The first valve
will close the steam to the engine and the second will control the
flow of steam to and from the manifold. These valves can be operated
by hand from a platform located on the wall inside the engine room, or
they can be closed from a distant point by hydraulic apparatus. In the
event of accident the piping to any engine can be quickly cut out or
that system of piping can quickly be disconnected from the
compensating system.
The pipe area containing, as mentioned, the various valves described,
together with the manifolds and compensating pipes, is divided by
means of cross-walls into sections corresponding to each pair of main
engines. Each section is thus separated from those adjoining, so that
any escape of steam in one section can be localized and, by means of
the quick-closing valves, the piping for the corresponding pair of
main engines can be disconnected from the rest of the power house.
[Illustration: VIEW FROM TOP OF CHIMNEY SHOWING WATER FRONTAGE--POWER
HOUSE]
All cast iron used in the fittings is called air-furnace iron, which
is a semi-steel and tougher than ordinary iron. All line and bent pipe
is of wrought iron, and the flanges are loose and made of wrought
steel. The shell of the pipe is bent over the face of the flange. All
the joints in the main steam line, above 2-1/2 inches in size, are
ground joints, metal to metal, no gaskets being used.
Unlike the flanges ordinarily used in this country, special extra
strong proportions have been adopted, and it may be said that all
flanges and bolts used are 50 per cent.
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