The water for condensation is brought into the engine house
by the channel, C, and the condenser pumps, a, draw direct from this
supply; the discharge main back to the river is shown at A. The
relative positions of the engine and boiler houses are indicated in
Figs. 2 to 5, where F shows the end of one group of boilers; the air
supply for the compressors is led from the central raised portion, S,
of the roof.
Professor Riedler's first experiments in improving the efficiency of
air compressors were made with one of the Cockerill compressors in use
at the St. Fargeau Station, and considerable difficulty attended this
work, because the machinery was necessarily kept almost in constant
operation. These compressors were designed by MM. Dubois and Francois,
of Seraing. Two of their leading features were the delivery of the
compressed air at as low a temperature as possible, and with a
relatively high piston speed of about 400 ft. a minute. The former
object is attained by the injection of a very fine water spray at each
end of the air cylinder, and its rapid removal with each stroke; the
free as well as the compressed air flows through the same passages,
one at each end of the cylinder; the inlet valves being placed at the
side of these passages, and the outlet or compressed air valves at the
top, the compressed air, entering a chamber above the cylinder, common
to both valves, and passing thence to the reservoir.
Pages:
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89