Break it Down...without blowing up?

[StorkNest]

Caught this show Break it Down in the past week where they took apart a KCS SD40-3. At one point, they remove the prime mover intact to repair and sell. A guy with a torch melts off the bolts holding it to the deck then they move it off by crane....

And there's this big flipping hole in the deck right under the prime mover, you can see into the fuel tank. The hole looks intentional, is that normal?. I always thought fuel tanks were like cars, comepletely enclosed not counting piping.

That's one good torch cutter not to ignite the fuel.

To see what I am referring to, this part of the show is here:
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/player.html?channel=1806
In the Search box in the middle under the On Air button type "diesel" and click GO, you will see the video show up on the right. Click it, after the 15 second commercial the removal video will show.

This show was followed by an episode about a small dam destruction in the Northwest, two videos on that can be found by putting "dam" in the search box, obviously the Hoover Dam video isn't part of the show I saw.

 

[Euphod]

Diesel is less flammable and explosive than gasoline and those are the main reasons for military use of diesel in tanks and trucks. Diesel engines do not use spark plugs, for instance, and the fuel must be compressed to reach the ignition point to start the explosive cycle.

 

[simulatortrain]

The base of the engine where it bolts to the frame probably covered that hole originally.

 

[backyard]

...fire water...

The fuel tanks of all locomotives are enclosed tanks. The ports they have include filler tube, air vent, supply & return lines.

You can see directly across the flat top of an EMD tank, if the air tanks are removed...the fuel tank bolts to the frame at both ends using two groups of 4 bolts...yes the tank is removable without a cutting torch.

The engine sets between the main frame rails, in a sump or box that collects oil & fuel from leaks on the engine...it has a removable plug & can be cleaned.

Another way to collect this is to route a line from this sump into a partitioned part of the main fuel tank(usually 100 gal capy).

The presence of torches directly involved in removing the prime-mover have naturally presented a fire-hazard. There must be at all times a helper watching around the torch for stray sparks that can cause even paint to catch on fire...
...so the water that has been sprayed on the fire off-camera has collected in the engine sump...

 

[jadebullet]

Diesel locomotives actually don't use glow plugs. The force of the compression by the cylinders produces enough friction of the fuel molecules to ignite the diesel. It is pretty amazing actually, but a normal flame won't ignite diesel fuel, as Euphod pointed out.

 

[Euphod]

Yeah, you right JB; I didn't do enough research. Apparently large diesel engines do not need glow plugs because the air in the middle of the cylinder is not in contact with the cold walls of the cylinder, and thus retains enough heat to allow ignition. Mea culpa.:hehe:

 

[backyard]

...glow-plug vs spark-plug...

...there is a difference...

No Diesels have spark plugs to ignite fuel/air mixture...that's done as explained by compression.

Diesel engines can have glow-plugs to heat the combustion chamber to aid in cold weather starting conditions...

Caterpillar engines used a "pre-combustion chamber" technology in there engines up to the eighties...the off-timing pop heard in the enginesound was caused by the low octane Diesel firing off at not necessarily the set timing. This pre-combustion chamber configuration always had a glow-plug to aid in starting if needed.

By the way, the name Diesel is a proper-noun, a man's name, example Rudy Diesel, Diesel-fuel, Diesel-electric, etc.

 

[illinoiscentral]

I'm no expert at the inner workings, but our Wabash 1189 has glow plugs because before you start it, it makes a uuuuuuuu-- sound and then starts.
Just like a diesel truck.

 

[skol587]

a normal flame like a match will ignite diesel fuel ignites at 143.6 degrees F and a match burns at 500 i think but diesel burns slowly

 

[deeelare]

My knowledge based on several years of being a Heavy Equipment operator .

Deisel engines are 'ignited' by the heat created simply by the extreme compustion of the cylinder , no spark plugs , no other type of ignition required . Glow plugs were simply used as a battery operated way to preheat the cylinders in cold weather , they were not a neccesity , but they were a simply way of saving cranking the engine to achive the compustion heat to ignite the fuel .

--- ,DLR

 

[jadebullet]

I'm no expert at the inner workings, but our Wabash 1189 has glow plugs because before you start it, it makes a uuuuuuuu-- sound and then starts.
Just like a diesel truck.

That is the F7 right? It probably doesn't have glow plugs, it is probably just the pistons being rotated until the compression of the gas creates enough heat to ignite. It was the same way with Engine 54, which would have the same type of engine if I remember correctly. The reason that locomotives and other large Diesels don't need glow plugs is because the air at the center is not in contact with the cylinders and thus does not lose heat as quickly.

Also, just for everyones' information, EMD engines are 2 stroke Diesels, while GE and Alco are 4 Stroke.

 

[backyard]

...no g-words here...

The pistons compress air...it's a friction of air molecules being abruptly crushed quickly kind of thing.

This so heats the ambient air temperature so much that way later on in life someone invented after-cooling...after turbo-charging...turbo-charged, after-cooled, but not always on the same engine together.

Usually the optimum ambient air-temp for Diesel engine air intake is 140°F

We are talking so much power generated that all points of a Diesel(or compression-ignition engine), are heavy-duty by default, mechanically.

Believe it, the video is depicting the best electro-mechanical engineering that the 20th Century had to offer, parted-out as it's end of life over-ran it's preservation value...