Comparison of radial pattern crown stays (left) and original vertical crown stays (right) on FEA model of welded locomotive boiler.
The radial pattern provides better support to the fire box crown, doing a better job than the extra row of stays above the fire box in the vertical stay configuration.
Further work needed to reduce stress in throat area ( which is due to large un-stayed area ) and longitudinal stay arrangement.
Please click on the main image to start animation. Clicking on the moving image will stop the animation. Clicking on the smaller boiler image to the right swaps viewpoint.
Animation is of a repeated cycle of pressurisation up to 1.628 N/mm2 and back down to zero again.
Original image is 1430 x 860 and can be zoomed to 200% using the key sequence below
To zoom in press the "Ctrl" key and the "+" key.
To zoom out press the "Ctrl" key and the "+" key.
