pa1778data.pdf

U.S. STEEL DUQUESNE WORKS
HAER No. PA-115
(Page 79)
capacity crane. The clearance between the floor of the building
and the top of the craneway's rail is 51 f -6". Fink trusswork
supports the building's gable roof and carries ventilation pipes.
Five ventilation stacks, laid out linearly on a east-west axis,
protrude up through the peak of the roof.
Construction Date: 1895.
Installation of Louvers: 1931.
Building Extension Date: 1951.
1. Turboblower Number One: Sitting on top of a 18'-9" wide x
40i-9« long x 25*-0" high concrete and steel framed platform
extending from the south wall of the 1951 addition to the eastern
end of blow engine house number two is an Ingersoll - Rand 10,000
hp, 90,000 cfm centrifugal turboblower operating at 2880 rpm.
Laid out on a north-south axis, the approximately 10'-0" wide x
25'-0" long x 7'-0" high turboblower produced compressed air at a
pressure of 3 0 psig. It consists of four major parts: the
turbine, the steam governing valves, the blower, and the drive
shaft.
Installation Date: 1951.
a. Turbine: The turbine is located at the northern end
of the platform. It is made up of a rotor consisting of twelve
special alloy-steel wheel blades mounted on a common shaft, and
an approximately 10'-0" wide x 10'-0" long x 7'-0" high casing
which encloses the rotor. The casing is made up of two parts.
At the southern or high pressure end of the turbine, the casing
is cast steel. At the northern or exhaust end of the turbine,
the casing is cast iron. The two ends are permanently bolted and
doweled together through a vertical flange. The entire casing is
divided horizontally along its centerline with the upper and
lower halves bolted together and doweled. Located at the bottom
center of the turbine at its southern end is a 10" diameter
flanged steam connection. Located at bottom center of the
turbine at its northern end is a 72" diameter flanged exhaust
steam connection.
b. Steam Admission Valves: Protruding through the top
of the turbine casing at its northern end are five, approximately
9" diameter x l*-6" high steam governing valves. The single
seated poppet valves are opened in succession and admit live
steam to individual nozzle groups leading to the wheel blades of
the turbine. Each valve is actuated by a spring loaded oil
piston and cylinder which is automatically controlled by a
governor.
c. Blower: The blower is located at the southern end of
the platform. It is made up of a rotor consisting of four alloy
sheet steel impellers mounted on a common shaft and an