Walt and the List,
The operation of the dead-leg lubricator has me wondering also. If the
pressure in the lubricator varies as the valves and pistons go through their
cycles, then maybe condensation that is trapped below the lubricator oil
during a period of high pressure expands and vaporizes when the pressure is
reduced. Maybe the turbulent flow that is produced is the mechanism that
carries the oil droplets up and into the steam line to the cylinders. This
theory requires a small reservoir of condensed water in the lubricator,
which would happen during steam up when the lubricator was comparatively
cold.
I wonder also if hot steam oil can "wick" up the inside of the steam line
from the lubricator, and then get pushed up faster in little waves by the
"pumping" action of the changing steam pressure. I know that cooking oil
will wick up the inside of its container, but I always attributed that to
chemical change over time creating a film on the container surface that
would then allow additional oil to wick up, chemically change, and extend
the film layer.
Steve Shyvers
