Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE
SNOW REMOVAL APPARATUS AND METHOD OF USING SAME
INTRODUCTION
This invention relates to a method and apparatus
for removing snow and, more particularly, to a method and
apparatus for removing snow using a self-contained turbine
engine with flexible operating characteristics which has
particular application in association with railways.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Snow removal equipment for roads and railway
tracks is, of course, well known. In relation to railway
tracks, the type of snow removal has generally been a plow
and/or blower mounted on the forward end of an engine or an
independently powered snowplow and/or blower. Turbine
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engines for powering snow removal equipment and using the
exhaust from such engines are also known. Typically, the
snow removal equipment used for clearing railway track cuts
a passage of standard train width to allow subsequent
passage of the train. The snow is suctioned into a large
fan rotating at high speed and is then blown by the fan some
distance from the track. The fan is powered by high
horsepower engines. Where the exhaust of a turbine engine
is used, the turbine engine generally is very large and has
a dedicated prime mover to provide operating controls and
equipment support.
Although the apparatuses presently used for
clearing railway track work relatively well fvr the
applications in which they are used, there are disadvantages
inherent in the apparatuses if intended to be used for other
applications. First, the forces created to suction in the
snow and blow it a distance from the track are large.
Ballast under the track is ingested as well as the snow with
the result that the ballast bed beneath the track may be
damaged. If there is considerable snow present over the
winter, the ballast may have to be replaced which is time
consuming and expensive. Second, there is little
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flexibility in the use of the present apparatuses. The
cleared pass is of a certain width, primarily the width
required for a passing train and this width is not
adjustable. If it desired to clear adjacent track switches
and the track extending from the switches, a further pass
along the switch and track must be made. Third, if a
relatively small area located away from the track is desired
to be cleared of snow such as at a distance marker or other
instructional sign, it must be cleared manually since the
snowplow and/or blower is not adapted far such snow
clearing.
SUi~IARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, there is
provided apparatus for removing snow comprising a turbine
engine having intake and exhaust sections and being operably
connected to a base, a discharge nozzle operably connected
to said exhaust section and adapted to discharge said
exhaust to an area of interest and controls to initiate
operation of said turbine engine and to increase and
decrease the power of said exhaust discharging from said
discharge nozzle, said turbine engine being rotatable and
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tiltable relative to said base and said turbine engine
having an afterburner to increase the temperature of said
exhaust discharging from said discharge nozzle.
According to a further aspect of the invention,
there is provided a method for removing snow from a desired
location comprising initiating operation of a turbine engine
mounted on a base, ingesting air from ambient surroundings
into said turbine engine, discharging said exhaust from said
turbine engine into a discharge nozzle, rotating and/or
tilting said turbine engine and discharge nozzle relative to
said base and raising the temperature of said exhaust prior
to discharge of said exhaust from said discharge nozzle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAh VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
A specific embodiment of the invention will now be
described, by way of example only, with the use of drawings
in which:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of the snow
removal apparatus according to one aspect of the invention,
the apparatus being mounted on a prime mover;
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Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the snow
blower of Figure 1 and illustrating the snow blower in its
tilted position;
Figure 3A is a diagrammatic side view of the tilt
and turn table used with the snow blower according to the
invention;
Figure 3B is a diagrammatic plan view of the tilt
and turn table of Figure 3A; .
Figure 4A is a front axial view of the nozzle used
in the turbine engine of Figure 1;
Figure 48 is an isometric view of the nozzle of
Figure 4A;
Figures 5A and 5B are side and axial views,
respectively, of a stator plate used with. the turbine engine
of Figure 1;
Figures 6A and 6B are side and axial views of the
afterburner flame holder used with the turbine engine of
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Figure l; and
Figures 7A and 7B illustrate the typical operating
controls of the turbine engine and afterburner according to
the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, a snow removal
apparatus according to the invention is illustrated
generally at 100 in Figure 1. The snow removal apparatus
100 includes a snow blower generally illustrated at 101.
Snow blower 101 includes a housing 103 within which a
turbine engine 102, conveniently a modified General Electric
T58 turbine engine, is lacated. The T58 engine produces
approximately 1400 HP and has approximately an 11000 CFM
rating. A discharge nozzle 104 extends from the forward end
of the housing 103 and a nozzle temperature sensor 105
extends from the discharge nozzle 104 to. provide temperature
information within the discharge nozzle 104.
A steel guard 106 is connected to the housing 103
and provides protection to the discharge nozzle 104 from
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inadvertent contact with objects and the like during
operation.
An air inlet 110 on top of the housing 103 allows
air to enter the housing 103 and, therefore, the air intake
end 111 of the turbine engine 102 as will be described.
The housing 103 is mounted on the forward end of a
prime mover 112, conveniently a tractor of the non-
articulated variety but having "crab" steering, namely
steerable forward and rearward pneumatic tires 113, 114,
respectively, which allow the prime mover 112 to be quickly
removed from the railway tracks 120 on which it is
operating. This is convenient if a train is expected.
A fuel tank 121 is mounted on the rearward end of
the prime mover 112. The fuel from the fuel tank 121 is
used for the turbine engine 102 of the snow removal
apparatus 100. A fuel line runs between-the turbine engine
102 and the fuel tank 121.
Rail wheels 122, 123 are mounted on the forward
and rearward ends of the prime mover 112, respectively. The
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rail wheels 122, 123 are hydraulically raised and lowered
with hydraulic cylinders 124, 130, respectively. In the
event the snow removal apparatus 100 is intended to be
driven off the track 120, the hydraulic cylinders 124, 130
are activated-to raise the railwheels 122, 123 off the track
whereupon all the weight of the prime mover 112 and the snow
removal apparatus 100 will rest on the pneumatic tires 113,
114 and the prime mover 112 can be independently and easily
driven off the rails 120.
The housing 103 is mounted on a table 132 Which
is, in turn, mounted on a turntable 131 best seen in Figure
3A. The turntable 131 is mounted on a base 115. A
hydraulic motor 133 runs a gear 134 which meshes with a
complementary matching circumferential gear 140 connected to
the turntable 131 and thereby rotates the table 132. A tilt
mechanism includes a hydraulic cylinder 141 which extends
between the table.132 and the turntable 131. As the
hydraulic cylinder 141 is extended and retracted, the table
132 rotates upwardly and downwardly about axis 142 thereby
tilting the housing 103 and the attached discharge nozzle
104.
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The turbine engine 102 used for the snowblower 100
was originally used for helicopter purposes and had a third
nozzle stage that gave a substantial tangential component to
the combustion gases downstream from the combustion chamber.
To alter the flow of gases and reduce the sidewise velocity
components, a stator plate generally illustrated at 143
(Figures 5A and 58) is added downstream of the third stage
nozzle of the turbine engine 102. The blades or vanes 144
have a more open configuration and allow the gases to more
readily pass from the third stage nozzle to the discharge
nozzle 104 since the flow passage is less constricted by the
blades 144. In addition to the configuration of the blades
144, a cone 150 is likewise added in an attempt to reduce
backpressure and any turbulence within the discharge nozzle
132 caused by the abrupt ending of the third stage nozzle
when the turbine engine 102 was adapted for the snow blowing
application.
Subsequently, a newly designed third stage nozzle
member 155 was designed as seen in Figures 4A and 48. This
'-0 nozzle member 155 also included the cone member 150 of the
insert of Figures 5A and 5B. The technique used was to
simply remove many vanes or blade 156 from the original
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nozzle member 155 and add the cone 150 by welding it to the
nozzle member 155. The advantage of this configuration is
that no stator member is required.
The afterburner is generally illustrated at I5I
(Figures 6A and 6B) and is used to increase the temperature
of the air being discharged from the turbine engine 102 and
the discharge nozzle 104 if required. This temperature
increase can be important since, if ice is present, it may
not be removed with the blown snow. By increasing the
temperature of the discharged air, the ice can be melted and
any specific areas desired may be dried to avoid the
reformation of ice. This is useful for switches and the
like which may not function if encased in ice following a
storm or Where melting and subsequent freezing conditions
are encountered.
The afterburner 151 includes a plate 152 similar
to the stator plate described in relation~to Figures 4A and
48. However, no blades are present and the plate 152 is
mounted downstream of the third stage nozzle 155. A series
of atomising fuel injectors 153 are positioned about the
circumference of the plate 152. Fuel and air are supplied
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to the injectors 153 which atomise the fuel. A raw fuel
injector 116 (Figure 1) is mounted in the turbine engine 102
upstream of the injectors 153. The raw fuel injector 116
injects raw fuel into the operating engine which then
ignites in a '!streak" of flame. The streak is displaced
downstream where it comes into contact with the atomised
fuel ejected from injectors 153. The atomised fuel from
injectors 115 ignites thereby increasing the temperature of
the discharged gases from the turbine engine 102 and the
discharge nozzle 104.
Control panels 154, 156 (Figures 7A and 78) are
provided for the operator. The control panel 154 includes a
series of switches and gages which allow the operator to
initiate ignition of the turbine engine 102 and to monitor
its operation. A master switch 160 allows electrical power
to be applied to the turbine engine 102. A throttle switch
161 allows the fuel in the turbine engine to be increased or
decreased. An igniter switch 162 creates__an initial spark
to initiate combustion of the fuel. A spring loaded starter
?0 switch 163 will rotate the engine until a predetermined
percentage of rpm, conveniently 19$, is reached, as shown on
gage 164. An exhaust temperature gage 171 allows the
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temperature of the exhaust discharging from the discharge
nozzle 104 to be monitored and a switch may be provided for
the addition of extra fuel.
Additional controls are provided for the
afterburner 151 as viewed in Figure 7. A fuel discharge
switch 172 allows pulsed raw fuel to be released upstream of
the injectors 153. An injector switch 173 allows atomised
fuel to flow from the injectors 153 to be ignited by the
fuel released by operation of the fuel discharge switch 172.
OPERATION
In operation, it will be appreciated that the snow
blower 101 and fuel tank 121 are self contained units and
that they may be mounted on any convenient prime mover
including the rail mounted prune mover 112 of Figure 1. As
seen in Figure l, the snowblower 101 has a blower attachment
member 109 which is complementary to attachment member 108
on prune mover 11 so the snow blower 101 is conveniently
connected and removed as desired.
The prime mover 112 will be transported or
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otherwise moved to the desired operating position which
location, for example, may be adjacent a switch extending
off a main track line that has been previously cleared by
other means.
Operation of the turbine engine 102 will be
initiated: Master switch 160 will be turned on to allow
power to flow from a battery 165 (Figure 2) within housing
103. The throttle 161 will be set at its minimum position.
The igniter switch 162 is activated to create a spark to
initially ignite the fuel. The starter switch 163 rotates
the engine until, conveniently with the GE T58 turbine 102,
the percentage rpm reaches approximately 19~ as shown on
gage 164. The throttle 161 is then moved to its idle
position somewhat above its minimum position. The start
fuel switch 170 is turned on to allow fuel to flow until the
rpm gage 164 reaches approximately 55-60$. The starter
switch 163, being a spring loaded toggle, is released and
the turbine 102 is then under operation.___It is important to
view the gauges 164, 171 during operation to ensure that the
exhaust temperature as shown on gage 171 remains within a
predetermined range and that the rpm of the turbine engine
102 is similarly within a desired operating range.
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The housing 103 and, accordingly, the turbine
engine 102 and discharge nozzle 104 may be tilted and/or
rotated by the operator relative to the base 115 by
w operating hydraulic motor 133 Which will rotate gear 134 and
thereby rotate the turntable 131 on which the housing 103 is
mounted. Likewise, hydraulic cylinder 141 may be extended
or retracted to raise or lower one side of the table 132
which rotates about axis 142 when being raised or lowered.
The operator may easily direct the exhaust discharging from
the discharge nozzle 104 at any desired location without
necessarily requiring any movement of the prime mover 112
during operation of the snow blower 102.
In certain applications, particularly where ice
may be present and/or it is desired to dry a track or other
location, the afterburner 151 is useful to heat the
temperature of the exhaust being discharged by the discharge
nozzle 104. To initiate operation of the afterburner 151,
the fuel discharge switch 172 (Figure 68)__is initiated.
This fuel discharge switch 172 allows a pulsed raw fuel
discharge from fuel injector 116 (Figure 1). The pulsed raw
fuel is ignited by the temperature of the exhaust upstream
of the injectors 153 and creates a "streak" of flame
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directed rearwardly. The injector switch 173 is operated to
allow atomised fuel to be released by the injector nozzles
153 and this fuel is ignited by the streak of raw fuel
passing to the injectors 153. Thus, a ring of combustion
flame will be formed within the injectors and downstream
therefrom which will heat the exhaust and provide increased
heat to the area receiving the nozzle discharge.
Many modifications will readily occur to those
skilled in the art to Which the invention relates and the
specific embodiments herein described should be taken as
illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the
invention as defined in accordance with the accompanying
claims.
