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  • EDUCTOR TUBE FOR A 244?

  • Discussion of products from the American Locomotive Company. A web site with current Alco 251 information can be found here: Fairbanks-Morse/Alco 251.
Discussion of products from the American Locomotive Company. A web site with current Alco 251 information can be found here: Fairbanks-Morse/Alco 251.

Moderator: Alcoman

 #161689  by Paul
 
While browsing the GE side of the the forum, I came accross a thread about a Chris MacDermot engineered eductor set up for a 251 engine. I have long thought about this very thing concerning a 244 engine that I am putting back into service. I think for the type of operation this locomotive will see, this set up would be excellent and eliminate a vexing problem.
Any thoughts?

 #162659  by mxdata
 
It sounds to me like this concept should be workable. I would think that you should try to use some standard parts, like portions of the EMD eductor tube arrangement, to hold the cost down. Having a system made up totally of custom pieces might be very expensive.

Some EMD engines use an eductor that works totally from the suction of the draft tube, others use an eductor that has an air booster. The air booster eductor might be easier to adapt to another engine, as you could try various orifice sizes in the air feed line until the unit pulled the desired suction. On most EMD turbo engines the eductor provides about 5 inches water (that's inches of water, not inches of mercury!) vacuum in the crankcase at full load.

 #162873  by Paul
 
No, I wouldnt make it up with custom pieces, I am much too lazy (and cheap) for that to ever happen. I will scounge to see what I have laying around. I was toying with the idea of using the intake stream off the turbo compressor side and reburning the crankcase gasses (ala PVC) in the combustion chambers. Any thoughts about that? I hate cleaning eductor tubes every 15 days as per CDF and U.P rules.
Thank you MX for your reply.

 #162993  by mxdata
 
EMD's arrangement with the eductor and draft tube on the exhaust side is the only safe way to go. Feeding any type of combustible vapors into the intake side of a diesel engine is unpredictable and potentially very dangerous.
 #166170  by ATK
 
Paul wrote:... and eliminate a vexing problem.
What "vexing" problem? What do you hope an eductor tube going to do for you that the crankcase exhauster is not currently doing for you???

 #170381  by Paul
 
What "vexing" problem? What do you hope an eductor tube going to do for you that the crankcase exhauster is not currently doing for you???
The biggest problem is that the engine never works hard to clear her up. The military had the crankcase exhauster plumbed below the rear of the fuel tank allowing the exhausted fumes to make thier way into the cab. Very bad. I am in the process of renewing all 12 pumps and nozzles, along with building a load bank. While I was at it I thought if I could plumb the exhauster down to the stack, I could perhapps eliminate the exhauster motor and use an eductor set up ala EMD.

 #170982  by ATK
 
Our RS-3 has the same setup with the crankcase exhaust exiting underneath the platform next to the fuel tank, however we don't have any problems with fumes in the cab. If fumes in the cab is your problem, then why not just do what the Central did and stick that crankcase exhaust stack straight up in the air?