut, or Pouet-Pouet.
Pop-pop boats are powered by a simple boiler consisting of a thin coiled tube of copper. The
tube's ends extend out the back of the boat into the water. The coils in the middle of the tube
extend over a small flame, which heats the water in the coils. When the water boils, the steam
jets out the back, propelling the boat forward. It's that simple.
A slightly more sophisticated version substitutes a little shallow chamber with a flexible
diaphragm for the coil. The flexing of the diaphragm gives a little more impulse to the escaping
steam, as well as making a louder pop.

2.2 HISTORY OF POP-POP BOAT

CreditforthefirstpoppopboatisusuallygiventoaFrenchmannamedThomasPiot.In1891,
PiotfiledapatentapplicationintheUKforasimplepoppopboatusingasmallboilerandtwo
exhausttubes.A1975articlebyBasilHarleymentionsasimilarboatseeninaFrenchjournal
from1880,indicatingthatthistypeoftoymayhaveexistedformanyyearspriortoPiot'spatent.
In1915,anAmericannamedCharlesJ.McHughfiledapatentapplicationforthediaphragm
typeofengine,whichwasanimprovementtoPiot'sdesign.In1920,WilliamPurcellfileda
patentforthecoiledtubetypeofengine.Thistypeofenginehasbeenverycommonoverthe
yearsinhomemadepoppopboats,duetoitssimplicityofconstruction.TheCubScoutbook
(publishedbytheBoyScoutsofAmerica)containedaprojectcalleda"JetBoat"formanyyears.
ThisprojectusedacoiltypeofenginebasedonPurcell'sdesignwhichwasplacedinawooden
hull.Manycommercialpoppopboatshavealsousedthistypeofengine,duetoitslowcost.

McHughfiledforanotherpatentin1926.Thiswasagainadiaphragmenginedesign,refinedso
that it could be more easily fabricated commercially.In 1934, Paul Jones filed a patent for
anotherdiaphragmdesignwhichcouldbeproducedindustriallyfromsimplestampedparts.
Manypoppopboatsproducedinthe1920shadasingleexhaustpipe.Designsusingtwoexhaust
pipesareeasiertofill,andhavebeenmuchmorecommonovertheyears.
Poppopboatswerepopularformanyyears,especiallyinthe1940sand1950s.Poppopboats
declinedinpopularityalongwithothertintoysinthelatterhalfofthe20thcenturyasplastic
toystookovermuchofthemarket.Whiletheyarenolongerproducedinsuchlargenumbers,
poppopboatscontinuetobeproduced.Thesetoyshavecomeinmanyvarietiesovertheyears.
Somehavebeenverysimpleandinexpensive,whileothershavebeenmuchmoreornateand
artistic.Aswithmanytoys,poppopboatsareoftensoughtbycollectors,andthepricespaidvary
dependingonrarityanddesign.
Thepoppopboatfeaturedprominentlyinthe2008JapaneseanimatedfantasyfilmPonyo.Toy
boatswithadiaphragmtypeengine,liketheoneshowninthefilm,wereproducedandsoldasa
tieinwhenthemoviewasreleased.

REFERENCE
http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/pop-pop/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_pop_boat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_engine