Manchester Memoirs, Vol. xlvi. (1901), No. 



III. On Explosions of Steam Pipes due to Water- 

 Hammers. 



By C. E. Stromeyer, M.Inst.C.E. 



Received and read October 2gtk, igoi. 



Since the Board of Trade Commissioners began to 

 inquire into explosions of steam vessels seventeen years 

 have elapsed, and fifty cases of steam-pipe explosions due 

 to water-hammer action have been reported upon by them. 

 In nearly all these cases the explosions were brought 

 about as follows : — 



The steam pipes connecting a set of boilers generally 

 consisted of a horizontal length ending in a vertical bend. 

 (See Fig. i.) One boiler would be out of use, and its 



Fig. I. 

 bent steam pipe would be full of condensed water, the 

 lower part of which would be cold, while the top surface 

 in the vertical bend would be in contact with high-pressure 

 steam of the other boilers and would be hot. Steam ' 



December gth, igoi. 



