Investigation into the Poor Performance of a Feed Water Injector

By Stephen Masters

2002

An Injector is a device for putting water into a steam boiler. As the steam is used, the water level falls and so the injector refills the boiler using water from a tank. The Injectors studied in the investigation are fitted to a steam locomotive based at the East Somerset Railway.

The Project looked into the Fluid Mechanic and Thermodynamic aspects of the injector with the aim of finding any defects with the design of these injectors which would cause them to act in the way that they do.

The injectors are very difficult to start and are easily disrupted by the motion of the engine.

Once any faults had been identified, the aim was to design, manufacture and test any modifications.