07-24-2010, 01:36 PM
Gary,
a closed system would fail. You need the steam blowing through the stack to get the fire going. An other point is cooling the steam down to become water again. That requires a huge condensate tender that works best in cold environment. But they are need in dry and hot climate. That makes the condensate tender even bigger and more complicated. It was a nice try and some engines have been build (even in Germany) but it never became main stream. Just a bigger water tank in the tender or a second tender with additional water was a more simple solution.
a closed system would fail. You need the steam blowing through the stack to get the fire going. An other point is cooling the steam down to become water again. That requires a huge condensate tender that works best in cold environment. But they are need in dry and hot climate. That makes the condensate tender even bigger and more complicated. It was a nice try and some engines have been build (even in Germany) but it never became main stream. Just a bigger water tank in the tender or a second tender with additional water was a more simple solution.
Reinhard