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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.
This will suddenly and violently throw the lever into the full cut-off position, carrying with it the real danger of injury to the driver, damage to the valve gear and triggering wheel slip in the locomotive. The only way to prevent this is to close the regulator and allow the steam pressure in the valve chest to drop.
The first kind is the steam lap, which is the amount by which the valve overlaps the steam port on the live steam side of the piston or slide valve (i.e. the distance the valve needs to move to just begin to uncover the port).
In the simple case, this can be a relatively simple task as in the internal combustion engine in which the valves always open and close at the same points. This is not the ideal arrangement for a steam engine, though, because greatest power is achieved by keeping the inlet valve open throughout the power stroke (thus having full boiler pressure, minus transmission losses, against the piston ...
Frederick Ellsworth Sickels (September 20, 1819; [1] Gloucester County, New Jersey – March 8, 1895; Kansas City [2]) was an American inventor, best known for the invention of a cut-off valve for steam engines in 1841. Sickels grew up in New York City, [3] where his father was Chief Health Officer. [4]
Cross compound engine, with an expansion valve (top) on the high-pressure cylinder. An expansion valve is a device in steam engine valve gear that improves engine efficiency. It operates by closing off the supply of steam early, before the piston has travelled through its full stroke. This cut-off allows the steam to then expand within the ...
These diagrams were used to determine the efficiency of steam engines, such as those found aboard Western Rivers steamboats. Reason This image is of high technical standards, sufficient scalable resolution, is an excellent illustration of the related concepts, has a free license, supplements two separate articles, is accurate, has valuable ...
Period cutaway diagram of a triple-expansion steam engine installation, circa 1918. This particular diagram illustrates possible engine cutoff locations, after the Lusitania disaster and others made it clear that this was an important safety feature. A marine steam engine is a steam engine that is used to power a ship or boat.