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Diagram showing lap and lead and their relation to valve travel. When on the move, a steam locomotive requires steam to enter the cylinder at precise times relative to the piston's position. [3] This entails controlling the admission and exhaust of steam to and from the cylinders with a valve linked to the motion of the piston. [3]
Piston Produces the motion for the locomotive from expansion of the steam. Driven backward and forward within the cylinder by steam delivered alternately, in front and behind, by the valve. [1] [3]: 61 Cylinder Chamber that receives steam from the steam pipe. [2] [3]: 23 Valve Controls the supply of steam to the cylinders.
The cylinder is made pressure-tight with end covers and a piston; a valve distributes the steam to the ends of the cylinder. Cylinders were initially cast iron , but later made of steel . The cylinder casting includes other features such as (in the case of Stephenson's Rocket ) valve ports and mounting feet. [ 1 ]
The valve spindle is milled out to enable a better through-flow. The 4 piston rings on the valve heads are clearly visible. The valve on this locomotive has a diameter of 300mm. The Trofimoff valve (German: Trofimoff-Schieber) (also Trofimov, Troffimoff or Trofimof) is a springless pressure-compensation piston valve for steam locomotives.
One is a steam piston to move the rod as required. The other, containing oil, holds the rod in a fixed position when the steam is turned off. Control is by a small three-way steam valve (“forward”, “stop”, “back”) and a separate indicator showing the position of the rod and thus the percentage of cutoff in use.
The steam locomotive, as commonly employed, has its pistons directly attached to cranks on the driving wheels; thus, there is no gearing, one revolution of the driving wheels is equivalent to one revolution of the crank and thus two power strokes per piston (steam locomotives are almost universally double-acting, unlike the more familiar internal combustion engine).
In a steam engine, cutoff is the point in the piston stroke at which the inlet valve is closed. On a steam locomotive, the cutoff is controlled by the reversing gear.. The point at which the inlet valve closes and stops the entry of steam into the cylinder from the boiler plays a crucial role in the control of a steam engine.
Steam enters via the steam port SP, and is admitted by the slide valve SV through the upper passage S to push down the piston P. At the same time, exhaust steam from below the piston passes back up the lower passage S, via the valve cavity, to exhaust E. As the piston descends, the valve moves upwards to admit steam below the piston and release ...