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An indicator diagram is a chart used to measure the thermal, or cylinder, performance of reciprocating steam and internal combustion engines and compressors. [1] An indicator chart records the pressure in the cylinder versus the volume swept by the piston, throughout the two or four strokes of the piston which constitute the engine, or ...
Indicator diagram for steam locomotive [3] Specifically, the diagram records the pressure of steam versus the volume of steam in a cylinder, throughout a piston's cycle of motion in a steam engine. The diagram enables calculation of the work performed and thus can provide a measure of the power produced by the engine. [4]
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Oppose An indicator diagram would very rarely have the mechanism drawn. The piston position doesn't match any of the possible positions indicated by the diagram. Additionally, an indicator diagram is a plot of pressure vs volume (P-V) not pressure vs piston position. This distinction is important for calculating the work done in each cycle.
Diagram showing lap and lead and their relation to valve travel. When on the move, a steam locomotive requires steam to enter the cylinder at precise times relative to the piston's position. [3] This entails controlling the admission and exhaust of steam to and from the cylinders with a valve linked to the motion of the piston. [3]
Cross compound engine, with an expansion valve (top) on the high-pressure cylinder. An expansion valve is a device in steam engine valve gear that improves engine efficiency. It operates by closing off the supply of steam early, before the piston has travelled through its full stroke. This cut-off allows the steam to then expand within the ...
An animation of a simplified triple-expansion engine. High-pressure steam (red) enters from the boiler and passes through the engine, exhausting as low-pressure steam (blue), usually to a condenser. It is a logical extension of the compound engine (described above) to split the expansion into yet more stages to increase efficiency.