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These units, with a letter of concurrence for main line testing from the Federal Railroad Administration, are
now being prepped for revenue-service evaluation “at a variety of locations, in real-world conditions,” says
BNSF Director Operations Support Mike Swaney. “They operated safely at TTCI for several thousand miles,
and the OEMs have performed a lot of fine-tuning. The next step is to determine if they can meet our
performance requirement, which means they must be able to perform similar to their diesel counterparts.”
BNSF’s EMD LNG set consists of two SD70ACe units; the GE set, two ES44ACs. Both utilize a legacy fuel
tender that originally saw service in the 1990s during BN’s brief foray into LNG. These tenders, originally built
by Air Products & Chemicals Inc., have a cryogenic capacity of about 20,000 gallons; gasification of the LNG
occurs on the tender. Both locomotive sets are “dual-fuel”—should conditions require a modified usage, they
can switch to 100% diesel operation.
Both LNG delivery systems are low-pressure and employ either a 60%-40% (EMD, with a 710 power plant) or
80%-20% (GE, with a GEVO power plant equipped with a NextFuel™ Natural Gas Retrofit Kit) LNG-diesel
mix, for compression ignition. (100% LNG requires spark ignition and thus involves many more modifications
to the existing prime-mover).
Aside from natural gas’s significantly lower cost per unit of energy compared to diesel needing to remain in
place to make the economics work, widespread adoption of LNG has three essential pieces: engine and fuel
tender technology, fuel infrastructure, and a supportive regulatory framework. In terms of a fuel tender design,
“it’s too early to tell,” says Swaney. “At this point we’re focused on tank-car-style tenders, and we’re working
with the AAR’s Natural Gas Fuel Tender Technical Advisory Group on a standardized design. We are aware,
though, of the ISO tank option.” The proposed ISO tank approach to refueling involves swapping out a spent
ISO LNG tank for a fresh unit delivered to a mobile refueling site.
Emissions? With Tier 4 compliance coming up on Jan. 1, 2015, even though NOx, PM (Particulate Matter),
and CO2 are typically lower with natural gas compared to a diesel engine, LNG won’t be a big factor, as
widespread deployment isn’t expected to begin until at least 2017.
“Since the pressure in the engine air intake system is relatively low, high pressure is not required for the gas
to flow into the engine,” explains EMD Director Engine Systems Martha Lenz. However, “early-cycle
introduction of natural gas presents a challenge due to the tendency for the mixture to pre-ignite as a result of
its temperature in the cylinder as it compresses, limiting the amount of gas that can be substituted for diesel
fuel. Typically, dual-fuel engines using this method provide 50% to 60% substitution of gas for diesel fuel on a
duty-cycle basis. Engine modifications such as reducing the compression ratio may improve operation with
natural gas and increase the substitution rate. However, such changes may reduce the efficiency of the
engine when operating on 100% diesel, and the engine may be more difficult to start when cold.”
By contrast, HPDI injects natural gas much later in the compression cycle, “eliminating issues with pre-ignition
and allowing the engine to run like a diesel,” says Lenz. “Since the natural gas must overcome cylinder
pressure and requires injection over a short duration, it is introduced at high pressure using a special injector
that provides 5% diesel fuel to ignite the mixture.” Caterpillar and Westport Innovations jointly developed this
injector.
EMD says its 710 engine develops full power with 95% substitution with HPDI “and demonstrates significantly
lower emission levels compared to existing diesel models.”
Safety is naturally a concern with LNG. Methane detectors are used to identify any natural gas leak on the
locomotive and alert the control system to shut off the gas supply.
Hallman cautions that CN is “in the very early stages of our exploration of the long-term opportunity,” and
adds, “We continue to work with other parties, including specialized manufacturers, locomotive builders, fuel
suppliers, and regulatory agencies on a project to develop a state-of-the art natural gas locomotive and a
standardized fuel tender. We will need more long-term experience—and will need to see more industry
research and development work proving the rail technology employing natural gas is effective and economic
—before we can comment on the long-term viability of natural gas fueled locomotives as alternatives to our
current diesel locomotive fleet.”
GE’s Tier 4 program began with its 2005 release of a Tier 2 locomotive equipped with its four-stroke Evolution
Series GEVO engine. In 2012, GE introduced fuel system enhancements to meet Tier 3. For Tier 4, GE’s
Advance Power 4 locomotive offers “the single-largest emission reduction in our program’s timeline,” GE
says. It also doesn’t require exhaust after-treatment and related infrastructure investments. An Advance
Power 4 prototype is testing along Norfolk Southern’s Erie, Pa., to Conneaut, Ohio, main line.
Late last year, Cummins Inc. introduced its 4,200-hp, 16-cylinder, 95-liter, Tier 4-compliant QSK95 Power
Module engine. The first freight locomotive to be repowered with a QSK95, CECX 1919 (an EMD SD90
currently undergoing refurbishment), is expected to be in operation on the Indiana Rail Road later this year.
The QSK95 is designed to replace the complete diesel-electric system and carbody of a base locomotive as a
drop-in package. The fully enclosed unit consists of the QSK95 engine, alternator, cooling system, and
dynamic braking system, with an integral Cummins Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) exhaust after-
treatment system. The QSK95 Power Module, a collaboration between Cummins and Sygnet Rail
Technologies LLC, features 1,800 rpm operation. The drop-in power module interfaces with locomotive
electronics using standard J1939 engine data bus integration, and offers wheel slip functionality, idle limiting,
and remote operational reporting.
A quad-turbocharging system with one turbo for each four-cylinder quadrant “provides outstanding response
to load demands, with tractive power delivered more rapidly across the entire rpm range to increase
acceleration, boost gradient climbing ability, and reduce journey times,” Cummins says. “The 4,200-hp output
of the QSK95 is the highest achieved from a 16-cylinder high-speed diesel. When running at high engine-load
factors, it is operating well within its design capability. High power density is enabled with a hardened power
cylinder featuring the strongest single-piece forged steel piston available in the industry. The engine and SCR
exhaust after-treatment take a simpler approach to meeting Tier 4 by putting the main focus of emissions
reduction in the exhaust stream, with the SCR after-treatment removing the NOx. This leaves the engine
combustion to focus on removing PM emissions, avoiding the need for any additional complexity.”
“In addition to reducing costs and environmental impact, the LEAF® surpasses conventional locomotives in
many ways,” says Mahoney. “Key to its performance is its higher rail adhesion—the only difference new
operators need to learn how to manage. A proprietary traction motor control system automatically backs off
current to any one of the four axles that is in danger of slipping. When this condition arises, the LEAF®
applies sand to the rail and reduces power to that one axle only. The unit resumes full power as soon as the
chance of slipping passes, and the other three axles remain at the amp load designated by the system for the
requested speed and track condition. The operator does not need to reduce power, as is necessary for
conventional locomotives experiencing wheelslip.”
Mahoney says the LEAF® provides “45% to 60% lower fuel consumption and a life-cycle cost equal to or less
than conventional locomotives, 98%-plus reliability, 90% savings on lubricants (synthetic oil changed only
once a year), and dramatic reductions in greenhouse gases, NOx, and particulate matter. It does not
experience any wet-stacking (oil discharged through the exhaust, which forms a carbon residue that can
ignite from noncombusted oil), and thus uses 90% less oil. Maximized tractive effort occurs at speeds less
than 10 mph. Its decibel output is 10% lower than conventional locomotives.”
The LEAF®, built on a modified GP-style frame and deck, is equipped with a GP- or SW-style cab with touch-
screen controls; Cummins QSX15-L3 600-hp diesel engine (two engines in the DUAL); ONAN 480 KW
generator; American Traction Systems proprietary traction motor control system with independent axle
control; rebuilt or replaced D77/78 traction motors; new AAR standard wheels; 26L air brake system, and the
AMPS power control system, which includes Observe/Analyze/Respond™ (OAR) remote monitoring
diagnostics.
Data from the AMPS Locomotive Control Unit (LCU) is processed by OAR, and then transmitted via WiFi or
cellular systems to a web-based dashboard for locomotive status and performance monitoring by on-site plant
managers or operations personnel at remote locations. The LCU communicates with all LEAF® systems:
generators, traction control, throttle, reverser, brake, and three-axis accelerometer. Data fed to OAR can be
displayed in various forms, including plots, charts, indicators, and histograms.
“The data helps develop improved safety and operating efficiency,” says Mahoney. “It incorporates track
speed violations, man-down alerts, hard couplings, throttle positions and forward/reverse settings, penalty
brake applications, cab entry, and remote control digital tracking. Additional OAR data can include wheelslip
frequency, excessive idling, low-oil alarm, low-temperature monitoring in cold weather, and maintenance
schedules.”
The prototype unit, no. 4321, was as of late August in a six-week testing program at BNSF’s Galesburg (Ill.)
yard. This locomotive, which can also be employed in line-haul service, was built on an SD40-2 platform
equipped with a 645E3B prime-mover. NRE, however, can also convert a GE d.c.-traction locomotive into one
of these versatile and fuel-efficient pieces of modern motive power.
Categories: Locomotives
Tags: AAR Natural Gas Fuel Tender Technical Advisory Group, BNSF, Caterpillar, Caterpillar Rail
Division, Chart Industries, CN, Cummins, Electro-Motive Diesel, EMD, Energy Conversions
Inc, Management, National Railway Equipment, NRE, Railserve