New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-17
THE FIRELESS LOCOMOTIVE

STEAM ENGINE SUITED FOR HoRsE-cARs-SO
FUEI, NO FIRE, AND NO DANGER or EXPLOSION
| PAIR PROSPECT OF SUCCESS IN THE UsK on
THE NEW MOTIVE POWER.
| Many attempts have been made to use steam
other motive power than horses for the propul
OF the used city railroads The attempts
| with electricity ammonia, and compressed air have
BEEN IL failures at least unsuccessful as TO dis
| courage efforts on the part Of the inventors Tho
problem does not at first sight very difficult one
and the ordinary steam engine, If made OF the proper
size and design would without doubt perform tho work
| in more economical manner than horses. The great
back UP to time in the OF steam has been
the admitted danger OF fire explosion. Small steam
generators require az much attention large ones, and
II each car furnished with engine, capable en-
gneer would be employed beside the conductor
| This would at increase greatly the running eK'
| penses In unskilled hands. though each machine
might constructed with the greatest care there wold
| always be a liability TO disastrous accident.
| Some trials have just been made on city roads IN
| Brooklyn OF a new invention which IL designed to oh
all the advantages OF steam, and yet oDyiae tho
danger Of carrying fire under steam boiler and tho
risk OF having pressure in the boiler raised at tho
pleasure OF the engineer This invention IA said 10 Ia
now in operation on Of the city roads In New
Orleans and 49, 1t stated giving very satisfactory re-
suits though the conditions not precisely slmiarto
those which to he met on our city rallroais Ihs
fair probability OF success with this invention renders
| especially worthy Of notice.
| The usual form OF locomotive contains boiler IN
which steam is generated by a fire butt beneath two
steamer gines one either side The whole apparatus
| is thus propelled the road.
| Suppose such an engine, with up at pressure
Of say $50 pounds per square inch, and evcrythingm
| readiness TO run. Imagine that the fire. burning
brightly ia suddenly and withdrawn. and tho
throttle valve opened The engine will at once start
into motion and continue forward TIL tho steam
which was generated is exhausted and I'LL the hea1
which impaired to the wafer has ceased to BE SUI
| hcIent to produce steam at working
pressure. engine Will then to stop, having
Travelled a certain distance The power expended re-
| presented by work in moving the engine, ani
measured by the distance travelled evidently stored
up in the boiler the moment the fire was wthdra|n
Tns il the principle OF the hreess locomotive largo
tank receiver,iS placed on platform mOunmd upon
trucks with the engines properly attached The tank
| partly filed with water at a temperature OF ahout
1852 Fahr. the remaining portion being filled wits
steam at say, pounds pressure square inch Com
munlcation Is opened with the engines ana tho
locomotive at once begins TO move forward, ana VIII
continue moving till the steam has fallen below the
pressure required perform the work. 1t Is at oncs
evident with this apparatus the liability OF expo
sion il very much reduced If indeed IL Is not altogether
avoided from the circumstances that the pressure onOo
introduced cannot be augmented till the engine returns
to ITS starting point and receives fresh charge; and
that the tank having fire under It, is not exposed TO
the deteroratne influence Of great heat at part OF ia
| surface.
more detailed description OF the construction of tho
hreess locomotive be Of interest to tho technical
reader The tank receiver may be made OF any $40
| and almost OF any shape, though plain cylinder Is
found to be the simple and convenient. as well A.
the strongest This tank Is made OF iron IN pre-
csely the same manner ordinary steam boiler eK
cept that no provision is made for fire; it Is ncosed
in a thick nonconductng substance, covering all
its external surface TO prevent, as much as
| possible all loss OF heat by radiation. Tho
covering or tagging" it il technically called IL about
ak inches in thickness At forward end OF the tank.
and a. near the bottom may be- is valve, which.
inside the tank connected with pipe extending the
whole length This pipe pierced with great NUMBER
| of small holes. A steam pipe connects TWO engines
| with the boiler in the ordinary manner. The engines
can be arranged in locomotive, horizontally or ese
| vertically working down upon the cranked axle or the
wheels It scarcely necessary to give description
OF the engines they arranged in the simplest man
ner and OF course, Will work the car either backward
OF forward as In ordinary locomotive Now suppose
the apparatus be in good order IL Is desired to I'LL
the tank and the motion. The valve before
| mentioned is connected with pipe through
| which cold water can be forced into the tank.
| which il then filled say TO two'thlrds OF ia
capacity When this accomplished the valve Is con-
nected with pipe from stationary boiler In
which steam Of the required pressure is already gener
ated This steam pressure Of j pounds per square
| inch, is now allowed to flow into the tank. passing
through the already in t. The temperature OF
this steam will be about 1852 This heat will give up
| to the cold water which it meets in the tank. TIL
all the water has attained the same temperature
as the steam. The upper part Of the tank will then n
with at l75 pounds pressure the charging opera
ton will be complete, and the is ready TO Now
the throttle valve is opened and the moves forward
The first the cylinders is used by the engines
at pressure OF us pounds the pressure falls the
steam is drawn of, and it continues so to fall TIL
| the engine has to stop from want OF steam
The calculation must be made that tho
car before stock OF exhausted shall have ar
the place where the stationary boiler Is erected
| where a fresh charge OF steam is introduced.
10 the operation clear is desirable to explain
some OF the laws governing the generation OF steam
from water To water into steam, heat Is applied
We may have water at 2l29; but before 1T will become
steam at the same temperature. have to give IL
s67 units OF heat to each pound Of water This heat,
| which is employed in changing the condition OF the
| from liquid 10 vapor, Is called latent neat;
latent because does not indicate presence upon the
thermometer Heat only become latent during the
waters change in condition from liquid to Vapor:
Sufficient heat for the required steam cannot be stored
up in the limited amount Of water that TO be turned
| INTO steam. The tank IA twO-thirds full or water
heated up to the sensible temperature OF steam ~
l75 pounds pressure but before part OF this water
can be turned steam. each pound thus converted
must receive about $50 units OF heat more than II pos
sesses this heat without which 1t can
surrounding OF water part OF whose sensible heat
becomes latent for the benefit OF that which Is about 70
| turn into steam. Therefore, each pound OF
| water (which flashes into steam inside Of ths
| tank, does at the expense of the. heat In
around It. Thus every pound Of steam cools down
number Of pounds of remaining water and consequently
steady of u miles, large quantity Of hot wats.
must be carried in the tanks, SO that IN.
h hs cooling 1 Of say S FOUR Of
to make one pound OF steam At $50 pounds pressure.