GE Developing Hybrid Locomotive

[wxman]

http://www.aar.org/Index.asp?IACID=2967

General Electric engineers are developing a hybrid locomotive with the goal of creating the cleanest, most fuel-efficient high-horsepower diesel locomotive ever built, according to a release from GE.



The energy dissipated in braking a 207-ton locomotive during the course of one year is enough to power 160 households for that year. The hybrid locomotive will capture that dynamic energy and use it to produce more horsepower and reduce emissions and fuel use. GE’s hybrid locomotive’s lead-free rechargeable batteries will be able to provide superior performance by allowing operators to draw an additional 2000 horsepower when needed.



Compared to a locomotive manufactured in 2004 (meeting the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 1 emission requirements for railroad locomotives), GE’s hybrid locomotive is being designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions over its lifetime as much as taking 2,600 cars off the road for a year. GE’s hybrid locomotive is being designed to emit half as much nitrogen oxide as locomotives built 20 years ago.



Plans for the locomotive were announced by GE on May 9 as it rolled out a new initiative that it calls ecomagination. The initiative is designed to help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.

 

[Yo Hoot]

If I'm not mistaken, they are using two Cummins ISX engines.





On edit... . different story. . I added a post below... they are QSX19 Cummins

 

[nickleinonen]

if we get these ones at work with the new 50 GE loco's we are getting, the electricians are not going to like them once they start failing after they got a few thousand hours on them

 

[Yo Hoot]

Locomotives have been hybrid for a long time. . (diesel/electric)



Adding regenerative braking is just an additional feature that should have been incorporated a long time ago.



Union Pacific recently ordered a prototype low emmission switch locomotive developed by National Railway Equipment.



It uses two Cummins QSK19 engines which replace the original EMD 645's. Both engines power generators which in turn power the original equipment EMD d77 traction motors. These are clean fuel efficient engines that reduce NOx by 70% and particulates by 45% with a 15% reduction in fuel consumption.



The system allows it to run only one engine when power is sufficient. It automatically equallizes usage between the two engines so they accumulate the same numbers of hours over the life of the pair. It starts and stops engines as power requirements change while in use.



Another one out there is the "Green Goat" from Railway Technologies, Inc.

 

[Blakers]

Adding regenerative braking is just an additional feature that should have been incorporated a long time ago.

Hasn't this regenerative power been used for years on straight electric railroads, where the power generated from a decending locomotive is put back into the catenary wires to help out the other locomotives elsewhere on the railroad?

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

Hasn't this regenerative power been used for years on straight electric railroads, where the power generated from a decending locomotive is put back into the catenary wires to help out the other locomotives elsewhere on the railroad?

Milwaukee Road used regenerative braking out West on thier Electric Lines division. They used *stolen* russian locomotives. :-laf :-laf Otherwise known as the Little Joes!



Standard locomotives already have regenerative braking of sorts... . called dynamic braking. Power generated though is wasted though in the form of heat, routed to the resistor grids (read: just like a toaster) on the dynamics. Most locomotives can be self-loaded on the dynamic grids if setup for it.





Quote of the day:



(EMD tech/sales guy) They work like an electric toaster... . so therefore will be just as reliable as an electric toaster.



(reply from audience) And just how many locomotives have you tried to stop using an electric toaster?



:-laf

 

[Yo Hoot]

All that heat is wasted energy. Newer technology is trying to capture as much of it as possible.

 

[nickleinonen]

(reply from audience) And just how many locomotives have you tried to stop using an electric toaster?

them electric toaster brakes work great... doing a drag test on shop tracks and you slam it from setup into DB-8 is an interesting experience... i didn't think the electrican was going to do that and i fell out of my seat [i was driving the unit towing the one being tested]

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

them electric toaster brakes work great... doing a drag test on shop tracks and you slam it from setup into DB-8 is an interesting experience... i didn't think the electrican was going to do that and i fell out of my seat [i was driving the unit towing the one being tested]

:-laf :-laf You're not the only one who has done that..... its a thrill. At least you didnt eat the window or the front wall.



One of the guys attempted the same thing before I was at WC, but the dynamics failed to setup (so he says) and he ended up going halfway into the turntable pit with one of the SD45s. big OOOOPS!. Surprised he didnt roll the rail over on the curve leading to the table, was doing 30mph or better I guess. :--) Of course the table wasnt lined up for his track either... .

 

[nickleinonen]

#ad




:-laf:-laf:-laf



we have no turntable at my shop to do that in... although our wye is a very tight loop, and if you speed at all [7mph suggested limit on shop tracks , and i don't want to go past 5 in the loop], you could derail a 6 axle real easy



[standing on the step going around the loop, you can feel the flange wanting to climb the rail when everything is dry]

 

[EBottema]

Wonder something else to break! More overcomplication that is not needed. I'm glad all those techs are gonnna get that extra overtime trying to find all the little glitches

 

[Blakers]

Wonder something else to break! More overcomplication that is not needed. I'm glad all those techs are gonnna get that extra overtime trying to find all the little glitches

Yea, they tried all that stuff on steam locomotives: superheaters, compound cylinders, return flue boilers, etc. A lot of it worked on paper, but maintenance and reliability were so bad that it really was not worth it.