Document 9JnD80YeqpjkM75w2KxVD28dq

AUTUMN . POWERFAX . 1 9 3 3 adjusted. A close examination should be made of all safety de vices, all governor parts, nozzles and diaphragms, all wheels and wheel bucketing, shaft, bearings, shaft seals, interstage seals, casing joint surface, oil pumps, oil cooler, oil pressure controls, and oil tank. On reassembly, it includes reset ting of rotor position and rotor Roat, realignment of unit, testing of governor, testing of overspeed trip device, and observation of op eration of the unit as a whole. For our final point, minimum maintenance costs, we must con sider more than just the sum spent for labor and material on the unit itself. As the heart ofthe industrial plant, if the power unit breaks down because of worn parts or need of readjustment, the loss in production is always far more cost ly than a periodical inspection and overhaul. Again, such periodical overhaul holds the maintenance expenditure per year to a mini mum by keeping the unit always in best of condition. Many parts can be refitted periodically so that their usefulness continues, but if let go for a greater time, complete replacement becomes necessary. Experience has shown that plants following such a schedule go' through from year to year with no production shutdowns, and few minor repairs in between. If no major repairs need to be made, the time required for such a periodical overhaul will be short and well worth the effort. VETERAN STEAM ENGINE STILL ON THE JOB ALTHOUGH the advent of the JLX. unaflow engine, IS or 20 years ago, definitely obsoleted the com pound engine, there are still a num ber of the latter in operation, and giving a right good account of themselves. The photograph shows one of these old war horses still on duty. It is in the power plant of the A. & M. College of Texas, College Station, Texas, where it was installed in 1904. The engine is a McEwen (Ridg- way) 10' x 20" x 16' tandem-com pound single - valve unit direct- connected to a 100-kw. alternator, ator installation has been neces running at 257 r.pA., on 150 lbs. sary. Since that time, this old en steam pressure, with atmospheric gine occasionally goes into serv exhaust. ice, and is being maintained for For about 25 years this unit duty as a stand-by unit. For this was in steady operation. It gave reason, the equipment is kept in a good account of itself and as the good operating condition as is ev load in the University grew it as- erything in this power plant. . sumed the extra duty imposed up Through the courtesy of the on it. Records show that it fre Chief Engineer of this plant, Mr. quently operated at a load of 150- Guy McHines, we secured a copy kw. at 90% power factor, and of a 3team consumption test which neither the engine nor its gener was made on this unit in July, ator showed any particular strain 1932. According to the results of under that condition. With a more this test the steam rate of 29.15 rapid growth of the University in lbs. per indicated horsepower, and late years, a modern turbo-gener 43.8 lbs. per kilowatt is a good indication that the 28 years of hard service have by no means condemned this old fellow to the scrap heap. The mechanical ef ficiency was shown in test at 90%. This is even better than that usu ally obtained on a brand new en gine when it is first started on the test block at the factory. Incidentally, the A. 8s M. Col lege of Texas has recently install ed three Elliott mechanical drive turbines; a 100-hp. turbine driv ing a coal pulverizer, and two 40-hp. turbines driving pumps in the hot-water heating system. Also an Elliott 3000 g.p.m. deaerator. * * 19 il I CRIMDEBN00000181