Rail
[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]
MTU Introduces Prototype Underfloor Hybrid Drive Unit for Railcars
September 26, 2008
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| The underfloor hybrid drive unit. Click to enlarge. |
At this year’s Innotrans rail exhibition in Berlin (23-28 September), the Tognum Group introduced under the MTU brand a prototype of a new underfloor hybrid drive system for railcars. MTU estimates that fuel consumption and carbon-dioxide emissions can be reduced by up to 25% with the hybrid drives, depending on the route.
The hybrid drive combines a MTU Series 1800 six-cylinder inline diesel with a motor/generator unit and energy storage system; electrical output of the unit is 400 kW. The generator will recover kinetic energy during braking which can be used during acceleration and in stop-and-go operation.
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European Parliament Calls for 40% of EU Transport Appropriations for Railways and Freight
September 06, 2008
The European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the European Commission to allocate at least 40% of EU transport infrastructure appropriations to the railways and prioritize freight to reduce the need for road transport.
Members of Parliament (MEPs) urged the Commission to concentrate EU co-financing on improving the efficiency, interoperability and upgrading of rail infrastructure, inter-modal hubs and other freight transport modes. The report was adopted with 541 votes in favor, 6 against and 15 abstentions.
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FTA Solicits Proposals for Regenerative Braking and Energy Storage Systems for Rail Transit
August 29, 2008
The US Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) is soliciting proposals for the demonstration of regenerative braking and energy storage technologies (on-board or/and wayside) for trail transit propulsion systems. Total funding available for the project is $300,000.
There are a total of 11,110 heavy rail vehicles and 1,645 light rail vehicles in revenue service across the US, according to 2007 APTA Public Transit Factbook. Respectively, they consumed an estimated 3,768,605 MWh and 570,718 MWh of electricity annually. A substantial percentage of the life cycle energy use is for the operation of the rail vehicles, particularly the propulsion system.
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EPA Finalizes Tier 3 and Tier 4 Standards for Locomotive and Marine Diesel Engines
March 15, 2008
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| Progression in NOx and PM standards for switch locomotives (one of the regulated categories). Click to enlarge. |
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized its Tier 3 and Tier 4 emissions standards for locomotives and marine diesel engines. Tier 3 emission standards will take effect in 2012, followed by Tier 4 in 2015.
The final requirements will bring earlier and greater emission reductions of NOx and PM from the locomotive and marine sectors than the proposed program envisioned. This is accomplished by finalizing the first-ever national standards for remanufactured large commercial marine diesel engines (above 600kW) and starting Tier 4 NOx requirements for line-haul locomotives and for the largest (2,000-3,700 kW) marine engines two years earlier than initially proposed.
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Alstom Unveils Prototype 224 MPH AGV Train and Its First Customer
February 05, 2008
Alstom has unveiled the prototype of the AGV (Automotrice Grande Vitesse), its fourth-generation very high speed electric train. This single-deck train features the Alstom’s articulated architecture used on the TGV combined with a new distributed drive system based on permanent magnet motors (the train’s motors being located on the bogies, under the train), an innovation which considerably increases the potential number of seats onboard the train by eliminating the need for locomotives.
The AGV is designed to reach a commercial speed of 360 kph (224 mph), and already has its first customer: Italy’s new railway operator, Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori.
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BNSF Railway and Vehicle Projects Develop Experimental Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Switch Locomotive; Locomotive-to-Grid Application Explored
January 10, 2008
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| Drawing of the fuel-cell hybrid locomotive. Click to enlarge. |
BNSF Railway Company and Vehicle Projects LLC, a developer of large fuel-cell vehicles such as mine loaders and mine locomotives, are leading a project consortium to develop an experimental hydrogen fuel-cell hybrid switch locomotive.
The vehicle platform is based on the Green Goat diesel-battery hybrid switcher, and the powerplant and hydrogen storage are based on the Citaro hydrogen fuel-cell transit bus (earlier post). The goal of the project is to demonstrate reduced air and noise pollution in urban rail applications, including yard switching; and to demonstrate the fuel-cell switchers for use as a mobile backup power source (“locomotive-to-grid”, or “power-to-grid”) for military bases and civilian disaster relief efforts.
