Easy Steps to Locomotive Engineering; A Series of Eight Easy Explanatory Lessons Covering the Construction and Operation of the Locomotive, the Qualif

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912. Excerpt: ... LESSON IV. COMBUSTION OF FUEL IN LOCOMOTIVES Bearing in mind the truth that the capable fireman is the one who knows, who understands causes and effects, it follows that a certain portion of technical knowledge is essential. 1. Combustion of fuel in locomotives means heat, and that spells energy. It is well to keep in mind that matter in any form implies two or more elements in chemical activity, and that in the process of combustion, certain chemical reactions occur, changing the coal in the firebox to one of two gases, known as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. One of these gases makes an intensely hot fire, because of perfect combustion, the other a far less satisfactory fire because of imperfect combustion. One fire is economical, profitable, the other is wasteful, unprofitable. The locomotive's power depends on the heat obtained from the coal, and differs according to the kind of combustion--so that one fireman may get more heat out of a small fire than another man gets out of one that consumes a vast quantity of coal. 2. The composition of coal--meaning the elements it contains and in what proportions; the temperature at which these different elements ignite; the proportions in which the different elements combine (burn) when conditions are favorable; the quantity of air required and at what particular place in the firebox it should Note: Copyrighted as a contributed article to the Locomotive Firemen and Enginemeu'a Magazine, Feb., 1911, by Frederick J. Prior. be admitted; the number of heat units a pound of coal will yield under perfect combustion, and the number yielded under imperfect combustion--all form subjects with which the fireman should become familiar if he is to be a capable fireman. 3. An important point to keep in mind is, that when ...