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Electrifying Off-Road Motive Power
Published in Clark W. Gellings, 2 Emissions with Electricity, 2020
Locomotives are usually used in specific applications (e.g., movement of freight or movement of passengers). Two types of locomotives used in freight transport are (1) freight locomotives and (2) switch locomotives. Electrification of these types of locomotives is possible through powering from an external source of electricity (via overhead lines or third rail) or through use of batteries. Electric locomotives are distinguished from diesel-electric locomotives, which are powered by diesel engines and use electricity in only the traction. system. Freight locomotives are used to haul thousands of tons of freight including raw materials and finished goods. Freight locomotives weigh hundreds of tons and have high horsepower (HP) ratings (~4,000 HP and up). In the U.S., freight locomotives are almost exclusively powered by diesel engines. Their fuel consumption can be significant: a 4,000-HP freight locomotive can consume up to 500,000 gallons of diesel fuel each year (CARB, 2009). There are currently no electric locomotives used in mainline freight services in the U.S.Switcher locomotives (“switchers”) assemble and disassemble trains and move railcars within a rail yard. Switchers have a power range lower than freight locomotives, typically 1,000 to 2,300-HP rating. In contrast to freight locomotives, switchers spend a large portion of time in lower-power or idling modes; an average switch locomotive may consume about 140 gallons of fuel per day, or 50,000 gallons each year (CARB, 2009). Switch locomotives in the U.S. are almost exclusively diesel-powered.
Force-System Resultants and Equilibrium
Published in Richard C. Dorf, The Engineering Handbook, 2018
Diesel electric locomotives with powers up to 5,000hp haul most trains in the U.S. Electric locomotion is widespread in other countries, especially those with low petroleum reserves. It is especially competitive on high-traffic routes (needed to amortize electrification costs) and for high-speed passenger trains. Steam engines have almost disappeared.
Services performed by principal shipping organizations
Published in Alan E. Branch, Michael Robarts, Branch's Elements of Shipping, 2014
Alan E. Branch, Michael Robarts
Diesel electric propulsion systems are considered attractive because they command higher power density than steam turbines and as a result provide more flexibility in terms of machinery arrangements, allowing designers to obtain more overall cargo capacity. The high efficiency of dual-fuel, combined with its low fuel consumption, reduces owners’ and operators’ operating costs and increases their earnings.
Comparison of locomotive energy storage systems for heavy-haul operation
Published in International Journal of Rail Transportation, 2018
Maksym Spiryagin, Qing Wu, Peter Wolfs, Yan Sun, Colin Cole
where Fte is the tractive effort (TE) of a locomotive, N; v is the linear speed of a locomotive, m/s; Nte is the notch position from 0 to 8; Pmax is the maximum traction power of a locomotive, W; Temax is the maximum starting TE of a locomotive, N; and kf is the constant torque reduction rate, N/(m/s). In this paper notch positions are used. In locomotive operations, a notch position forces the drive to maintain a power level and so as to determine a torque. In diesel-electric locomotives with an AC-DC-AC topology, DB effort is constant from 42 to 5 km/h and it is generally limited by the brake grids (specific resistor unit that converts electrical energy to thermal one and then dissipates it into the atmosphere). The conditions to deliver dynamic braking characteristics used on such types of diesel-electric locomotives are presented in Table 2: