Motors Part 3

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 9. Horizontal Section of Tube._]

Steam enters the vertical stem by means of a pipe, and as it rushes up and out through the lateral tubes D, it strikes the angles E at the discharge ends, so that an impulse is given which drives the ends of the tube in opposite directions. As the fluid emerges from the ends of the tubes, it expands, and on contacting with the air, the latter, to a certain extent, resists the expansion, and this reacts on the tube.

Thus, both forces, namely, impact and reaction, serve to give a turning motion to the turbine.

The Reciprocating Engine.--The invention of this type of engine is wrapped in mystery. It has been attributed to several. The English maintain that it was the invention of the Marquis of Worcester, who published an account of such an engine about 1650. The French claim is that Papin discovered and applied the principle before the year 1680.

In fact, the first actual working steam engine was invented and constructed by an Englishman, Captain Savery, who obtained a patent for it in 1698. This engine was so constructed as to raise water by the expansion and condensation of steam, and most engines of early times were devoted solely to the task of raising water, or were employed in mines.

Atmospheric Engines.--When we examine them it is difficult to see how we can designate them as steam engines. The steam did not do the actual work, but a vacuum was depended on for the energy developed by the atmospheric pressure.

A diagram is given, Fig. 10, showing how engines of this character were made and operated. A working beam A was mounted on a standard B, and one end had a chain C on which was placed heavy weights D. Near this end was also attached the upper end of a rod E, which extended down to a pump.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 10. Steam-Atmospheric Engine.]

The other end of the working beam had a chain F, which supported a piston G working within a vertically-disposed cylinder H. This cylinder was located directly above a boiler I, and a pipe J, with a valve therein, was designed to supply steam to the lower end of the cylinder.

A water tank K was also mounted at a point above the cylinder, and this was supplied with water from the pump through a pipe L. Another pipe M from the tank conducted water from the tank to the bottom of the cylinder.

The operation of the mechanism was as follows: The steam c.o.c.k N, in the short pipe J, was opened to admit steam to the cylinder, below the piston. The stem of the steam c.o.c.k also turned the c.o.c.k in the water pipe M, so that during the time the steam was admitted the water was shut off.

When the steam was admitted so that it filled the s.p.a.ce below the piston, the c.o.c.k N was turned to shut off the steam, and in shutting off the steam, water was also admitted. The injection of water at once condensed the steam within the cylinder so a partial vacuum was formed.

It will be remembered that as steam expanded 1700 times, the condensation back into water made a very rarified area within the cylinder, and the result was that the piston was drawn down, thus raising both the weight D and also the pump rod E. This operation was repeated over and over, so long as the c.o.c.k N was turned.

The turning of the stem of this c.o.c.k was performed manually,--that is, it had to be done by hand, and boys were usually employed for doing this. When, later on, some bright genius discovered that the valve could be turned by the machinery itself, it was regarded as a most wonderful advance.

The discovery of this useful function has been attributed to Watt. Of this there is no conclusive proof. The great addition and improvements made by Watt, and which so greatly simplified and perfected the engine, were through the addition of a separate condenser and air pump, and on these improvements his fame rests.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the weight D caused the piston to travel upwardly, and not the force of the steam, and the suction produced by the vacuum within the cylinder did the work of actuating the pump piston, so that it drew up the water.

The Piston.--From this crude attempt to use steam came the next step, in which the steam was actually used to move the piston back and forth and thus actually do the work. In doing so the ponderous walking beam was dispensed with, and while, for a long period the pistons were vertically-placed, in time a single cylinder was used, and a crank employed to convert the reciprocating into a circular motion.

Fig. 11 shows a simple diagram of a steam engine, so arranged that the operation of the valves may be readily understood. The cylinder A has a steam chest B, which contains therein a slide valve C to cover the ports at the ends of the cylinder. This figure shows the crank turning to the right, and the eccentric D on the engine shaft is so placed, that while the crank E is turning past the dead center, from 1 to 2, the slide valve C is moved to the position shown in Fig. 12, thereby covering port F and opening port G.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 11. Simple Valve Motion. First position._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 12. Simple Valve Motion. Second position._]

It will be seen that the slide valve is hollowed within, as at H, and that the exhaust port I leads from this hollowed portion while the live steam from the boiler enters through pipe J and fills the s.p.a.ce K of the chest.

In Fig. 11 live steam has been entering port F, thus driving the piston to the right. At the same time the exhaust steam at the right side of the piston is discharging through the port G and entering the hollow s.p.a.ce within the slide valve. In Fig. 12 the conditions are reversed, and now live steam enters port G, and the exhaust pa.s.ses out through port F.

When the engine crank reaches the point 3, which is directly opposite 1, the reverse action takes place with the slide valve, and it is again moved to its original position, shown in Fig. 12.

Importance of the Valve.--Every improvement which has been made in the engine has been directed to the valve. The importance of this should be fully understood. As the eccentric is constantly turning it is a difficult matter to so arrange the valve as to open or close it at the correct time, absolutely, and many devices have been resorted to to accomplish this.

Expanding the Steam.--As all improvements were in the direction of economizing the use of steam, it was early appreciated that it would be a waste to permit the steam to enter the cylinder during the entire period that the engine traveled from end to end, so that the valve had to be constructed in such a way that while it would cut off the admission of steam at half or three-quarters stroke, the exhaust would remain on until the entire stroke was completed.

Some engines do this with a fair degree of accuracy, but many of them were too complicated for general use. In the form of slide valve shown the pressure of the steam on the upper side, which is constant at all times, produces a great wearing action on its seat. This necessitated the designing of a type of valve which would have a firm bearing and be steam tight without grinding.

Balanced Valve.--One of the inventions for this purpose is a valve so balanced by the steam pressure that but little wear results. This has been the subject of many patents. Another type also largely used in engines is known as the _oscillating_ valve, which is cylindrical or conical in its structure, and which revolves through less than a complete revolution in opening and closing the ports.

Rotary Valve.--The rotary valve, which constantly turns, is employed where low pressures are used, but it is not effectual with high pressures. This is also cylindrical in its structure, and has one or more ports through it, which coincide with the ports through the walls of the engine, as it turns, and thus opens the port for admitting live steam and closing the discharge port at the same time or at a later period in its rotation.

Engine Accessories.--While the steam engine is merely a device for utilizing the expansive force of steam, and thus push a cylinder back and forth, its successful operation, from the standpoint of economy, depends on a number of things, which are rarely ever heard of except by users and engineers.

Many of these devices are understood only by those who have given the matter thorough study and application. To the layman, or the ordinary user, they are, apparently, worth but little consideration. They are the things, however, which have more than doubled the value of the steam engine as a motor.

Efficiency of Engines.--When it is understood that with all the refinements referred to the actual efficiency of a steam engine is less than 30 per cent. some idea may be gained of the value which the various improvements have added to the motor.

Efficiency refers to the relative amount of power which is obtained from the burning fuel. For instance, in burning petroleum about 14,000 heat units are developed from each pound. If this is used to evaporate water, and the steam therefrom drives an engine, less than 4200 heat units are actually utilized, the remaining 9800 heat units being lost in the transformation from the fuel to power.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 13. Effective pressure in a Cylinder._]

The value of considering and providing for condensation, compression, superheating, re-heating, compounding, and radiation, and to properly arrange the clearance s.p.a.ces, the steam jackets, the valve adjustments, the sizes of the ports and pa.s.sages, and the governor, all form parts of the knowledge which must be gained and utilized.

How Steam Acts in a Cylinder.--Reference has been made to the practice of cutting off steam before the piston has made a full stroke, and permitting the expansive power of the steam to drive the piston the rest of the way, needs some explanation.

As stated in a preceding chapter the work done is estimated in foot pounds. For the purpose of more easily comprehending the manner in which the steam acts, and the value obtained by expansion, let us take a cylinder, such as is shown in Fig. 13, and a.s.sume that it has a stroke of four feet. Let the cylinder have a diameter of a little less than one foot, so that by using steam at fifty pounds pressure on every square inch of surface, we shall have a pressure of about 5000 pounds on the piston with live steam from the boiler.

In the diagram the piston moves forwardly to the right from 0 to 1, which represents a distance of one foot, so that the full pressure of the steam of the boiler, representing 5000 pounds, is exerted on the piston. At 1 the steam is cut off, and the piston is now permitted to continue the stroke through the remaining three feet by the action of the steam within the cylinder, the expansive force alone being depended on.

As the pressure of the steam within the cylinder is now much less and decreases as the piston moves along, we have taken a theoretical indication of the combined pressure at each six inch of the travel of the piston. The result is that we have the following figures, namely, 4000, 2700, 1750, 1000, 450 and 100. The sum of these figures is 10,000 pounds.

The piston, in moving from 0 to 1, moved one foot, we will say, in one second of time, hence the work done by the direct boiler pressure was 5000 _foot pounds_; and since the piston was moved three feet more by the expansion of the steam only, after the steam pressure was shut off, the work done in the three seconds required to move the piston, was an additional 5000 foot pounds, making a total of 10,000 foot pounds for four seconds, 150,000 foot pounds per minute, or about 45 horse power.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 14. Indicating pressure Line._]

This movement of the piston to the right, represented only a half revolution of the crank, and the same thing occurs when the piston moves back, to complete the entire revolution.

Indicating the Engine.--We now come to the important part of engine testing, namely, to ascertain how much power we have obtained from the engine. To do this an indicator card must be furnished. A card to indicate the pressure, as we have shown it in the foregoing diagram would look like Fig. 14.

The essential thing, however, is to learn how to take a card from a steam engine cylinder, and we shall attempt to make this plain, by a diagram of the mechanism so simplified as to be readily understood.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 15. Indicating the Engine._]

In Fig. 15 we have shown a cylinder A, having within a piston B, and a steam inlet pipe C. Above the cylinder is a drum D, mounted on a vertical axis, and so geared up with the engine shaft that it makes one complete turn with each shaft revolution. A sheet of paper E, ruled with cross lines, is fixed around the drum.

The cylinder A has a small vertical cylinder F connected therewith by a pipe A, and in this cylinder is a piston H, the stem I of which extends up alongside of the drum, and has a pointed or pencil J which presses against the paper E.

Now, when the engine is set in motion the drum turns in unison with the engine shaft, and the pressure of the steam in the cylinder A, as it pushes piston B along, also pushes the piston H upwardly, so that the pencil point J traces a line on the ruled paper.

It will be understood that a spring is arranged on the stem I in such a manner that it will always force the piston H downwardly against the pressure of the steam.

Mean Efficiency.--We must now use a term which expresses the thing that is at the bottom of all calculations in determining how much power is developed. You will note that the pressure on the piston during the first foot of its movement was 10,000 pounds, but that from the point 1, Fig. 13, to the end of the cylinder, the pressure constantly decreased, so that the pressure was not a uniform one, but varied.

Suppose we divide the cylinder into six inch s.p.a.ces, as shown in Fig.

13, then the pressure of the steam at the end of each six inches will be the figures given at bottom of diagram, the sum total of which is 30,000, and the figures at the lower side show that there are eight factors.