Mike Spooner
Member
At the Kempton Steam Museum is housed the worlds biggest working 800 tons triple expansion engine. For every start up the HP drain valve is left open and the engine is purge over a few times as a safety precaution. The reason given is the gap between the cylinder head and piston is 3/16" inch (4.7mm). If there is any built up of wet steam in water between the piston and cylinder head that must be removed to prevent a blown head gasket seal or a cracked cylinder head.
As for a start up from a stone cold the engine has many small preheating pipes which hot steam is run through for at less 24 hours to take the chill of the metal work surfaces before a start up. The reason given if hot steam hits a stone cold surface there is a possibly the steam can explained too quickly and blow up the engine.
As for Titanic for a restart after berg collision I can not see a problem for heat, but still requires caution of steam water build up and if was chief engineer turn over the engines a couple times with the drain valve open. Those giant engines did not come cheap! Lent alone if you got a broken engine on hand, bit of disaster for the ship too.
Mike.
As for a start up from a stone cold the engine has many small preheating pipes which hot steam is run through for at less 24 hours to take the chill of the metal work surfaces before a start up. The reason given if hot steam hits a stone cold surface there is a possibly the steam can explained too quickly and blow up the engine.
As for Titanic for a restart after berg collision I can not see a problem for heat, but still requires caution of steam water build up and if was chief engineer turn over the engines a couple times with the drain valve open. Those giant engines did not come cheap! Lent alone if you got a broken engine on hand, bit of disaster for the ship too.
Mike.
