Hybrid train

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A hybrid train is a locomotive, railcar or train that uses an onboard rechargeable energy storage system (RESS), placed between the power source (often a diesel engine prime mover) and the traction transmission system connected to the wheels. Since most diesel locomotives are diesel-electric, they have all the components of a series hybrid transmission except the storage battery, making this a relatively simple prospect.

Contents

Surplus energy from the power source, or energy derived from regenerative braking, charges the storage system. During acceleration, stored energy is directed to the transmission system, boosting that available from the main power source. In existing designs, the storage system can be electric traction batteries, or a flywheel. The energy source is diesel, liquefied petroleum gas, or hydrogen (for fuel cells) and transmission is direct mechanical, electric or hydrostatic.[ citation needed ]

Diesel electric locomotives may have most of what they need for regenerative braking since they might already use dynamic braking. This uses the traction motors as generators to convert much of the train's kinetic energy to electrical energy, but without a way to store the generated electricity it is simply converted to heat with large rooftop resistor banks and dumped to the atmosphere with the aid of cooling fans.

Using a storage system means that a non-fully electric train can use regenerative (as opposed to merely dynamic) braking, and even shut down the main power source whilst idling or stationary. Reducing energy consumption provides environmental benefits and economic savings. [1] A smaller scale version of the concept is found in hybrid automobiles, such as the Chevrolet Volt.

Development

The Patton Motor Car, manufactured by Patton Motor Company, was a gas-electric hybrid system, although the term hybrid was not yet in use. William H. Patton filed for a patent on February 25, 1889; the drawings on his patent application resemble later descriptions of his first prototype. [2] Patton built a tram car that was in experimental service in Pullman, Illinois in 1891 and a small Patton locomotive was sold to a street railway company in Cedar Falls, Iowa in 1897. The latter used a 2-cylinder, 25 hp gasoline engine to drive a 220-volt generator that served to charge the 200-Ampere hour 100-cell lead acid battery in parallel with the traction motors. The engine ran at constant speed, with a shunt-wound generator that also served as an electric starter motor. A conventional series-parallel controller was used for the two 35 hp traction motors that drove the wheels of the locomotive. [3] [4] [5]

The term mixed drive train came to be used at the turn of twentieth century. The Pieper system was applied to Belgian (Vicinal tramway) and French (Compagnie des Chemins de Fer de Grande Banlieue) railcars as early as 1911. [6] [7]

The Thomas system, manufactured by Thomas Transmission Ltd. of England, which is similar in design to the mechanical part of the Hybrid Synergy Drive, was used in the United Kingdom and tested in New Zealand in a NZR RM class railcar. [8]

Czechoslovakia

In 1986, Czechoslovak locomotive manufacturer ČKD built a prototype hybrid shunting locomotive termed the DA 600. The locomotive was powered a 190 kW diesel engine and four electric motors, with a maximum overall power 360 kW powered from batteries. The batteries were recharged while the diesel engine was running, by regenerative braking or from external electric power. [9]

After tests on the Railway test circuit Velim and some minor tweaks, the locomotive was lent to the Olomouc train depot and successfully operated there for ten years. Czechoslovak socialist economics failed to start mass production, mainly because of a lack of proper battery manufacturing capacities. [10]

Japan

In May 2003, JR East started test runs using a KiYa E991 "NE Train" ("New Energy Train") railcar, testing the system performance in cold regions.

The design had two 65-kilowatt fuel cells and six hydrogen tanks under the floor, with a lithium-ion battery on the roof. The test train was capable of 100 kilometres per hour (60 mph) with a range of 50–100 kilometres (31–62 mi) between hydrogen refills. Research was underway into the use of regenerative braking to recharge the test train's batteries, intending to increase the range further. JR had stated that it hoped to introduce the train into scheduled local service during the summer of 2007. [11] Technology tested on this train was incorporated in the KiHa E200 diesel/battery railcars entering service in 2007.

The first JR Freight Class HD300 shunting locomotive was delivered from Toshiba on 30 March 2010. [12] The new locomotive uses lithium ion batteries, and is designed to reduce exhaust emissions by at least 30% to 40% and noise levels by at least 10 dB compared with existing Class DE10 diesel locomotives. [13] [14]

Multiple units

Locomotives

Russia

Sinara transport machines is developing the TEM9H, a hybrid version of its TEM9 series diesel shunting locomotives, at its Lyudinovsky Locomotive Plant. This is a 1,200 horsepower, four-axle, locomotive with lithium-ion batteries, supercondensers and AC motors. It is planned to be in production early in 2013. [15]

United Kingdom

A Sunday-service operated on the Stourbridge Town Branch Line for a period of two years, using a flywheel-based energy storage system built by Parry People Movers. In 2008, a pair of British Rail Class 139 railcars were ordered to provide full service on the branch line from 2009 onwards.

During 2007, a modified Class 43 power car ran on the Great Central Railway and then as part of the Network Rail New Measurement Train (a 200-kilometre per hour track-recording train). The Hitachi developed system used a battery-assisted diesel-electric drive system; the hope being that it would demonstrate a cut in emissions by up to 50 percent and a reduction in fuel consumption costs of 20 percent. [16] The modified locomotive, named Hayabusa, was semi-permanently attached to a converted passenger carriage containing the battery bank during the testing period.

Since 2015, Vivarail has converted some former London Underground D78 Stock for rural services, branding them as D-Train. Some of these converted Class 230 units employ hybrid diesel-electric series propulsion.

In 2022, Chiltern introduced to revenue service a Class 168 whose diesel hydraulic transmission had been retrofitted with a diesel hybrid drive. [17]

North America

Railpower

A Green Goat hybrid shunting locomotive RailPower Green Goat.jpg
A Green Goat hybrid shunting locomotive

In 2004, Railpower Technologies, a Canadian company, began running pilots in the United States with the Green Goat shunting locomotives. The trials led to orders by the Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific Railways, starting in early 2005. These diesel-electric hybrid trains are expected to cut emissions by up to 90 percent and to decrease fuel consumption by up to sixty percent, when compared to conventional diesel-powered locomotives. The "Green Goat" locomotives were intended to be used in marshalling yards. [18] [19] [20]

General Electric

General Electric (GE) put their hybrid locomotive [21] on display at Los Angeles Union Station on May 24, 2007. [22] The locomotive used regenerative braking and a bank of high-capacity batteries that GE was constructing to achieve its fuel savings and to achieve higher emissions standards than previous ordinary diesel locomotives. It was expected to join GE's current line of Evolution Series locomotives [23] as of May 2007.

Savannah, Georgia

The city of Savannah, Georgia tested the operation of a W class Melbourne tram in service as a biodiesel fuelled hybrid with on board battery storage in late 2008. Regular service along the River Street Streetcar started on February 11, 2009. [24] [25]

Greece

Hitachi Hybrid trains began construction in July 2019. They will be available throughout Greece from 2022.

France

Between 2021 and 2022, the French regions of Centre-Val de Loire, Occitanie, Nouvelle Aquitaine and Grand Est in partnership with SNCF and Alstom, will start test runs using an hybrid Regiolis railcar (Diesel/Battery), before starting regular service on 2023. [26] [27] [28] [29]

Brazil

Progress Rail delivered two hybrid EMD GT38H locomotives to Brazil around October of 2023, making them the first two in Brazilian revenue freight service. [30]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Locomotive</span> Self-propelled railway vehicle

A locomotive is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, motor coach, railcar or power car; the use of these self-propelled vehicles is increasingly common for passenger trains, but rare for freight trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multiple unit</span> Self-propelled train

A multiple-unit train or simply multiple unit (MU) is a self-propelled train composed of one or more carriages joined, which when coupled to another multiple unit can be controlled by a single driver, with multiple-unit train control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hybrid vehicle</span> Vehicle using two or more power sources

A hybrid vehicle is one that uses two or more distinct types of power, such as submarines that use diesel when surfaced and batteries when submerged. Other means to store energy include pressurized fluid in hydraulic hybrids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regenerative braking</span> Energy recovery mechanism

Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows down a moving vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy or potential energy into a form that can be either used immediately or stored until needed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diesel locomotive</span> Locomotive powered by a diesel engine

A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the power source is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels. The most common are diesel-electric locomotives and diesel-hydraulic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric locomotive</span> Locomotive powered by electricity

An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a battery or a supercapacitor. Locomotives with on-board fuelled prime movers, such as diesel engines or gas turbines, are classed as diesel–electric or gas turbine–electric and not as electric locomotives, because the electric generator/motor combination serves only as a power transmission system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GE Transportation</span> American railroad rolling stock manufacturer

GE Transportation is a division of Wabtec. It was known as GE Rail and owned by General Electric until sold to Wabtec on February 25, 2019. The organization manufactures equipment for the railroad, marine, mining, drilling and energy generation industries. The company was founded in 1907. It is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, while its main manufacturing facility is located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Locomotives are assembled at the Erie plant, while engine manufacturing takes place in Grove City, Pennsylvania. In May 2011, the company announced plans to build a second locomotive factory in Fort Worth, Texas, which opened in January 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dynamic braking</span> Use of the traction motors as generators when slowing a vehicle.

Dynamic braking is the use of an electric traction motor as a generator when slowing a vehicle such as an electric or diesel-electric locomotive. It is termed "rheostatic" if the generated electrical power is dissipated as heat in brake grid resistors, and "regenerative" if the power is returned to the supply line. Dynamic braking reduces wear on friction-based braking components, and regeneration lowers net energy consumption. Dynamic braking may also be used on railcars with multiple units, light rail vehicles, electric trams, trolleybuses, and electric and hybrid electric automobiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traction motor</span> An electric motor for vehicle propulsion

A traction motor is an electric motor used for propulsion of a vehicle, such as locomotives, electric or hydrogen vehicles, or electric multiple unit trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electro-diesel locomotive</span> Railway locomotive capable of running either under electrical or diesel power

An electro-diesel locomotive is a type of locomotive that can be powered either from an electricity supply or by using the onboard diesel engine. For the most part, these locomotives are built to serve regional, niche markets with a very specific purpose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gas turbine locomotive</span> Type of railway locomotive

A gas turbine locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a gas turbine. Several types of gas turbine locomotive have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels (drivers). A gas turbine train typically consists of two power cars, and one or more intermediate passenger cars.

Hybrid vehicle drivetrains transmit power to the driving wheels for hybrid vehicles. A hybrid vehicle has multiple forms of motive power, and can come in many configurations. For example, a hybrid may receive its energy by burning gasoline, but switch between an electric motor and a combustion engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydrogen train</span> Train transporting or using hydrogen

In transportation, the original (2003) generic term "hydrail" includes hydrogen trains, zero-emission multiple units, or ZEMUs — generic terms describing rail vehicles, large or small, which use on-board hydrogen fuel as a source of energy to power the traction motors, or the auxiliaries, or both. Hydrail vehicles use the chemical energy of hydrogen for propulsion, either by burning hydrogen in a hydrogen internal combustion engine, or by reacting hydrogen with oxygen in a fuel cell to run electric motors, as the hydrogen fuel cell train. Widespread use of hydrogen for fueling rail transportation is a basic element of the proposed hydrogen economy. The term has been used by research scholars and technicians around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battery electric multiple unit</span> Zero-emissions unwired train

A battery electric multiple unit (BEMU), battery electric railcar or accumulator railcar is an electrically driven multiple unit or railcar whose energy is derived from rechargeable batteries driving the traction motors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 70 (diesel)</span> Class of diesel electric locomotives

The British Rail Class 70 is a Co-Co mainline freight GE PowerHaul locomotive series manufactured by General Electric in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. They are operated in the United Kingdom by Freightliner and Colas Rail. These locomotives replaced the Class 59 as having the highest tractive effort of any Co-Co Diesel locomotive in use in the United Kingdom when they were introduced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drivetrain</span> Group of components that deliver power to the driving wheels

A drivetrain or transmission system, is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the drivetrain is the components of a motor vehicle that deliver power to the drive wheels. This excludes the engine or motor that generates the power. In marine applications, the drive shaft will drive a propeller, thruster, or waterjet rather than a drive axle, while the actual engine might be similar to an automotive engine. Other machinery, equipment and vehicles may also use a drivetrain to deliver power from the engine(s) to the driven components.

Petrol–electric transmission or gasoline–electric transmission or gas–electric transmission is a transmission system for vehicles powered by petrol engines. Petrol–electric transmission was used for a variety of applications in road, rail, and marine transport, in the early 20th century. After World War I, it was largely superseded by diesel–electric transmission, a similar transmission system used for diesel engines; but petrol–electric has become popular again in modern hybrid electric vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FV-E991 series</span> Japanese fuel cell electric multiple unit train

The FV-E991 series (FV-E991系), nicknamed HYBARI, is a hydrogen fuel cell electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by East Japan Railway Company from 2022.

The British Rail Class 18 is a class of hybrid locomotives designed and built by the British railway locomotive manufacturer Clayton Equipment Company in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. It has also been referred to as the CBD90 Hybrid+ by Clayton and private railway customers.

The Wabtec FLXDrive platform is a class of battery-electric locomotives manufactured by Wabtec's GE Transportation subsidiary beginning in 2019. Using a modified version of the GE Evolution Series platform, FLXdrive is Wabtec's first zero-emissions locomotive, storing energy in 20 racks of lithium-ion battery cells. FLXDrive is a hybrid-electric locomotive, meaning it works in conjunction with traditional diesel-electric locomotives to provide regenerative braking for a train. The first-generation locomotives are able to operate 30 to 40 minutes at full power when being not connected to another locomotive.

References

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  2. W. H. Patton, Motor for Street Cars, U.S. patent 409,116 , granted Aug. 13, 1889.
  3. The Patton Motor, The Street Railway Journal, Vol. VII, No. 10 (October, 1891); pages 513-514. Includes Photo.
  4. The Patton Motor Car, The Railway World, Vol. VII, (April 7, 1898); pages 114-115. Includes photo and drawing.
  5. The Patton Motor Car, English Mechanic and World of Science, no. 1713 (Jan. 21, 1898); page 524.
  6. (in French) La Nature, 1921
  7. (in French) Bulletin de la société d'encouragement pour l'industrie nationale, 1924
  8. "THE MOTORING WORLD". The Straits Times . 1915-07-28. p. 15. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
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  12. "甲種鉄道車両輸送計画表" [New rolling stock delivery schedule]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine. Vol. 39, no. 312. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. April 2010. p. 124.
  13. JR Freight press release: "新型入換専用機関車(試作)の形式名とデザインについて" (Class name and design of new shunting locomotive prototype) (10 February 2010) Archived 2010-02-15 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 10 February 2010. (in Japanese)
  14. 国内初のHV機関車 JR貨物が試作車を報道陣に公開 [JR Freight unveils prototype of Japan's first hybrid locomotive to media]. The Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). Japan. 25 March 2010. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
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  17. "Chiltern Railways puts Britain's first hybrid-powered train to the test | Chiltern Railways". www.chilternrailways.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  18. https://www.wired.com/news/planet/0,2782,66998,00.htm.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[ dead link ]
  19. Canadian Pacific Railway to acquire first hybrid locomotives Archived January 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  20. UP: Union Pacific Bases First Hybrid Locomotive in California
  21. GE Ecomagination Archived August 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  22. UK, DVV Media. "GE unveils hybrid locomotive". Railway Gazette. Archived from the original on 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2016-03-22.
  23. GE Unveils First Hybrid Road Locomotive Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  24. "River Street Streetcar begins passenger service today". City of Savannah News. February 11, 2009. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  25. "DOT Savannah" . Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  26. "Bientôt des essais prévus de trains à hydrogène sur la ligne Tours - Loches". Rail Passion (in French). 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  27. "Régiolis hybride : premiers essais l'année prochaine - transportrail - Le webmagazine des idées ferroviaires". transportrail.canalblog.com (in French). 2020-12-08. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  28. "Des TER hybrides bientôt dans vos gares". SNCF (in French). Retrieved 2021-05-03.
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  30. "Progress Rail delivers hybrid locomotives for freight use in Brazil". David Lassen, Trains.com, October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.