Compressor exhauster

Introduction

In earlier locomotive we used only air brakes. For that a compressor is needed to produce
compressed air. But after 1980,almost all locomotives have dual brake systems, air brakes is used
for application in the locomotive (engine) and vacuum brakes are used for the application of
brakes in the wagon or compartments. For that we need compressed air for air brake and high
vacuum brake. A simple compressor cannot provide high compressed air and high vacuum.For
obtaining these two, we need a compressor and an exhauster together.For that we use a single
unit known as EXPRESSOR, in the dual brake locomotives. Therefore expressor is simply
expressed as

Exhauster + compressor = EXPRESSOR

(EXPRESSOR PICTURE)

COMMON FEATURES OF EXPRESSOR

Expressor is a reciprocating type system. It has six cylinders, which ae arranged in a W
type manner,two cylinders are in vertical position and four in a V shape.It is an air cooled
system with forced feed lubrication. For cooling purpose a fan is used which is of a forced
draught type,mounted on the crankshaft. The oil fill capacity is 30 litres; the oil grade being
servo press 150-IOC.

TYPE OF EXPRESSOR
Expressors are generally classified on the basis of the number of cylinders they have and out of
which how many are sed as compressors. The three main classification are:

1) 6CD 4UC: - Here, the expressor totally consists of six cylinders of which two cylinders
are compressors. These two provided compressed air to the actuation of air brakes and
other four are the exhauster.
(gambar 6cd 4uc)
2) 6CD 3UC: - Here the expressor totally consist of six cylinders in which three cylinders
provide compressed air for air brakes and other three help in the creation of vaccum for
the actuation of vaccum brakes.
(gambar 6cd 3uc)
3) 3CD B: - This type of expressor consists of three cylinders, which bare used only as
compressors. This type of expressors is not capable of producing exhaust trough it is
termed as an expressor. This system is presently not used in dual brake system and is
limited only in locomotives having air brakes only.
(gambar 3cd b)
MAIN PARTS IN EXPRESSOR
1) Crank case
2) Cylinder and cylinder head
3) Inlet and discharge valve
4) Air intake and strainer assembly
5) Piston and connecting rod
6) Crankshaft
7) Intercooler
8) Unloader valve
9) Safety valve
10) Crank case vacuum maintain valve

Working of an expressor (6CD 4UC)

Process of air compression

Wen drive is given to the expressor through the crankshaft, the piston of the low- pressure
cylinder moves towards the bottom dead center (B C D). The combined action of the delivery
valve return spring and the pressure differential developed between discharge manifold and the
low pressure cylinder closes the delivery valve.At the same time, inlet valves open due to the
pressure differential developed between the inside and outside of the low pressure cylinder.
The atmospheric air is sucked into the low pressure cylinder through air filter ,which is fitted to
the suction side of the low pressure cylinder head. During the upward motion of the piston,the
combined action of the inlet valve spring and the pressure difference developed between the
inside and outside of the low-pressure cylinder closes the inlet valve. The air which is trapped
inside the cylinder, gets compressed. The compressed air forcibly opens the delivery valve due to
the formation of pressure differential, which has been developed between the discharge manifold
and the cylinder. The compressed air is delivered into the discharge manifold through the
delivery valves. It then reaches the intercooler through the discharge manifold.
The air coming from the low-pressre cylinder first enter the intercooler through the side having
24 tubes, then passes through the side having 21 tubes and reaches the high pressure cylinder.
During the compression in the low pressure cylinder, the temperature of the compressed air is
increased. Futher compression of this air in the high pressure cylinder is effective only if the
temperature of this air is lowered, or else more work will have to be done on this air, which will
lead to reduction in effiency. To prevent this , we use and intercooler, which is reduces the
temperature of the compressed air coming from the low pressure cylinder and thus increase the
volumetric efficiency of the compressor of the compressor. The fan and the finned tubes of the
intercooler increase the efficiency of the cooling.The cooled compressed air gets compressed to a
higher pressure in the high pressure cylinder and is delivered to the air receiver. This compressed
air developed by the compressor is used for the application brakes for the locomotive, horns and
wind-screen vipers.

WORKING OF AN EXHAUSTER

When vacuum brake is applied, air is entered into the vacuum lines. For further application of
this vacuum brake, the air present in the vacuum lines should be removed so that the vacuum
tank is connected to the exhauster. The air present in the vacuum brake pipe is sucked into the
inlet of the exhauster haed,which is connected by the inlet manifold. The cylinder heads of all the
exhauster cylinders are provided with two inlet and two delivery valves. During the downward
motion of the piston, i.e. moving to B D C, air is sucked through the inlet valves of the exhauster
cylinder. The pressure differential developed between the exhauster cylinder and vacuum brake
pipe makes the inlet valve open, during which the double action of delivery valve spring and
pressure differential developed between inside and outside of the exhauster cylinders keep the
delivery valves closed. When the piston moves to T DC, the air is compressed to a pressure,
which is comparatively higher than the atmospheric pressure. The delivery valves open and the
air escapes through the manifold to the atmospheric pressure. The process is continued, until the
vacuum is attained to 585mm or 23 of mercury.

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