US805999A - Locomotive. - Google Patents

Description

N01 805,999. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905. H. REID & '1); MADN- RAB/[SAL LOGOMOTIVE.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 1, 1904.

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LOGOMOTIVE.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1904.

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HUGH REID, OF SPRINGBURN, AND DAVID'MAcNAB RAMSAY, OF MOUNT FLORIDA, SCOTLAND.

LOCOMOTIVE.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HUGH REID, a resident of Springburn, in the county of Glasgow, Scotland, (whose postal address is Hyde Park Works, Springburn, Glasgow, Scotland) and DAVID MAONAB RAMSAY, a resident of Mount Florida, in the county of Glasgow, Scotland,

- (whose postal address is Florida street,

Mount Florida, Glasgow, Scotland,) subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotives, (for which application for British Patent No. 10,311, dated May 5, 1904:, has been made,) of which the following is the specification.

This invention relates to that class of locomotives which are provided with electric motors for their axle-driving means and which carry upon their own trucks an isolated steam and electric generating plant for supplying electric current to said motors. In suoh'locomotives as hitherto generally constructed non-condensing reciprocating engines have been used for driving the dynamos generating current for the propulsion of the locomotive and other vehicles connected thereto by electric motors'carried on the running axles.

Such non-condensing engines have little more efiiciency than the ordinary type of locomotive-engine, and as it is necessary in order to raise steam with sufficient rapidity to employ a draft in the boiler -uptake, and as it is at the same time practically impossible to carry sufficient water for condensing purposes, or even if a condenser were otherwise possible it is inexpedient to use the water of condensation in the boiler, owing to the lubrication necessary in such engines and the consequent contamination of that water with lubricant, it has therefore hitherto been impracticable to combine a condenser with such appaof performing the same may be properlyun- Specification of Letters rate fit.-

' Application filed July 1, 1904. Serial No. 216,035-

Patented Nov. 28, 1905..

derstoool, we hereunto append three sheets of explanatory drawings,throughout which similar reference-letters indicate like parts, and in which- Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation; Fig. 2, Sheet 2, a longitudinal section; and Figs. 3 and 4, Sheet 3, respectively a sectional plan and a sectional end elevation showingfto some extent diagrammatically) an example of the application of our improvements.

In carrying out the invention according to the example shown diagrammatically in the drawingsan example more particularly adapted for the working of heavy goods and passenger trains over long distancesewe employ upon a truck A, carried upon'two bogies B, a boiler C of modified locomotive type (but which might be of any other suitable type) supplying steam to a turbine D of Parsons type, (but which might be of any other suitable type, such asthe Curtis.) The turbine D is directly coupled to an electric generator E of the multiphase type and also to an exciter F for the generator and to a centrifugal air-pump G, used for a purpose hereinafter explained. The generator E supplies current to a series of similar motors H, geared (by gearing inclosed in gear-cases J) to and adapted to drive the axles K of the ,bogiewheels. A controller, rheostat, and other apparatus (not shown) are provided for controlling and regulating the pressure and volume of the current generated and the speed of the locomotive.

In order to develop the full efiiciency of the turbine D, and so that the condensed steam may be utilized for hot boiler-feed, a condenser is employed the condensing-surfaces of which are cooled by a current of'air drawn or impelled over them. This condenser in the present example consists of three series of tubes arrangedalong the'sides and over the top of the structure in'closing the mechanism. The tubes are connected at opposite ends to two headers M N, to one, M, of which exhaust-steam from the turbine D is led and in the other, N, of which vacuum is maintained by the centrifugal air-pump G, the water of condensation being discharged into a hot-well, from which the boiler is fed by feed-pumps W of ordinary reciprocating type. A pump Y maintains forced lubrication of the various bearings. The sets of tubes L are inclosed in casings O, and each casing O is fitted with therein and itself becoming heated.

those louvers R upon the roof of the structure, so that a current of air is caused to flow in at the side louvers P and out at the top louvers B when the locomotive is running in the one direction and in at the top louvers R and out at the side louvers P when it is running in the opposite. Means of well-known kind are provided for closing ony'one or more of the sets of louvers, such means consisting of either rods attached to and operating the louvers, which in that case are hinged, or sliding shutters arranged in the casing behind the louvers, which may then be fixed. The air passing in at the louvers passes over the condenser tubes L, condensing the steam The exitlouvers over the series of tubes in the casing nearest the steam-generator and to which the exhaust-steam first has access are normally kept closed, and the air heated in its passage over what are thus the hottest tubes of the condenser is led from that casing to the firebox of the boiler C by ducts S. When the locomotive is in motion, the velocity thus given to the air is'normally sufiicient to maintain a blast-pressure in the furnace of the boiler; but in order to augment when necessary the pressure thus available and to provide a current of air over the condenser-surfaces when the locomotive is stationary a fan T, preferably driven by an electric motor, is provided. The outlet of the fan is connected by a two-way valve U to the ducts S, so that the air can be either led from those ducts directly to the fire-box or drawn through the lower duct from the condenser by the fan and forced into the fire-box or smoke-box, or both fire-box and smoke-box, of the steam-generator.

Although it would appear preferable to force into the boiler fire-box only the air from the first of the series of condenser-compartments, as air suflicient to maintain a blast and of a higher temperature than if it were taken from all the compartments at the same time is so obtainable, yet the whole or any part of the air from the condensing-surfaces may be led or forced into the fire-box of the boiler.

As the use of a condenser normally deprives the boiler of the blast, which is necessary in the conditions under which a locomotive-boiler works to maintain a head of steam, it is clear that our method of utilizing the air which has first taken up heat in a condenser to maintain a draft in the boiler either by the velocity it has due to the speed of the locomotive or by velocity given to it by a fan, or by a combination of both, has great advantage in that not only is an adequate draft easily maintainable with small expenditure of power comparatively to the existing practice of obtaining it by means of the blast of the exhaust,- but also the fact that the air used for maintaining this draft has obtained its heat from the steam condensed, makes for high thermal efliciency, an efliciency not so economically obtainable by air otherwise heated when the latent heat of the steam or of the waste furnace-gases has been lost.

It willbe seen that it is only with the combination of certain of the integers hereinbefore specified that it is possible to construct an effective locomotive of this type, for, first, it is practically impossible to use the hot water of condensation from reciprocating engines directly for boiler-feeding in that it contains lubricant, which it is impracticable under the conditions to eliminate from it, but as turbines do not require internal lubrication the hot water of condensation from them is pure and may be used in what may be termed a closed circuit quite indefinitely; secondly, it is impracticable to carry sufficient water to effectively condense the steam in a condenser in which the cooling medium is water and therefore air is used by us as the cooling medium; thirdly, it is necessary under the conditions to maintain a draft in the combustion-chamber, flues, and smoke-box of the steam-generator, and this can be done effectively when air previously heated in the condenser or by waste furnace-gases is used for that purpose.

It is obvious that the details of construction of the improved locomotive may be largely varied without departing from the spirit of the invention and that the various integers may be arranged in alternative ways and may be carried upon an y convenient number of trucks the running-gear of which and the electric motors for driving the wheels of which may be arranged to satisfy any particular conditions-for instance, as regards adhesion and tractive eifortwhile supplies of fuel and of water for making up incidental losses may be carried upon a separate tender.

The electric generators and motors employed may be of any suitable type and the motors may be arranged to drive any number of the train-axles as well as or instead of those of the locomotive, while the turbine or turbines used may be of any type other than that shown and described by way of example. For instance, they may be of Curtis type.

Instead of a fan a blower or an ejector may be used to maintain the draft in the boiler, and this draft may be caused either by forcing the air into the fire-box, as hereinbefore described, or by induction, and the air used for maintaining the draft may be arranged to be heated by the waste furnace-gases instead of or in addition to by passing through the condenser. Vacuum may be maintained in the condenser by any suitable form of apparatus and in some cases may be dispensed with, the exhast-steam being merely condensed for use as feed-water, which may be supplied to the boiler either by feed-pumps,

as described, or by injectors, While the cooling efiect of the air may in some cases be assisted chemically or'by water-spray. Instead of a single turbine and a single electric generator any number of either may-be used. In some cases superheaters of any type may be used.

A locomotive made according to the invention has numerous advantages over those hitherto proposed or used. For example, it is of particular advantage in those countries where Water is scarce, and since its mechanism may readily be entirely inclosed in countries where dust-storms are prevalent or where the winter is severe, and owing to the high economy of the combined turbine and condenser, aided by theutilization of the hot wa-.

ter of condensation for boiler-feed and of the heat given up to the air in thecondenser, or by the Waste furnace-gases, or both, like horsepower is developed with a smaller steam consumption, a lesser quantity of fuel, and a lesser Weight of machinery, such a combined steam electric locomotive affording all the advantages of the various electric systems of railroad propulsion Without the disadvantages and cost of surface or overhead conductors or of generating-stations, and when such a locomotive is operated with other vehicles having electric motors attached to their axles the weight of the locomotive may be materially reduced, as this is not required for adhesion, there then being very little or no draw-bar pull.

In theclaims it is to be understood that the words a number include one or morethan one of each element to which they are applied.

We claim as our invention 1. A motor-car carrying an isolated steam electric generating plant, having a steam-turbine in combination With an air-cooled condenser consisting of piping -for the exhauststeam, means for maintaining a vacuum therein, and means for producing a current of air therein, as described.

2. A motor-car carrying an isolated steam electric generating plant, havinga steam-turbine in combination with an air-cooled condenser consisting of piping for the exhauststeam, means for maintaining avacuum therein, an air-chamber in which said piping is located, means for producing a current of air therein, and means for introducing air heated therein into the steam-generator of the plant to maintain combustion, as described.

3. A motor-car carrying an isolated steam electric generating plant, having a steam-turbine in combination with an air-cooled condenser consisting of piping for the exhauststeam, means for maintaining a vacuum therein, an air-chamber in which said piping is located, means for producing a current of air therein, means for introducing air heated therein into the steam-generator of the plant to maintain combustion, and a structure inclosing said isolated plant and having said airchamber located in its walls and roof and provided with. openings to the outside, as described.

4. A motor-car carrying an isolated steam electric generating plant, having asteam-turbine in combination with an air-cooled condenser consisting of piping for the exhauststeam, means for maintaining a vacuum therein, an air-chamber in which said piping is located, means for producing a current of air therein, means for introducing air heated therein into the steam-generator of the plant to maintain combustion, a structure inclosing said isolated plant and having said air-chamber located in its walls and roof and provided with openings to the outside, and shutters for said openings, some of said shutters projecting forward and some rearward, as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification'in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HUGH REID. DAVID MAoNAB RAMSAY.

Witnesses:

DAVID FERGUSON, WILFRED HUNT.

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