| In the 1990's, Dr. Jos
Koopmans of the Netherlands, did extensive
research on the physics of steam locomotive
exhausts systems with the goal of developing
a more-complete understanding of their
operation. To test his ideas about exhaust
system performance, RTM 56 was used for
exhaust tests in December of 1999. Including
water and coal it weighs 22 tons. In the
picture the electronic interface case
between the computer and the sensors is
clearly visibly, as is a cable from the
smokebox temperature sensor and the flexible
copper tube for the smokebox vacuum. The
photo below shows the blast pipe with the
4-fold orifice crown with 40 mm inserts in
place.
The tests confirmed Dr. Koopmans'
theories about the function of
multiple-nozzle exhaust systems, which are
covered in detail in his paper "Unified
Exhaust Theory for Steam Locomotives".
This theory became the basis of Jos' PhD
thesis, which he later expanded into a
book which is covered on this site on the
Exhaust Systems
page.
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