Hybrid locomotive
Encyclopedia
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.
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, liquified petroleum gas
, or hydrogen
(for fuel cell
s) and transmission is direct mechanical
, electric or hydrostatic
.
Diesel electric locomotives have high potential for energy savings when using dynamic braking
, which use the traction motors as generators to stop the train. Without a way to recover and store the braking energy, these engines currently have no option other than to transfer it into the atmosphere as heat, using large electric heating elements and high velocity cooling fans.
Using a storage system means that a non-fully electric train can use dynamic braking, and even shut down the main power source whilst idling or stationary. Reducing energy consumption provides environmental benefits and economic savings. A smaller scale version of the concept is found in hybrid automobiles, such as the Toyota Prius
.
system was applied to Belgian (Vicinal tramway
) and French (Compagnie des Chemins de Fer de Grande Banlieue
) railcars as soon as 1911. Thomas transmission, 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.
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 motor
s, 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.
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.
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 (30–60 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. This production version became the KiHa E200
diesel/battery railcar.
The prototype locomotive, HD300-901
, was delivered from the Toshiba
factory in Fuchū, Tokyo
to Tokyo Freight Terminal on 30 March 2010.
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. Externally, the locomotive is finished in a bright red livery to aid visibility, with yellow and black diagonal warning stripes at the ends.
have been used for engineering work on the Tube system. These locomotives operate from either third rail
, or their battery bank and can be recharged on the move.
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. The modified locomotive, named Hayabusa, was semi-permanently attached to a converted passenger carriage containing the battery bank during the testing period.
In February 2009, it was announced that Hitachi, as preferred contractors for the Intercity Express Programme
(IEP) would deploy hybrid technology on the self-powered variants of the IEP trains. This trains would be capable of 200 kilometres per hour. Some hybrid-trains would also be bi-modal, allowing power to be taken from overhead lines.
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.
(GE) put their hybrid locomotive on display at Los Angeles Union Station
. 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 GE Evolution Series
locomotives. .
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.
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
, railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
or train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
that uses an onboard rechargeable energy storage system
Rechargeable energy storage system
A rechargeable energy storage system or RESS is a system that stores energy for delivery of power and which is rechargeable.Production storage systems use electric rechargeable traction batteries, electric double-layer capacitors or flywheel energy storage.This term of art is used in US legislation...
(RESS), placed between the power source (often a diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
prime mover
Prime mover (locomotive)
In engineering, a prime mover is an engine that converts fuel to useful work. In locomotives, the prime mover is thus the source of power for its propulsion. The term is generally used when discussing any locomotive powered by an internal combustion engine...
) and the traction transmission system connected to the wheels.
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
Flywheel energy storage
Flywheel energy storage works by accelerating a rotor to a very high speed and maintaining the energy in the system as rotational energy...
. The energy source is diesel, liquified petroleum gas
Liquified petroleum gas
Liquefied petroleum gas is a flammable mixture of hydrocarbon gases used as a fuel in heating appliances and vehicles. It is increasingly used as an aerosol propellant and a refrigerant, replacing chlorofluorocarbons in an effort to reduce damage to the ozone layer...
, or hydrogen
Hydrogen economy
The hydrogen economy is a proposed system of delivering energy using hydrogen. The term hydrogen economy was coined by John Bockris during a talk he gave in 1970 at General Motors Technical Center....
(for fuel cell
Fuel cell
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...
s) and transmission is direct mechanical
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
, electric or hydrostatic
Hydraulic drive system
A hydraulic drive system is a drive or transmission system that uses pressurized hydraulic fluid to drive hydraulic machinery. The term hydrostatic refers to the transfer of energy from flow and pressure, not from the kinetic energy of the flow....
.
Diesel electric locomotives have high potential for energy savings when using dynamic braking
Dynamic braking
Dynamic braking is the use of the electric traction motors of a railroad vehicle as generators when slowing the 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...
, which use the traction motors as generators to stop the train. Without a way to recover and store the braking energy, these engines currently have no option other than to transfer it into the atmosphere as heat, using large electric heating elements and high velocity cooling fans.
Using a storage system means that a non-fully electric train can use dynamic braking, and even shut down the main power source whilst idling or stationary. Reducing energy consumption provides environmental benefits and economic savings. A smaller scale version of the concept is found in hybrid automobiles, such as the Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
.
Development
The hybrid train was conceived, under a slightly different name, mixed drive train, at the turn of twentieth century. PieperPieper
Pieper was a carmaker in Belgium.In 1900, Henri Pieper of Germany introduced a hybrid vehicle with an electric motor/generator, batteries, and a small gasoline engine. It used the electric motor to charge its batteries at cruise speed and used both motors to accelerate or climb a hill...
system was applied to Belgian (Vicinal tramway
Vicinal tramway
The Tramways vicinaux or Buurtspoorwegen were a system of narrow gauge tramways or local railways in Belgium, which covered the whole country and had a greater route length than the mainline railway system...
) and French (Compagnie des Chemins de Fer de Grande Banlieue
Compagnie des Chemins de Fer de Grande Banlieue
Compagnie des chemins de fer de Grande Banlieue or CGB, was a railway company in the Eastern suburban region of Paris, France, in the former département of Seine-et-Oise.Despite efforts by the company, many of its lines never became profitable...
) railcars as soon as 1911. Thomas transmission, which is similar in design to the mechanical part of the Hybrid Synergy Drive
Hybrid Synergy Drive
Hybrid Synergy Drive is a set of hybrid car technologies developed by Toyota and used in the company's Auris, Prius, Highlander Hybrid, Camry Hybrid, Estima, Alphard, Lexus CT, Lexus RX 400h/RX 450h, Lexus GS 450h, Lexus LS 600h/LS 600hL, and Lexus HS 250h automobiles. Toyota also licenses its HSD...
, was used in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and tested in New-Zealand in a NZR RM class railcar.
Czechoslovakia
In 1986, CzechoslovakCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
locomotive manufacturer ČKD
CKD
A knock-down kit is a kit containing the parts needed to assemble a product...
built a prototype hybrid shunting locomotive termed the DA 600. The locomotive was powered a 190-kW diesel engine and four electric motor
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
s, 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.
After tests on the Railway test circuit Velim
Railway test circuit Velim
.The Velim test center is a railway rolling stock testing facility at Cerhenice, close to the city of Poděbrady in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic...
and some minor tweaks, the locomotive was lent to the Olomouc train depot and successfully operated there for ten years. Czechoslovak socialist economics
Socialist economics
Socialist economics are the economic theories and practices of hypothetical and existing socialist economic systems.A socialist economy is based on public ownership or independent cooperative ownership of the means of production, wherein production is carried out to directly produce use-value,...
failed to start mass production, mainly because of a lack of proper battery manufacturing capacities.
Japan
In May 2003, JR East started test runs using a NE (New Energy) train, testing the system performance in cold regions.The design had two 65-kilowatt fuel cells and six hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
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 (30–60 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. This production version became the KiHa E200
KiHa E200
The is a single-car hybrid diesel multiple unit operated by East Japan Railway Company on the Koumi Line. Three cars were delivered in April 2007, and introduced on 31 July 2007....
diesel/battery railcar.
The prototype locomotive, HD300-901
JR Freight Class HD300
The is a hybrid diesel/battery Bo-Bo wheel arrangement shunting locomotive type operated by JR Freight in Japan.The prototype locomotive, HD300-901, was delivered from the Toshiba factory in Fuchū, Tokyo to Tokyo Freight Terminal on 30 March 2010.-Design:...
, was delivered from the Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
factory in Fuchū, Tokyo
Fuchu, Tokyo
is a city located in western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 255,394 and a population density of 8,700 persons per km². The total area was 29.34 km²...
to Tokyo Freight Terminal on 30 March 2010.
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
JNR Class DE10
The DE10 is a class of Japanese C-B wheel arrangement diesel-hydraulic locomotives. 708 locomotives were built between 1966 and 1978.-DE10-0 subclass:158 DE10-0 locomotives were built with steam heating boilers for passenger use....
diesel locomotives. Externally, the locomotive is finished in a bright red livery to aid visibility, with yellow and black diagonal warning stripes at the ends.
United Kingdom
Since 1936, a fleet of London Underground battery-electric locomotivesLondon Underground battery-electric locomotives
London Underground Battery-electric locomotives, most commonly known as battery locomotives are used for hauling engineers' trains, as they can operate when the electric traction current is switched off...
have been used for engineering work on the Tube system. These locomotives operate from either third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
, or their battery bank and can be recharged on the move.
A Sunday-service operated on the Stourbridge Town Branch Line
Stourbridge Town Branch Line
The Stourbridge Town Branch Line is a railway branch line, in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It is claimed to be the shortest branch line in Europe, and many miniature railways are certainly longer....
for a period of two years, using a flywheel-based energy storage system built by Parry People Movers
Parry People Movers
Parry People Movers Ltd. is a British company manufacturing lightweight trams and railcars that use flywheel energy storage to store energy for traction, allowing electric systems to operate without overhead wires or third rails, and railcars fuelled by small gas, diesel or hydrogen engines,...
. In 2008, a pair of British Rail Class 139
British Rail Class 139
British Rail Class 139 is the TOPS classification for PPM60 model lightweight railcars built by Parry People Movers, for use on the British rail network...
railcars were ordered to provide full service on the branch line from 2009 onwards.
During 2007, a modified Class 43 power car
British Rail Class 43 (HST)
The British Rail Class 43 is the TOPS classification used for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train power cars, built by BREL from 1975 to 1982....
ran on the Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
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. The modified locomotive, named Hayabusa, was semi-permanently attached to a converted passenger carriage containing the battery bank during the testing period.
In February 2009, it was announced that Hitachi, as preferred contractors for the Intercity Express Programme
Intercity Express Programme
The Intercity Express Programme is an initiative of the Department for Transport in the United Kingdom to procure new trains to replace the InterCity 125 fleet on the East Coast Main Line and Great Western Main Line, as well as replacing other trainsets on long distance services from London to...
(IEP) would deploy hybrid technology on the self-powered variants of the IEP trains. This trains would be capable of 200 kilometres per hour. Some hybrid-trains would also be bi-modal, allowing power to be taken from overhead lines.
Railpower
RailPower Technologies
Railpower Technologies Corp. is a subsidiary of R.J. Corman Railroad Group that builds environmentally friendly hybrid and genset yard locomotives, founded by Frank Donnelly and Gerard Koldyk...
, a Canadian company, began running pilots in the United States with the Green Goat
Railpower GG20B
The Railpower GG20B Green Goat is a low-emissions diesel hybrid switcher locomotive built by Railpower Technologies Corp. It is powered by a single Caterpillar C9 I6 engine developing , which is also connected to a large battery bank where both sources combine for a total power output of...
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.
General Electric
General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
(GE) put their hybrid locomotive on display at Los Angeles Union Station
Union Station (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...
. The locomotive used regenerative braking and a bank of high-capacity batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
that GE was constructing to achieve its fuel savings
Fuel saving devices
Fuel saving devices are sold on the aftermarket with claims to improve the fuel economy and/or the exhaust emissions of a vehicle. There are numerous different types of device; many purport to optimize ignition, air flow, or fuel flow in some way...
and to achieve higher emissions standards than previous ordinary diesel locomotives. It was expected to join GE's current line of GE Evolution Series
GE Evolution Series
The Evolution Series is a line of diesel locomotives built by GE Transportation Systems, designed to meet the U.S. EPA's Tier 2 locomotive emissions standards that took effect in 2005. The first pre-production units were built in 2003. Evolution Series locomotives are equipped with either AC or DC...
locomotives. .
Savannah, Georgia
The city of Savannah, GeorgiaSavannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
tested the operation of a W class Melbourne tram
W class Melbourne tram
The W class is a class of electric trams that operates in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The tram model series is a cultural icon to Melbourne...
in service as a biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
fuelled hybrid with on board battery storage in late 2008. Regular service along the River Street Streetcar
River Street streetcar
The River Street Streetcar is a heritage streetcar line in Savannah, Georgia in the United States. It began regular operation on February 11, 2009 and shuttles between 7 stops along River Street, next to the Savannah River.- History :...
started on February 11, 2009.
See also
- Electro-diesel locomotiveElectro-diesel locomotiveAn Electro-diesel locomotive is powered either from an electricity supply or by using the onboard diesel engine...
or Dual-mode locomotive (powered by external electric supply or onboard diesel engine) - Hybrid vehicleHybrid vehicleA hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
- Hybrid vehicle drivetrainHybrid vehicle drivetrainHybrid vehicles are vehicles with two or more power sources in the drivetrain. There are many different types of hybrid vehicles, although only the gasoline-electric hybrid is currently commercially available....
- List of hybrid vehicles
- Railpower TechnologiesRailPower TechnologiesRailpower Technologies Corp. is a subsidiary of R.J. Corman Railroad Group that builds environmentally friendly hybrid and genset yard locomotives, founded by Frank Donnelly and Gerard Koldyk...
- Renewable energyRenewable energyRenewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...