Investigation into railroad locomotive idling and emissions, and design and simulation of a hybrid drive system for a typical diesel electric locomotive

Energy crises and global warming is a head topic in the world. This report tries to identify problems of locomotive idling and emissions. Investigator has identified locomotive emissions, idling and then develops a new system and simulated it in "Matlab Simulnk to show reduction of emission and saving of fuel consumption using combination of auxiliary power unit (APU) plus hybrid power unit (HPU). APU is a new system used in locomotive industry to shut down the main engine and give power to required accessories of train. HPU is the proposed system which is a battery bank installed in walkway of locomotive with electric controls to capture and store dynamic brake power and to reuse that stored power for demanding duty cycles of the locomotive With reasonable assumptions, Simulink model shows a realistic simulation of a train and scopes displays important variables like green house gad emissions, fuel consumption, fuel cost, etc. As a result of the project, new propose system can save 222,650 litres of diesel fuel per year per locomotive and which is equivalent of $ 83,122 worth of revenue per year per locomotive. Moreover it can reduce 13.4 metric tons of NOx, and 2.9 metric tons of CO emission per locomotive per annum as well. The new system cost at least $222,695 and return of investment is 2 years and 262 days. Technology requirement is hybrid and Li-Ion batteries are capable to be used in new system. Design hybrid battery bank capacity is 495MJ and space occupied is 2.25m3.School of Engineering, Faculty of Technolog