Anybody know where to get a small steam turbine? - Page 15

 

(snip)


Correct on both accounts. Mostly logging as the track were slapped down with
the knowledge that it was only needed until the trees were gone. Mine tracks
tended to last a little longer, but the geared locos still had a good torque
advantage and many made a living dragging ore.


Tight radius, uneven track, good lugging power... all reasons to go with
gears.


How 'bout that Big Boy? Did you get to take the shop tour?


Haven't been there yet. It's on "the list" tho.


There's not a lot there. We first went there looking for a nonexistant
Sheetz convenience store, and when I get down that way I like to grab some
stuff from the Tractor Supply store (mostly for the novelty of having a tax
exempt account in a store 100+ miles from my home). On one of those
occasions I happened upon a historical plaque outside of what was the Climax
factory. A little internet searching led me to the Historical Society Museum
and its locomotive. I bought a book from them describing all the things that
used to be made in Corry, but now it seems to be the same chain stores and
nondescript warehouses as most any other town.
I don't mean to insult them by any means as it's a nice little town to swing
thru if you're nearby, but outside of the museum it's not much of a
destination. They do have one business tho (not even sure what they do)
called Fudpucker Enterprises. Yup, Fudpucker. Hours of enjoyment with a
couple of teenage boys along. :-)
Oh, hey, someone made a web page...
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1245796.aspx

Also on Rt. 6 near Brookland, PA (center east-west about 10 miles below the
NY border) the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum has a 70 ton Shay tucked in one of
their outbuildings.
http://www.lumbermuseum.org/   Once again tho a great museum in the middle of
nowhere. I rampaged thru it quickly a few years ago (had to get back to
work) but I need to get back there and give it a decent browse.

And I'm still looking for the elusive Heisler.

Regardless, happy travels!

LG
--
"The United States is like a giant boiler. When the fire is finally lighted
under it, there is no limit to the power it can generate." - Winston
Churchill

  On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 08:05:22 +0000, Tim Jackson


Back in my college days I worked as a machinist on work scholarship in
the MechE department.  One of the profs converted a Harly crankcase
and cylinder assembly into a steam engine.  I did some of his machine
work.  Regarding water in oil, that is exactly what he did.  Not
heating the oil, simply insulating the crankcase so that it quickly
heated up to the steam temperature.

I don't recall the numbers (no interest at the time - just a job) but
I do recall that he got prodigious amounts of power, several hundred
HP, out of the thing running in fairly high pressure steam, tapped
from the university's power plant boiler.

John

 
Re lubrication in steam engines.  You have to understand the
difference between "wet" and "dry"steam.   Wet steam is at the same
temperature as the  water it came from. Hence the moment there is any
heat loss from it condensation occurs.  This condensation can damage a
steam engine though it may have some lubricating effect.   Dry steam
has no condensation in it.
Ideally steam from a boiler shoould be "dry wet" steam which sounds
mad but just means it is dry steam with no liquid water in it. The
moment it looses some heat condensate appears and the steam is no
longer dry.  There is a whole technology  exists to overcome this
problem.

To overcome this problem the steam is usually superheated, ie extra
heat is added to the steam  after it has come from the boiler.
Virtually all advanced steam engines/turbines need superheated stem.
Oil is injected into the steam to lubricate cylinders in a steam
engine (but not for turbines)  If the steam is exhausted to
atmosphere, this is not s problem. If it is condensed and recovered
then it is a major problem as boilers don't like oil in them, the oil
has to be removed which can be a problem.

 
one or more of the above wrote:

http://www.southernsteamtrains.com/notes/steam%20oil.htm

 

   I know it as "dry saturated steam"

   The steam dryers in my background rapidly change the direction of the
steam.  Being denser, the water droplets tend to take a slightly different
path, and so can be separated.


   Unless there has been some change in recent technology, naval nuclear
reactor plants all use saturated steam (no superheat).  Neon John can tell
us about commercial nuke plants, but I believe they operate on the same
principle.

   Superheating steam does more than just protect equipment from the effects
of water droplets, it can greatly increase the efficiency of a steam plant.

Vaughn.