EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance Guideline on running the big Bertha with gasoline

Dear Sir/Madam,
Please does any one have information on running the big Bertha Autoclave with gasoline? I want to know if this has any relationship with the wiring? I will be very glad if I can get help.
I have no issues running the Autoclave with electricity.
Thanks.
Michael

Here is the manual.

See also here for general information:-

1) Data sheet
2) User guide
3) YouTube video

This may also be of interest:-

Water Recovery System

This fine machine looks very similar (aka identical) to the one we used to call the Vernitron* "Portaclave". If I remember rightly it did not need any electrical power at all when having fun with the gasoline (kerosene?) burner. But I could be wrong (as I'm casting back to 1979/80 here).

* Over the years this field autoclave has been made by a variety of American manufacturers:- AMSCO, ETC, FDI et al.

Thank you Sir for this information. I already have the video, manual and machine properly wired for a single phase connection to electricity here and it runs perfectly well but my client requested that I must run it will a gasoline(petrol) which I do not have a clue about.
The manual and YouTube video is silent about running machine with a gasoline or gas and that's where I have a challenge.
Thanks

The gasoline burner gets a (brief) mention at Section 2-6 (and 2-7) of the manual.

It also cites this document (the manual for the burner).

If I were you I would carry the burner to a safe area out of doors, get hold of some petrol, and proceed with caution in order to gain some familiarity with using the burner before trying it out under the autoclave. Best keep a fire extinguisher handy, too.

From memory, it all worked very well. It can also be used for the BBQ.

Thank you very much sir, l ll try it out and give you feedback.

Good Man!

By the way, if I were you I would always use 3-phase power (when and where available). Less current being drawn reduces the risk of fires being started by cables snaking about under tents and what-have-you (assuming that the autoclave is being used in "field" conditions, as it was designed to do).

I seem to remember "ours" (Army Field Hospitals on exercise in Belgium) being powered by a diesel generator set. The Petbow 10 kVA, most likely. Or better still, for 3-phase working (and reliability) the good old Meadows 27½ kVA. Happy Days!

27½ kVA ... a proper generator, that (and it took a Real Man to start it, and then "parallel" it to the one already running)!

Great! I ll adhere to this. Thank you Sir.

Light the blue touch and retire to safe distance....(Geoff, user in Belgium, retire to Denmark !!)

Olen ... were you ever there, Malcolm?

If so, you must remember the legend of the three-handled tankard(s).