The Steamboating Forum

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DetroitTug,

DetroiTug wrote:If I understand it correctly, you're firing a boiler up that isn't connected to anything

I'll check...




-CB

My Dad and his brothers had a double drum American Hoist steam donkey that they used to clear the land. The boiler was fed water with an injector or as dad called it an " inspirator" which may have been a brand name. He said a full boiler with a full head of steam, and a hot fire was good for a couple of pulls before you needed to add water. Normaly water was added was added while waiting for the each turn to be rigged so they didn't nave to wait for the steam to recover. Stoke the fire, light off the injector bringing the water back to the top, and if all was timed right you might not have to wait for the steam to recover by the time the that next turn was ready.

This worked okay for the donkey where the need for steam was intermittent. Not sure how good it would be for the primary feed source on a constant steam demand unless the injector was sized to match the demand?

For what its worth?

Dave

I took L'ill Steamy out yesterday. I disconnected the over-flow thru-hull line from the injector so i could have instant visual response to the in flow lines. this made a big difference in method of operation. I still had some difficulties with injector but i did not waste time waiting for a sight glass response. the injector almost always hooked-up but some times there was just overflow water. I shut down the water inlet and overflow would switch to just steam. Then, I cracked open the inlet water until the overflow started. Then backed down a little from there.

wsmcycle wrote:I still had some difficulties with injector but i did not waste time waiting for a sight glass response.

Still was curious which injector you are using.

Several pamplets and instructions say you should do they fine adjusting with the the water inlet/suction valve more so then the steam inlet - sort of like you are saying you did.

You can sometime inject water and still be getting overflow (lets say conditions aren't ideal for whatever reason). But you really have to let the glass tell you that story - if it's wavy out that might be difficult!

-CB

I'm a proponent of injectors in launches, but only in conjunction with at least two other methods of getting water into the boiler. My favorites are simple ram-type displacement pumps. With a properly sized intake and ram, a water-hammer attenuator (air chamber) and pet cocks on the top of your lift checks to bleed possible air out, they are trouble free.

As far as injectors go, I've been able to start every injector I've encountered... eventually. From Bufflao, to Penburthy, and many in-between. In my experience you can rely on injectors to be unreliable. On a plant pushed to its limit, the injector by far had the most effect on steam pressure.

In my experience a cool, clean, and unobstucted feed supply (and unobstructed feed to boiler) opened fully, then open steam fully, and finally regulate supply until you hear her "sing" with little to no overflow works for me. Keep the overflow unobstructed as well!