Compound Steam Engines
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2 COMPOUND STEAM ENGINES 2.1 Introduction A simple steam engine may be defined as one in which each of the engine cylinder receives steam direct from the boiler, and exhausts into the atmosphere or into a condenser. In modern steam engine practice high pressure steam is used, as the use of such a steam gives greater efficiency, and the plant requires less floor space per unit power developed. But if high pressure steam is used with a large range of expansion in a single-cylinder engine, serious difficulties and disadvantages follow. To overcome the difficulties and obtain certain advantages, compound or multiple-expansion steam engines are built. Compound engine is one in which the steam from the boiler expands to a certain extent in one cylinder and then exhausts into a larger cylinder, where the expansion may be completed. The first cylinder is called the high-pressure or H.P. cylinder, while the second is called the low-pressure or LP. cylinder. A compound steam engine with two cylinders is called duplex steam engine. The expansion of the steam may be carried out in three or even four cylinders in succession as in the case of triple expansion or quadruple expansion engines. The H.P. cylinder, in such a case, is that in which the first expansion stage is performed and the L.P. cylinder is that in which the last expansion stage is performed. The cylinders between H.P. and L.P. cylinders are known as intermediate pressure cylinders or I.P. cylinders. Compound steam engines are generally condensing engines. The main objections to working the high pressure steam through large range of 4 expansion in a single-cylinder are : ... The cylinder must have a large volume for the required amount of expansion and it must be sufficiently strong to withstand safely the maximum pressure. The working parts of the engine have to be made large enough to transmit the maximum load. Therefore, a single-cylinder engine is excessively heavy and costly in proportion to the power developed. ... If the high pressure steam is expanded down to the condenser pressure in one cylinder, the stroke of the piston will be very large. ... The large range of steam pressure (pressure difference) between the initial pressure and exhaust pressure, causes a correspondingly large range of temperature in -the cylinder. This causes condensation of steam since the high pressure hot steam will come in contact with relatively cold cylinder during admission period. Conden- sation of steam is a source of loss of power and also causes mechanical trouble in the cylinder. The accumulation of water in the clearance space might cause excessive pressure to break the cylinder head. COMPOUND STEAM ENGINES 31 2J2 Advantages The following are the advantages of multiple-expansion (compound) steam engines : ... Temperature range in each cylinder is reduced, with a corresponding reduction in initial cylinder condensation and temperature stresses. The temperature range is the difference between the highest and lowest temperatures of steam within the cylinder. ... Re-evaporation of moisture at the end of expansion stroke in H.P. cylinderd adds to the live steam supply to L.P. cylinder. ... If simple engine is to utilise the same expansion ratio as a compound engine, its cylinder will have to be made strong enough to withstand the high pressure steam and large enough to accommodate the large volume of low pressure steam at the end of expansion. The thickness required for cylinder walls depends on the maximum pressure to which they are subjected and the diameter of the cylinder. In compound engine the high-pressure cylinder only is subjected to maximum pressure, but its diameter is small. This results in reduction in total weight of cylinders. ... The uniformity of turning moment is improved due to the possible out of phase crank arrangement (different pistons are coupled to separate cranks) and also due to the fact that the pressure difference at the beginning and end of the strokes is reduced and in turn reduces the maximum load on the piston. ... Better mechanical balance is achieved, which allows adoption of higher speeds. The higher speed gives improved thermal economy. ... The forces on the working parts are reduced as the forces are distributed over more components of the engine. ... The leakage of steam past the pistons and valves is reduced due to the reduced pressure difference across them. ... The steam can be re-heated after expansion in one cylinder before entering the next cylinder which will reduce cylinder condensation. ... The compound steam engine may start in any position which is an advantage for locomotives and marine engines. ... The engine may be modified to run at reduced load, at the time of breakdown. This is an advantage for marine propulsion. 2.3 Types Compound steam engines may be divided into two main classes, namely, — Tandem compound steam engine, and - Cross compound steam engine. Cross compound steam engines may be further classified as Woolf e type and Receiver type compound steam engines. In Tandem Type of compound * steam engine, the cylinders are so arranged that they have a common axis, have a common piston rod and st*am from boiitr working on the same crank (fig. (oi Schematic’tiagram 2-1 a). These cylinders may be Fig. 2-1. (a) Schematic diagram 32 ELEMENTS OF HEAT ENGINES Vol. II regarded as having cranks at zero degree to each other. The exhaust from the H.P. cylinder passes directly into the L.P. cylinder, as both the pistons are at the end of their strokes at the same time. As the cycles of the two cylinders are in phase, the maximum turning moment, due to each cylinder, will act at the same time as shown in fig: 2-1 b. The turning moment in this type of engine 9(f 135* iw f 225* 270* is, therefore, not uniform which is a Angular position of cranh — disadvantage. Since the torque is (b) turning monfrnt diagram not uniform, a larger flywheel is re- (b) Turning moment diagram quired. However, the tandem ar- Fig. 2-1. Tandem type compound steam engine, rangement gives constructional economy in view of the fewer components (parts) of the engine. In W oolfe Type of compound steam engine, the cylinders are arranged side by side with their axis parallel to each other as shown in fig. 2-2. In an engine of this type with two cylinders, the cranks of the two cylinders are at 180° to each other. The piston of the H.P. and L.P. cylinders, begin and end their strokes together. The time during which the exhaust takes place in the H.P. cylinder coincides more or less with the time of admission of steam to the L.P. cylinder. The exhaust steam from the H.P. cylinder passes directly into the L.P. cylinder. The expansion is therefore, continuous during he stroke. Since the two cranks are at 180° to each other, the two cycles are in phase and this causes large variation in the turning moment on the crankshaft. This is the same disadvantage as in the case of tandem type engine. In Receiver Type of compound steam engine, cranks of the two cylinder are placed at 90° to each other. The arrangement of cylinders is same as in the Woolfe type, As the cranks are at 90° to each other, steam from the H.P. cylinder cannot, exhaust directly into the L.P. cylinder. In order to overcome this difficulty, a container known as receiver is used (fig. 2-3). The H.P. cylinder exhausts steam into this receiver while the L.P. Receiver H R cylinder /L P. cylinder , t V 7 -14 ■ VI5 H R cylinder L.R cylinder ' c* i 1 C J o jm . uo c/ JO I— 'U I o o r\* E t t .o o w. J J J e S at 6 .C o oS E IX 111 o O\A mm 5? •> •s W •-*6 o Cn o at o in , K l- w \ / til '= 3 3 E? "3 -Ca 1 C X r O t/t Ui .•X’ursi_ -Piston £ o_r rods Q- w (1,2) Hg. 2-2. Schematic diagram of a Woolfe Fig. 2-3. Schematic diagram of a receiver type compound type compound steam engine. steam engine having cranks at 90s to each other. COMPOUND STEAM ENGINES 33 cylinder draws steam from the receiver. The receiver acts as a reservoir. The resultant turning moment (fig. 2-4a) in the receiver type compound engine is more uniform as the two cycles are out of phase by 90°, which is an advantage. With three-cylinder engine, the cranks are arranged at 120° to each other, which will result in still more uniform turning moment on the engine crankshaft as shown in fig. 2-4b. ---------------------------- ■ i— — Low pi essu re d le a d c e n tre s-f. ^V -R es u lta n tX rque/ > ] M % \ t o i ' N \ / / \J 7 T / l A\ fx V ' igh\> JK OW ' \ 74 ean \> y / E essu re \ t pr)* ssu ^,e\ • u irque V' z* \/ . \ ;\ 3 t \ • or h V * ' ► & f i % V. o V t X. i \ X / \ / • w High p ress u re d ea d . m (C entre s i 0* 45* 90° 135° 180° 225° 270 Angular position of crank (a) Two cylinders having cranks at 90* to each other. ■ f - r— I ------------------- \ ’ i n Res uIt ant ton ue ,Mean torque j/ i J I 'Sj g h pr essu r e d ed d cerit re s jh pr essu r e c u off fHi! ■v ■ V / k / * / V *N \ /* \ / " « • 0 \ • \ # « / / \ • % / > > • c V N i > 9 • a/ • / i / / 0 Z3 )] % \ 4 % \ • / / 0 \ $ • \ \ % O' V 0 i / / / \ / > V / V r • > > / \/ \ • </ • • yh \ A.