Southworth 12" Vertical pumps

[DetroiTug]

Engraved the name on it.



-Ron

[DetroiTug]

Ran a test today. It will run on water at the steam side as Steve W and a few others indicated. The action slows way down and continues to pump at a very low rate on the bottom end. The top end exhaust is almost a steady stream of water with brief interruptions. This is going to work for automatic boiler level control by taking steam off the boiler right at the middle trycock. The shuttle valve makes it possible whereas the pilot valve is controlled from the piston rod, which in turn controls the main diverter/shuttle valve. So, I'm guessing these pumps that don't have a dual valve set up cannot run with water on the steam side.

-Ron

[DetroiTug]

Ran a pressure test. 100 psi air on top and 200 psi water on the bottom.

[JonRiley56]

Ahhhhhhh.............Yeeeeeaaahhhhhhhhhh......!!!!!! Thats what I'm talkin about. That is so cool !!!! i cant wait to get mine.......I think I will use it for a hood ornament for a few weeks before i have to put it in the boat.............

[marinesteam]

NICE!

[Rainer]

Great! Like it!

I just wonder if it is a good idea to use the exhaust in a little heat exchanger to preheat the boiler feed water. In this way you never can overheat the exchanger because you only heat it while pumping?!

Additional you will not ruine your main vacuum by to much fresh steam from the pump exhaust.

[DetroiTug]

Quoted "I just wonder if it is a good idea to use the exhaust in a little heat exchanger to preheat the boiler feed water. In this way you never can overheat the exchanger because you only heat it while pumping?!"

Rainer,

That is a good idea! I had planned on just exhausting it out the side, but it seems a bit wasteful. I thought the economizer coil in the funnel would maybe offset the loss. The way I have been pumping water, the economizer hasn't been doing anything when I'm not pumping water so it would simply be used continually now. A small heat exchanger would save the heat.

Thanks, Ron

[fredrosse]

Just made a spreadsheet to figure out how much feed heating might be had here. Turns out a small reciprocating feed pump exhaust steam can heat the feedwater about 80F (45C), which is very good. Say 120F (49C) to 200F (93C), recovering most of the energy a normally wasteful reciprocating direct acting feed pump uses. The main engine would run with condensing with good vacuum, while the reciprocating steam pump would exhaust at atmospheric pressure, the same setup as the WWII Liberty Ships used.

I have guessed at the numbers, but if anyone wants to give input values I would be happy to put them into the computer and generate an answer. I assumed a 150 PSIG (10 Barg) steam pressure, 250 Pounds Per Hour (PPH), (113 kg/hr) steam plant, about a 5 - 7 HP steam plant (3.7 - 5.2 kW). The steam pump needs about 20 PPH steam flow to pump 250 PPH continuously.

[DetroiTug]

Fred,

That is encouraging. I'm in the process of picking up a Mercruiser heat exchanger (steering cooler).

I'm afraid if I add one more steam "thing" to this, I'm going to have to register with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

-Ron

[DetroiTug]

Thanks to the scale Locomotive crowd, an 1/8" scale valve and Displacement lubricator:



Made the bracket today and put the pump in it's new home. Now just have to pipe it up. Some very dry wood in the bunker awaiting spring:



On an unrelated topic, mounted this "Wheelhouse" placard today too. Found this via the internet in the UK. Don't want anyone aboard getting lost Very rare item (as far as I know), finding that was the result of a six year off and on search. Would like to find one that reads "Engine Room" for the other side, no luck on that one yet.



-Ron