Seems like an easy question, but I'm at a loss. Where does the combustion make-up air enter the firebox? There must be a lot of it required, considering the amount of fuel consumed.
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Art,
It enters from under the firebox. The coal sits on grates and the air comes up and through the grates to burn the coal.
Or on an oil burner, it can come in through the dampers in the fire pan and the fire door.
smd4 posted:Or on an oil burner, it can come in through the dampers in the fire pan and the fire door.
I'm aware of the fire door air duct on UP oil burning steam locomotives, however that was generally only used on this locomotives converted fro coal to oil. Most railroads that had oil burning steam locomotives had measured combustion air taken in through the burner port, plus side dampers in the firepan. Also, railroads like the Santa Fe and SP&S, for example, had an additional Fireman controlled inlet damper on the forward portion of the firepan, near the burner port. Taking air in through the fire door, was generally not a good idea on larger locomotives, unless the locomotive was working extremely hard, at slower speeds, i.e. high back pressure.
Thank you all.
Hot Water posted:smd4 posted:Or on an oil burner, it can come in through the dampers in the fire pan and the fire door.
Taking air in through the fire door, was generally not a good idea on larger locomotives, unless the locomotive was working extremely hard, at slower speeds, i.e. high back pressure.
I'm talking about smaller locomotives, which often had a damper in the door.
Our engine was converted from oil, to coal, and back to oil again. The damper in the firepan is about 8" x 24". We need all the air we can get.
