Gas-powered locos

[NW Mailing List]

Dominic:
 
The gas-turbine locomotives you mention in passing did not burn LNG or CNG; 
 "gas-turbine" referred to the prime mover.  The  Russian experiment  would 
appear to be the same kind of prime mover, but burning LNG/CNG.  The  
American gas-turbine locomotives, all of which ran on the Union Pacific  
Railroad, burned heavy oil.  They were technically successful, and until  the price 
of the residual crude oil they burned began to rise to approach the  cost of 
diesel oil, they were economic successes as well.  Because UP  operations 
required long periods of full-throttle operation, they did not fall  prey to 
the typical shortcoming of a gas turbine, high specific fuel consumption  at 
low throttle settings.
 
I'm not a mechanical engineer and won't pretend to be an expert on the  
subject, but I've always understood that a gas-turbine was much more forgiving  
on what kind of fuel it was fed (injector nozzles obviously optimized for 
the  fuel) than a diesel, which is why we haven't seen many successful 
LNG/CNG locos  so far.
 
Dave Phelps
 
 
In a message dated 12/20/2013 9:06:49 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org writes:

 
Making my way through the Christmas edition of Railway Magazine  there are 
2 reports on gas-powered locos.


In  Russia a new compressed natural gas powered loco has been completed by  
Transmashholding (Alstom is a part owner) in Bryansk to be operated by RZD  
Russian Railways. It will be tested at the Russian Institute of Research,  
Design and Technological Studies in Railway Rolling Stock. RZD has 
previously  ordered up to 40 new twin-unit gas-turbine electric locos powered by 
liquefied  natural gas.


The  second report is that CSX has announced that it will experiment with  
LNG-powered locos in partnership with GE Transportation and plans to 
retro-fit  natural gas kits to GE 'Evolution' locos next year. _BNSF_ 
(http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/blogs/william-vantuono/lng-locomotive-fuel-of-the-fut
ure.html)   is also trying out LNG-powered locos - two SD70ACe locos have 
been modified by  EMD to operate with a special LNG tender that keeps the gas 
below minus  160C.


There  were examples of early gas-turbine locomotives in the UK and the 
U.S., and  other countries, but most seemed to have not prospered, and 
certainly not  after the 1973 oil crisis. RZD has tried out an LNG switcher in 
recent years  as well as a freight locomotive.


I  gathered also that in the States Bombardier developed a prototype loco 
in the  late '90s/early '00s for the FRA. Some testing was done but it has 
not as far  as can be seen entered service.


I  wondered if Norfolk Southern has shown signs of any interest in these  
alternatives.




Dominic
London






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