Scientific American Supplement, No. 455, September 20, 1884 — John Shaqi
Scientific American Supplement, No. 455, September 20, 1884Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 455, September 20, 1884
Various
Science -- Periodicals
_Locomotives._--In arranging a locomotive for burning petroleum, several
details are required to be added in order to render the application
convenient. In the first place, for getting up steam to begin with, a gas
pipe of 1 inch internal diameter is fixed along the outside of the boiler,
and at about the middle of its length it is fitted with a three-way cock
having a screw nipple and cap. The front end of the longitudinal pipe is
connected to the blower in the chimney, and the back end is attached to
the spray injector. Then by connecting to the nipple a pipe from a
shunting locomotive under steam, the spray jet is immediately started by
the borrowed steam, by which at the same time a draught is also maintained
in the chimney. In a fully equipped engine shed the borrowed steam would
be obtained from a fixed boiler conveniently placed and specially arranged
for the purpose of raising steam. In practice steam can be raised from
cold water to 3 atm. pressure--45 lb. per square inch--in twenty minutes.
The use of auxiliary steam is then dispensed with, and the spray jet is
worked by steam from its own boiler; a pressure of 8 atm.--120 lb.--is
thus obtained in fifty to fifty-five minutes from the time the spray jet
was first started. In daily practice, when it is only necessary to raise
steam in boilers already full of hot water, the full pressure of 7 to 8
atm. is obtained in from twenty to twenty-five minutes. While
experimenting with liquid fuel for locomotives, a separate tank was placed
on the tender for carrying the petroleum, having a capacity of about 3
tons. But to have a separate tank on the tender, even though fixed in
place, would be a source of danger from the possibility of its moving
forward in case of collision. It was therefore decided, as soon as
petroleum firing was permanently introduced, to place the tank for fuel in
the tender between the two side compartments of the water tank, utilizing
the original coal space. For a six-wheeled locomotive the capacity of the
tank is 3-1/2 tons of oil--a quantity sufficient for 250 miles, with a
train of 480 tons gross exclusive of engine and tender. In charging the
tender tank with petroleum, it is of great importance to have strainers of
wire cloth in the manhole of two different meshes, the outer one having
openings, say, of 1/4 in., the inner, say 1/8 in.; these strainers are
occasionally taken out and cleaned. If care be taken to prevent any solid
particles from entering with the petroleum, no fouling of the spray
injector is likely to occur; and even if an obstruction should arise, the
obstacle being of small size can easily be blown through by screwing back
the steam cone in the spray injector far enough to let the solid particles
pass and be blown out into the fire-box by the steam. This expedient is
easily resorted to even when running; and no more inconvenience arises
than an extra puff of dense smoke for a moment, in consequence of the
sudden admission of too much fuel.
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