US1927613A - Boiler charging apparatus for fireless locomotive terminals - Google Patents

Description

B. P. PHELPS Sept. 19, 1933.

BOILER GHARGING APPARATUS FOR FIRELESS LOCOMOTIVE TERMINALS Filed June 26, 1930 jaa/6701211:

wswmsm WQWSQQ mm N Patented Sept. 19,` l1933 UNITED STA Foa-HRE- v LESS vLoooMo'rrvn-'rlnnynrmns v BartonrP.' Phelps, Topeka, Kans., assig'nor to n Railway Engineering Equipment Company,i a 'n Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Y Y a a i v ApplicationJune 26, 1930.` SerialY No. `llffkllf Y o'oiaimsl (o1. lez-str This invention constitutes an improvement in Y apparatus for charging the boilers of locomotives in iireless locomotive terminals, which improvementv consists in developingin a 'storage reservoir, by the mingling of steam and water from extraneous sources, a supply of wateratsteaming temperature sufficient in volume to charge one or more locomotives and utilizing this storage reservoir as the source from which to supply to such locomotives Water at steaming temperature', and leaving to the local stationary boilers the duty of supplying only the steam vneeded to elevatey the steam pressure in the locomotives if required, or to maintain a working steam pressure in these locomotives while standing in the terminal With- 'out the aid of re on the locomotive grates.

An important advantage ofthis improvement in its bearing upon the so-called ldirect steaming system and its application to reless locomotive engine houses, is that it 'compensates for certain practical limitations in steam generating capacity of the 'stationaryrboilers required for the operation of such systems, and particularly systems' designed for locomotive terminals which are of small capacity with respect tothe number of looomotives they are capable of accommodating.

Experience shows that to iill and develop-a' working steam pressure in. the boiler of an average size locomotive by means of the direct steaming system within `the time ordinarily allotted for the restoration oi such a locomotive to a Working steamed condition,v necessitates an extraneousv steam source capable of a sustained supply of vhigh i pressure steam at the' rate of two hundred or more boiler horsepower per hour, whereas an` extraneous or stationary source capable ofsupplying steam at the rate of only about twenty' horsepower per hour is required to hold lthe same locomotive under working pressure once awork- Y ing condition of steam and water has been established in the locomotive boiler. Experience also shows `that ina small locomotive' terminall the iilling and steaming operation need ordinarily be practiced only intermittently and at irregular intervals; and even in large locomotive vterminals Ywhere extraneous boiler v,capacity must be suicient to enable the filling and steaming of va num-Y ber'of locomotives 'simultaneously when occasion arises, such occasions are followed by periods during which steam alone is required, and then only in quantity sufhcient to compensate for heat losses in maintaining working steamed condition while the locomotives are being ,held for assignment to duty. Thus, the operating conditions in tireless locomotive terminals involvea highly fluctuating load upon the stationary boilers employed as an extraneous source of steam; land these fluctuating lconditions are disadv'antageousV in thatthe peak load on vthe boilerspulls down the fires and imposes too long a period in therecovery TES PATENTorties -ltilvaj y V of theboil'er 'toa point whereit is ready to. serve -r additional locomotives', besides otherwise impairing the efciencyofthe stationary boilers.- .Moreover, thev demandl for attention' in operating such i boilers is greatly increased, and-it becomes neces-V sary 'to install stationaryf'lboilers of much'higher 1 capacity thanlrwould required'y toservicefthe.

same number of locomotives ifthepe'al 'steam of time.

'load couldfbe reducedandmthedenandon the I boilers could befdistrib'uted over a :greater periodr aforesaid operating conditions `and disadvantages by'providing a boiler changer from` which Vthe required numberofAv locomotive yboilers may ybe charged jwithifwater.v at steaming temperature in the A requisite short timel and atV 4repeated L 'intervals,` so that 'thel charger constitutesi ther immediate extraneous sourceV of :water a'tfsteaming the fireless locomotive terminal, and having this .charger connected with lthe sta- 'Y boilers which fsupply the steam for heatl .ing filling water to' steaming yternperature infsuch temperature intionary a mannerfthat their charger,"QutilizesIV periods l of relative `inactivity of "the,` stationary "boilers for? iss building'fup*temperature inits own,."supp1y1off Water to steaminglftemperature, and thus reducesftoasmore'or lessconstant'lbadfupoirthe'v Y boilers, over Va protracted' period, what formerly` amounted Vto a series of over-loads upon the boil-'- ersV in .excess f theircapacity of efiicientconment, the invention'fpermit's converting an existstationary boilers intoa iireless..terminal, since ltinuous' operation.v Because of: thisrac'complish-e' 1 alstationar'y'. boiler having a capacity thatwould be vtoo 'small to meet the peak demand while servicing locomotivesdirectly, can, by serving the A charger at a rate which 4the boilerfcanzwell sus'- tainover a'longrperiodfof timegbuildup and maintain a Vvolume.l of waterA at steaming temperature that will `enable it to charge. oneor more Y locomotive boilers with Ywater. atV steaming .temf perature fin the short; time -requiredgwithout adversely affecting the l stationary :boiler as the source lof steamwhich has brought suchwater to suchtemperature; and the inventionserveswith advantage evenlin locomotive terminals of relatively largeistationary boilenequipment forthe reason'thatwhilejin manyl instances it vhas here-1 toforefbeen found possible *to satisfactorily aad-H Ajust operating conditions in amannerto effect morevuniform demand upongtheirlstationary,boilers, these conditions could not` heretoforev always be so adjusted'and even where such ,adjustments can -be `made, much better g operating conditions can be established by the usefof the lboiler" chargen l:

Hence,V the'inventionfis'of importance to large j and `small terminals-alike. s

)The presentninventionis, not tobeA confused with theeirpedientsometimes employed in connection with steam generators and'identiedby the term accumulators Accumulators are adjuncts of steam boilers that store up steamA atrelatively uniform rates and deliver such steam 1 at a fluctuating rate, and having a capacity which I is directly proportional to the rangejrof delivered v 'steam pressures `at Whi'chrthey` can be operated.v Such accumulatore are inappropriate for .use in V,rapidly charging asteam locomotive boiler with j Water at steaming temperatureand steam', at

" working pressure for the reason that this method of charging rlocomotive-boilers requires` steam pressure at the locomotive almost as'high as the Working pressure carried on the stationary boil- 1ers in-those types of boiler most available for the service. Moreoveigthe expenseY of providing accumulators of sufficient capacity to meet the demands oflocomotives charged-in this manner would be prohibitive. Y Y y .Stationary boilers have also been provided'vvith v drums for storingand buildingup the temperaturepof feed Water at atime when the load de- .mands on the boiler are lightythis' feed Water after being heated to a temperature corresponding to .steam at considerable'ipressure being drawn upon atftimes vwhen the`output load fupon the boilers has increasedto a point that causes the boilerpressurepto fall, and-the heat thus required to convert each pound of Water into a pound lof steam` being correspondingly reduced- Butgthis expedient-Vwould kafford no relief in situations jvidedYV With equipmentfor filling it withV a mixsuch as that which is met-.by thepresent invention. .To-be successful; the accumulator aswell as the" storing ,drum systemdescribed must z be fullyor nearly automatic inoperation, andv in effect-they becomea part v=of theboiler itself and representin'factbauxiliary boiler drums in which theLWater level can-fluctuate Without aifecting -the water level'in'thatfpartV of the Yboilerdirectly 'exposed' to heat 'and shown in the `gauge glass. Furthermore, such' systems are expensive to constructand their automaticfcharacter requires a f degreeof expertv supervisionnot alwaysat; the 'command of the *railwaysV with relatively small po'vver-V plants at isolated terminals.

"Ihe'cl'iarger of the present invention is in. lnosense an accumulator either for. the storage :of heated boiler feed water, as in the case of the auxiliary boiler drum, or for the storage: and libev f'eration of stean1,..as inthe casetoffthe steam Vboiler accumulator. Itis astorage container profturefof" steam and hot Water to Within a. short distance. of lthe top of Vthe container, and then 'charging' Vit with steam until -a steam pressure has been built up Whichyincidentally, will correspond to the temperature of the Water, but .pri-` marily for the purpose .offmain'taining'apressure head which' Wiilinsure the rapid transfer of the Water at steaming temperaturezto thelocomotive f bcilerfvvhenv needed; the Water ,beingffmada by such introduction of steam, appropriate as toY temperature for transfer to the locomotive asits ll'ing charge ina system in Which the re on the l locomotive. is not lighteduntillthe locomotive departs for its assigned'dut'y.A InA other Words, the steam 'in the charger servesas the pressure me- Ldium'gto insure a rapid transfer oi'water at staan:-

ing temperature from the charger to the'locomotive. VV"'.l."l 1us,'thecharger becomes the immediate extraneoussource of Water" at steaming ten'L'pera -ture usedin reiilling a renovated locomotive after the manner of the direct' steaming .system,.hut

doesnot supply the' steam'fin developing theV working pressure in the locomotive boiler; this steam comes directly `from the stationary boilers to the locoi'i'iot'ives. Thus," While in the operation of the direct steaming system the heaviest loads upon the stationary boilersarey occasioned by filling vthe locomotivesvvith water at steaming temperature-in addition to charging them with steam at Working pressure, the presentinvention relievesv ing. a renovated locomotive to Working steamed condition Without the use of Iire on the locomotive; Figure 2 being a detail view of a form of, bypass valve preferably employed in admitting a restricted quantity of steam past the controlling valve'to a steamed locomotive held awaiting assignment-to duty. i

l represents a stationary boiler adapted` to supply high `pressure steam through a pipe 2. 3 represents the ylocomotive boiler charger .ofv the present invention adapted to supply @Water at steaming temperature through a locomotive boiler :Filling'pipe flwhich'extends pasti a stall vor stalls 5 oflocomotives that are brought into'the termi-` nal for renovation. Adjacent to each stall 5, or

between each two'stalls as'may be desired, is a. v

manifold 6 connected pastthegcontrolling valve 7 and through the pipe 8 tol the'iillingj line 4,

through which the manifold may discharge intol a .and also provided with flexibleconnection y9v locomotive occupying la stall. Y By opening valve.

7, water atrsteaming ,temperaturevvill now from the' charger. 3y through pipe. 4 into the locomotive under, .a pressure determined vby the presence of,

steainover the Water level in the charger. When a working level of water at steamingtemperature` hasf accumulated, inthe boiler of the locomotive occupying the stall, valve 7 is closed and steam isv causedto-otvthrough the manifold 6 and ilex'iblepipe'` 9 intothe locomotive through the v/aterat steaming temperature'that has accumulated thereinand to the steamY space above the level ofzsuch Water. 'lrhis steam is' received past controlling valve 10 and through pipe 1l and that portionof high pressure steam pipe 2 vvhichA extends rpast the locomotive stall. Thus, steam comes vfrom the stationary boiler l'for' developing working pressureinthe boiler of the: locomotive after the latter has received itsv charge oi water After the locomotive' has-been brought to working steamedcondition, it may be uncoupledfrom theA llingI Astation and propelled by its own preslat steaming temperature from the charger v3.

sure, but without the` presence of viire in itsrebox, eitherto itsassigned duty or to a Waiting stations; or it may spend its holdoveror waiting period inthe renovating stall of the terminalifzif- :the stall is not immediately needed for the renovation of other locomotives. lfand when the locomotive departs from :its stall directly for assigned duty, or` when itshoidover periodhas ended and it passes out for such duty, the`ire is'lighted on its 'grate andfrom then on continues to maintain operating'pressure in the boiler. If

2. throughsome'suitable-connection such as :9,

retained inthe stallor in a holdover station, it f Vcontinues to bev connected With4 the steainpipe and the valve 10 is 'oy-passed as taught in U. S. Patent No. 1,788,064 or cracked or opened to a. degree thatis just sufficient to permit continuedl iiow ofsteam into the locomotive boiler corresponding to loss oi heatv by radiation While the locomotive is Waiting; and in this manner the ylocomotive isfheld in readiness to move oi under "its own power Without'lighting its nre previous to the time of departure. To avoid impairment of 'thefcontrclling valve A10 by ilowing steam through a very small space between the valve and its seat,

v'the'valve may be kept closed and the slight flow of steam required for replacement of heat loss 4may be released into thel detained locomotive by means of a vvalve 10al (Figure 2) located ina bypass around the said controlling valve 10,; said by-pass valve being larranged forconvenient opening through meansl ofv a stem 16a which, like thesternv 10 of the valveflO, will extend to some convenientpoint of access. If the period of holdover Vandl consequent supply of pressure sustaining steam is of such long duration that j too high Water level develops in the locomotive boiler Yfrom steam condensing therein, valve 10 is'closed and the valve 12 is opened between mani--` Afold 6 and the standard locomotive blowoff pipe 13l to permit Water to floW from th locomotive boiler;r under the pressure therein, back to a filling Water reservoir 14 or suchv other place ofsalvage ordiscard as may be desired.

`Inorder'to supply the charger 3 with Water at steaming temperature, itis provided with Waterlintake pipe 15 leading freni a mixing box.

16 commonly denominated da direct steaming booster. This booster is connected by apipe 1'7` With the discharge'pipe '18 Vfrom any suitable] source of Water under a suliicient headof pressure, for instance, a filling pump 19 that draws Water through pipe 20 from the filling Yvvater reservoir 14, which is kept charged with a supply of fresh Water in any suitable manner, such,

for instance, as by mixing raw water Vwith volatiles ',blown off from locomotives in accordance with standard boiler washing practice. 'Booster 16 is likewise connected through pipeY 21"'With high pressure 'steam pipe Zand is controlled byy valve 22. Filling Water pipe 1'7 is controlled byl Valve 23; and byregulating these valves 2 2 and 23'water from the lling Water reservoir '114, passlingthrough pipe 15 to the 'charger"3, may beV heated Yto a temperature whichy is s uiciently above.. the .boiling point to render thewater in .the charger suitable for lling'locomotive boilers in accordance with the direct steaming method. y Having supplied the charger 3 up toa desired ,level with Water, at steaming temperature dei yterzninedby therelativeopenings offthe`valvesv22 Sil `and 23, valve 234 may vbe closed and valve 22`l'eft open untilthere has developed'in. the charger .the desired steam pressure .and corresponding Waterv 'temperature Within the permissible strength of the charger, Which steamv pressure, beingexerted over the surface of the Water, Will be suni'cient to promptly evacuate Water from the charger ".vheneveryalve 7 is opened at locomotive stall 5. This'steam pressure will prefer` ably .be controlled by steam pressure actuated valve 24 which communicates through pipe 25 with the steam space of the charger 3, andthis reflects in the steam Asupply 21 the pressure Withinthe charger in a manner to out off the supply of steam When the permissible limit of pressure has been reached; and, conversely, this pressure actuated valve 24 may automatically react to supply more steam in heating relation to the Wav tinue te'rof charger '3 and inpressure building relation to the space over such water wheneverrequired to compensate for pressure drop due to radiationr heat losses in said charger. Thesteam pressure within the charger 3 Willpreferably by rela 1ivelyy low at the time-of 'supplying theA` charger'withhotV Water in orderl to expedite the flow .through y pipe V15 under the action offpump 19 Vandpressure from steam pipe, 2.k

In orderto maintain expelling steam 'pressurev over the surfacefof hot Waterfin chargers While its Water is being evacuated and render such'ev'ac# v 1 uation rapidvto the end, an auxiliary stearn'supplyv 1 pipe 26 may be introducedbetweenhigh pressure steam header Zand the charger 3' and'provided with controlling'valve 27. VThis valve will, hovv-v ever, be opened for the admission of steam only 5 i inthe kevent that the `lofadvupon the charger is' j i such that its expelling pressure hasvdropped belovv. desired efficiency. A pressure reducing V valve 28" is employed in pipe 26 in orderrtoprevent overtaxingA the charger in the event;tha't"valve 27 remainsropen too long'. c

29 represents a blow-back pipe leading from the charger 3to-the filling Water*reservoirv 14 be drawn off from` the charger and salvagedfin case the level becomes too high, and 30`represents conventional safety valves'applied to the charger. t Details shown on the drawing other-thanthose thus far described are those incidentto the no through which a desiredquantity of Water may direct steamingxsysternand have vno particular bearing upon the present invention. For `ino' stance, 31 represents the steam supplypipe for v operating the -fillingrpumpl9; 32 represents'th'e exhaust pipe for such"pump;'which usuallyleads toA apoint of heat salvage to assist inraising the temperature of filling WaterV reservoir 14, as in standard'boiler'washing practiceySS represents. a gate valvefrom the dischargepipe- 18; andiv represents a valved connection directly from the yfilling water discharge 'pipe 18 to the iillin'g main Lifthrough which Water from filling Water rese'r-`l` i voir 14 of a standard boiler washing system may be supplied directly to` locomotives "ein casev of Vemergency or disuse loftheA 'charger 3. d

The operationof this-.inventionis simple 'and averagethe `operator proceeds to Asupply'the charger-with'amixturevof hot Water' (usually around 180 FJYfro'm'fthe reservoirlfl and steamf` from the,` high pressure; steam pipe `2 by appro-,

i priate, manipulation of'- valves -22 and- 23. The Ademand for steam, hovf'ever, inVperfo/rming this. function lWill be at arate considerably less than that ordinarily required;orsteaming locomotives by the direct steaming system Within a lim- If the high water alarm"should inited time'. v d dicate thatthe charger is nearlyfullof Water, the operator closes thevalve 23and permits the valve 22 `to yremain,"open, so-that steamv will Cona -to4 110W- frcm thestationary' boilers into the charger until-'aY-pressure'o, say, 125pounds lhas been built up therein, and; the'JWarte'r, vby reason' o f the steam flowing through it, will' have-attained a corresponding temperature. ,At

this point the pressure actuated valve 24 operates tor cut off the supply of steam to the charger,`

the safety valves 30 being set toA operate at a ietf slightly higher pressure, andthesesafety valves Sil will act only. in the event that'the valve 24 fails.V` YThe capacityof the charger will be suiiicient to ll a number of locomotive boilers' before its Water level drops sufficiently lowrto opcratel the low Water-alarm, and relling of the charger can be attended to. Whenever the load demand ior'locomotive boiler charging steam is slack, and or course the full level of Water can be restored, in the charger .Whenever the load upon the stationary boiler isslaclrwithout Waiting untilthe lowerlirnit of Water in the charger Y is reached.

ya5 Y f 1. ln a locomotive lling and steaming sys- From the; foregoing, it. will be seen that this invention introduces anew practice in the combined operation of the stationary power plant and nreless locomotive terminal, and that the individual components of the equipment required forthis practice arevery simple. The term charger asusedV herein is intended tomean a container storing -Water' at steam- Ving temperatureand under an expulsionY pressure derived Ventirely from heat originating at an extraneousfsource.

I claim: `f

tem, the combination oi a stationary boiler con- Vstr "ucted, to generate. and to delive'i live `steam under` substantial* pressure, a locomotive boiler charger constructed to .-coniine Water at steaming temperature and' steam at expelling pressure, a filling rWater supply, pipes leading from said stationary boiler, andnlling Water supply to saidcharger, a mixing means into which said pipes discharge on. the Way to the charger and ,by which they steam vandiilling.water are mixed .to raise the .waterjto steaming temperatureand accumulate steam under pressure in the charger, and a iilling Ypipe leading. from said charger 'Y to al locomotive stall and having equipment adjacent said` stall whereby it may -be connectedv to a locomotive Vboiler that is -to be filled; said steam and .-i'illing Water pipes having. means through! which they` may be` independently Vopened and closed 'at will andhthereby cause the steam supply to be continuedindependently of the water. supply afterajdesired level Aor" water is. attained in the chargent and steam; pipe being adapted to :develop a head of expelling pressure over the Water in said charger.k

2. 1n a iocomotiveiilling and steaming-system, a stationary steam supply, a locomotive boilerl charger constructedtor store Water at steaming temperature and steam at expelling pressure and having means-for supplying it With amixture of live steamk from the stationarysteam` supply and water lfrom an extraneous source and means locomotive'boiler independently ofv said charger.

A3. ln 1a locomotivenlling and steaming system, the .combination of a stationary boiler,a locomotive 'boilercharg'en a filling .Water supply, pipes leading from said stationary boiler and filling vWater supplyto said charger, a mixing means s water level descends.

into which said pipes .discharge Yon the Way to vthe charger and by which the steam and lling water are mixed to raise thewater to steaming Y' temperature, and Ya filling pipe leading from said charger to a locomotive stall and'having .equipg ment adjacent saidI stall whereby it'may be connected tofa locomotve boiler. that is, to be lled; said steam .and filling Water pipes having means. through Which they may, respectively,. be controlled, adapting the steam supply to befcont'nued independently of the Water supply after al and thereby developing a head of expelling pressure over the Water -in-said charger;l and said steam supply pipe to the charger having a presdesired level of Water is attained in the charger, `r

sure actuated valve, 'governed` by the internal- 4pressure of the charger, .adapted to automatically cut on the supply of steam when a predetermined pressure'in the-charger is attained.

fi.: In alocomotive lling. and steaming system,

the .combination oi `a stationary steam supply, a

charger, a nlling lwater supply, means for mingling steam and water from said supplies and deliver- Y ing them to the charger asvvater at steaming temperature, means for delivering Water from said charger at steaming temperature to aY locomotive boiler, means for delivering to said charger steam for Vmaintaining, evacuating pressure over the Water therein,` andmeans automatically controlled by the. pressure in said charger for .arresting the supply' ofsteam thereto when a desired pressure isY attained .and resuming the supply of such steam WhenA the pressure in the charger falls-below ya desired` degree.v

5.. In a locomotive lling and `steaming system,

the combination ofa stationary boiler, a locomotive boiler charger,a .filling Water supplyi pipes leading from said stationary boiler and lilling into which said pipes discharge on. the'way to the charger and by wl'rchQthe steam and lling water are mixed to raise the Waterr to steamingV temperature, and a lling pipe leading from said charger to a locomotive stall and having equipment adjacent said stallwhereby it may be'connectedto a locomotive boiler that'is to'be lled; 'said charger having ata point above its Water` line anrindependently controlled ysteam connection with the stationary boiler throughmeans Y 125 of which a desired constant pressure may be maintained over the Water in the charger as the s. in a locomotive boiler suing andY steaming system, av locomotive boiler charger constructed tostorewater at steaming temperature and lsteam at expelling pressure, a stationary live steam sup- Water supply to said'oharger, a mixingA means l ply, a stationary water supply, means for mingling .livesteam Vand Water from said supply and delivering the same'as Water at `steaming temperature into saidA chargen means for *deliveringy Water at steaming temperature and under said' pres-r Y sure from said charger to `aflocomotive, kmeans for delivering additional live steam to said charger for developing evacuating pressure above the Water therein, means responsive to the pressure .in the charger for automatically *openingy and closing the last-named steam supplyA thereto. and a blow-down pipe adapted to relieve ythe chargerof excess Water accumulating from condensation of steam therein.

isAR'roNL RPHELPS;

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