[Steam-engine] water level

[Andy glines]

Thanks for the answer Andre.  There is only 1 soft
plug located in the top of the fire tube.  Our club
owns a stationary Kewanee boiler with the soft plug
like you mention.  The Kewanee soft plug is near the
top of the front tube sheet though.  I gues that I'm a
little unsure about the way it is now.  If there is
water in the glass at all then there is plenty over
the fire tube.  I will have to run it pretty highy in
the glass to insure that the top row of tubes is
always covered though.
--- Andre Blanchard <andre at usermail.com> wrote:

> My information in this area is based mostly on what
> I have read or learned
> from others, so for what it is worth.
> 
> 
> > I have a question on the required water level for
> my
> > 1905 Huber 16.  This weekend I noticed the
> > relationship between the sight glass/gauge cocks
> and
> > the tubes in the boiler.  The Huber return-flue
> boiler
> > has no crown sheet but rather a large central fire
> > tube equipped with a soft plug like a crown sheet
> > would have.  You can see a section view of a Huber
> > boiler by looking at Paul Pavlinovich's site
> In stationary return flue boilers the fire is not in
> a large flue but under
> the boiler.  These boilers have the soft plug in the
> rear tube sheet just
> above the top row of tubes.  Does the Huber have a
> second plug in that
> location?
> 
> >
>
http://www.steamengine.com.au/steam/faq/simple/boiler/index.html
> >   scroll down the page until you get to "The
> Return
> > Flue Boiler".  You can also see a few pics of my
> > engine from when Brice Adams was the owner on
> Paul's
> > page.
> This it?
> http://www.steamengine.com.au/steam/restore/huber/ 
> 
> >        The gauge glass on my engine is on a water
> > column much like a Case engine.  I noticed that
> the
> > level of the glass and the lower test cock is
> below
> > the top row of tubes.  If left to get very low in
> the
> > glass the top row of tube will be completely
> exposed
> > and another partially exposed.  So long as there
> is
> > water in the glass there is adequate water over
> the
> > fire flue.  Please note that the top row of tubes
> in
> > my boiler is higher than the ones depicted in
> Paul's
> > picture.  Is there similar danger in flues being
> > exposed to the crown sheet being exposed?
> Since the hot gases have to travel the length of the
> fire flue and turn back
> into the tubes there should be much less chance of
> those tubes reaching
> anything like the temperatures possible for a crown
> sheet.
> 
> > Will
> > overheated flues cause a dangerous flash steam
> > condition.
> >From what I have heard over heated tubes mostly
> just start to leak, at worst
> collapse.  Even if a tube could completely disappear
> you would have two 3"
> holes in the boiler which would result in a rapid
> release of energy but
> nothing like an explosion.
> The danger of being cooked would be much the same.
> Collapse of the fire flue is a different matter and
> could result in a
> release of energy at a rate that could be considered
> an explosion.
> 
> > I know that I want them covered at all
> > times but do I need to move the water column?
> Where is the level at the top of the glass?
> I think I would at least mark the level of the top
> row of tubes.
> 
> > 
> > =====
> > Andy Glines
> > Evansville, IN
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> Andre' B.  Clear Lake Wis.
>  
> 
> 
> 
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>
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> 


=====
Andy Glines
Evansville, IN


		
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