A senior moment is occurring in respect of how a displacement lubricator works of the type that is bottom fed with steam but has no internal pipe arrangement to the top of the displacer body through which the displaced oil on top of the condensate would normally be forced. A treatise would be OTT but a simple explanation would be gratefully received.
Alan
In message , Alan Marshall writes
Don't forget that the feed rate into the bottom of the oil reservoir will (or should be) so slow that by the time it gets there it will have condensed back to water. Thus the oil in the reservoir is floating on water. The rate of water flow into the reservoir and hence of oil out of the top is controlled by a needle valve between the reservoir and a sight glass. From the sight glass(es) oil passes to the cylinder(s).
Don't forget to prime the oil feed pipes of a new system. Just how slow is the rate of flow is typified by the story told me by another Hunslet builder. His very successful maiden run of his loco was terminated early because of concerns about lubrication (no tell-tale oil smear at the chimney). Ready to scrap the whole system he started to dismantle, only to find that, had he waited a few more minutes, oil would have eventually reached the cylinders. He told me that since then he has been delighted by a trouble-free non-mechanical lubrication system.
Mike The design of lubricator I cannot understand is the one that does not have a pipe inside for the oil to come down. So the steam condensate enters the base of the lubricator (via a needle valve) into a cylindrical vessel full of oil. As I see it the oil will always remain on top and I cannot see how it can get out down the pipe and valve through witch the condensate is coming in?
There is a similar design in this months EIM in the Standard BR class 4 article, in this case its the steam brake lubricator.
Alan
what happens is the steam condensates to water which lays heavy at th
bottom of the lubricator, the oil is lighter than the water and s floats, the oil is then forced out under pressure within the hot steam the lubricator should be in-line and as close to the engine as possible the needle valve adjusts the amount of oil being let through, althoug very little oil does travel through the steam pipe it is enough t lubricate the bore/piston. this is also the reason why the correc steam oil should be used with the right viscosity. there should be drain c*ck at the bottom of the lubricator to drain the water prior t getting up steam
-- blueswar
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