Locomotive Sparks

LOCOMOTIVE SPARKS. - 1902 - PREFACE - A srr nl7 of fuel-losses from locomotives, in the form of sp tt-1 s. uras first made by the author in I 896. From this study the vroi-k has gradually been extended to embrace other phases of the spark problem until n consiclernblc amount of data has been collected. nIeanl-hilc, a dcscription of the early n-ork llal ingb een pul lishcd, t here -ere received at the lnhoratorj so mamjr incluirics for infor nationc oncerni sgp arks that it has sccmed b e t to sumtnat-izc ancl publish the facts nolv in hancl. 111 selecting data for presentation, an effort 11as been matlc to serve studct ts o f locomoti ep erformance as Tell as those 117110 may bc conccrnetl -it11 more practical problelns. I acts are presentecl u-hich it is hoped will be fount1 useful to tllose v110 11m-e to clenl wit11 fuel saving, those -l10 mn-be intcrcstcd in the design of spark-asresters or front-entl npplianccs, antl tllose U-110 arc concernecl n-it11 thc c1 ungers of ncciclcntnl fires fi-0111 sp sl s. i2clino-lctlgme11 is t due JIesst-S. 1. cu-is S. Icinnaii-d, Alfred l. K , Georxc 1. Tug, Char-lcs c ant1 Jay 13. Dill. 11-110, hiles tutlents tT 1rcluc. . ere interestecl in nclvxncing some phasc of the vhole -cse rch. Publishecl I-esults hich ha-c been most - lunl l a c t - c those of RIcssrs. Robert O - u n-le, Eclwin 31. I Iei-I-, Cllarlcs I I. Qucrcau, I Tcrr 1.011 i3orrics, and . . S I11 PREFACE. Mr. J. Snowden Bell. Individual credit is, so far as prac ticable, given elsewhere. The author is especially indebted to RIr. Ducas for courteous and generous assistance in the arrai geme of td ata for publication, and in the preparatioil of illustrations. v. F. AI. G. ENGIKEEKIS L G X BORATOKY P , U KDI G N IVLKS TY, LAFAYETTE I , s u., October, 1901. TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. THE LOCOMOTIVE. PAGR I. Fundamental Conceptions.. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I CHAPIER 11. CCNDITIONS AFFECTING FURNACE ACTION IN A 1, OCOlIOTIVE. 2. The Locomotive-furnace.. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . 3. Rates of Combustion in the Furnaces of Locomotii-es. . . . . . . . . . . . 9 4. Rates of Combustion and Grate-areas.. . .. . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 5. Draft , .........-.... . . . .... . . .. ...... .. .. . ... . . . . ... . ......,... 14 Ct DERS AND SPARKS. 6. How Cinders are Made.. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 16 7. F r n t - e n d Cinders.. . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . 17 8. Sparks.. . . .. . .. . .. . . . . .-. . . ... . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. ., . . .. . 13 9. Conditions Affecting the Production of Cinders arlrl Sparks .. . . . . 13 10. Experiments to Determine the Extent of Spark-losses.. . . .. . . . . . . I9 I 1. Size of Front-end Cinders and Sparks. - . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 r 12. The Loss of Fuel by Cinders and S p a r k s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 13. Ileating Value and Coal Equivalent of Sparks.. . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . 33 14. Conclusions as to Cinder-and Spark-losses.. . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . 35 15. Spark Prevention.. . .... . ... . .. . -. . . . .. . . ........ .. .... . ........ 37 16. Increased Grate-area.. . . . . . . . . . . . - . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS . The Brick Arch ................................................ PA 3 G s E A Typical Front-end .......................................... 3s Diaphragm or Baffle...