Ammonia as a transportation fuel offers a carbon-free, hydrogen rich energy source that emits no greenhouse gases in combustion, and has no global warming potential. Furthermore, it may be produced from any renewable energy resource, and is a strong option for long term sustainability. Ammonia also provides a pathway towards a hydrogen economy, which is the long term goal for environmental sustainability. This thesis investigates the feasibility of integrating ammonia as a combustion fuel, hydrogen carrier, heat recovery and working fluid, and for indirect engine cooling, within locomotive propulsion systems for nine novel ammonia-based configurations. Thermodynamic, environmental, and economic analyses are conducted for a typical modern diesel-fueled locomotive and the proposed ammonia configurations. The study comparatively assesses potential long term solutions for sustainable, clean rail transportation. From the modeled results, the proposed systems operating with 50% of required fuel energy replaced by ammonia have a reduction in diesel fuel consumption from 0.211 kg/s to less than 0.10 kg/s. This is associated with a reduction in GHG emissions of more than 8 tonnes CO2eq for a typical daily locomotive duty cycle for commuter operation. Criteria air contaminants are reduced to below upcoming Tier 3 emission levels for NOx and HC emissions, and meet current levels for PM emissions. In total, ten locomotive propulsion systems are investigated including the diesel-fueled locomotive baseline, and the performance gains are considered against economic factors for fuel and equipment costs in a comparative assessment.

Th. Ph. D.--Cambridge (Mass.)--Harvard university, 1977. Titre de soutenance : Working to rule.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2006. / Title from title screen (site viewed June 11, 2007). PDF text: viii, 133 p. : ill. UMI publication number: AAT 3239364. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

No description available.

Utilizing flywheels to store and reuse energy from regenerative braking on locomotives is a new technology being developed in the Vibration Control and Electromechanics Lab at Texas A&M. This thesis focuses on the motion analysis of a locomotive mounted energy storage flywheel system for a variety of support motion inputs. Two input cases, sinusoidal floor input and ramp input, are analyzed in different sections. Simulation results and methods of ensuring the operating success of the flywheel system are provided at the end of each section. Section 1 introduces the problem and method being used to study the vibration under different circumstances. Section 2 analyzes the response of the flywheel system to sinusoidal floor input given by Ahmadian and Venezia 2000. Natural frequency and transmissibility of the system are utilized to explain the simulation results carried out in the frequency domain. It is found that the motion differences between flywheels(rotors) and magnetic bearings(stators) are guaranteed to be small. Section 3 emulates the locomotive traversing a bump with 1:150 slope. Simulation shows that catcher(backup) bearings are needed to limit the vibration of rotors through a bump. It is also found that gyroscopic effect causes problems in vibration isolation. Section 4 explores de-levitation method and installation of gimbals as possible remedies to this problem. Finally, a summary of simulation results from different input cases is made.

Master of Science / Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Todd W. Easton / Jessica L. Heier Stamm / Locomotives in the U.S. use over 3 billion gallons of fuel each year and faster refueling can increase rail network capacity without the infrastructure cost associated with new terminals or tracks. This thesis introduces the locomotive refueling system configuration problem (LRSCP), which seeks to improve efficiency in refueling yards through new technologies or policies. This research also creates two new methods to solve LRSCP. The first method uses an integer program to solve the off-line LRSCP and develop a static refueling policy. The train refueling integer program, TRIP, maximizes the weighted number of train combinations that can be refueled without delay. TRIP is optimized and its outputs are used as inputs to a simulation developed in Simio® for testing and validation. The second method creates an integrated integer program and simulation to solve the on-line LRSCP and produces a dynamic refueling policy. This tool, built in Python, incorporates a different integer program, the strike line integer program (SLIP), into the simulation. SLIP determines the optimal refueling assignment for each incoming train. The simulation incorporates SLIP’s solution for testing and validation. This tool is truly integrated and requires approximately 300 instances of SLIP to simulate a single day. Based on experimental results, solving either TRIP or SLIP and incorporating the optimal refueling policy improves railyard operations by 10 to 30%. This impact is statistically significant and increases the capacity of a railyard. Additionally, it impacts other important parameters such as time spent in the yard and the maximum queue for the railyard. Furthermore, there is a significant decrease in wasted time and an improvement to railyard efficiency. Implementing either method should increase a railyard’s capacity and significantly increase revenue opportunities.

The rail dynamics modeling package NUCARS has been used extensively to model freight cars. We have found that it can also be used effectively to model freight locomotives. This thesis discusses the development of a NUCARS model to represent a six-axle freight locomotive equipped with steerable trucks. This includes separating it into a set of individual bodies, representing the suspension components as inter-body connections, and validation of the computer model. This model is then used to conduct a study of the impact on tangent track stability and curving performance of varying suspension parameters. It is found that the presence of damping in the system improves hunting stability, while increasing wheel conicity is harmful to stability and varying the flexicoiling stiffness has little effect. In curving, the clearances between the axles and truck frame are very important. Limiting these clearances in the steerable truck causes it to curve similar to a conventional straight locomotive truck and increases both the track force ratios and angles of attack. Increasing the wheel conicity increases an axle's tendency to align with the track and improves the locomotive's curving performance. The lateral stiffness of the inter-axle links and inter-motor links has little effect on the curving of the locomotive. / Master of Science

This study evaluates the vibration isolation effect of various mounting systems in a heavy freight locomotive cab, and provides an analytical method for the prediction of structural vibration. The cab is set up in a controlled laboratory environment in a manner similar to the installation on a locomotive. Field measurements are used to emulate actual vibration input to the cab structure. A 16-channel data acquisition system is used to collect vibration data at various points on and inside the cab structure. The cab was isolated from the sill structure through six elastomeric mounts fixed at the base of the cab and at the crash posts. The mounts at the base were selected such that they support the static weight of the cab and offer good lateral and longitudinal stability. Two cylindrical elastomeric mounts were placed between the cab structure and the crash posts which attach to the front of the sill structure. Upon establishing the baseline for laboratory vibration measurements and correlating them with field data, acceleration data was collected at discrete locations, both inside and outside of the cab. The data was used in conjunction with an analytical formulation to generate vibration approximations of the discrete locations. To validate the analytical approximations, experimental results were compared with the analytical predictions using simulated field input to the cab The test results from the analytical model approximations proved to have a strong correlation with experimental results. Vibration approximations of locations outside the cab had a higher correlation to the experimental data than the points on the inside. Although the model did not yield exact results for several positions inside the cab, it resulted in several recommendations for future work. / Master of Science

M.S.

MPH, Occupational Hygiene, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand / Introduction Locomotive operators in the mining industry are exposed to high levels of noise and vibration. There is currently limited information indicating whole-body vibration exposure levels conducted over an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) exposure period; most of the available data are based on instantaneous measurements. The 10-Ton New Era locomotive was specifically designed with the focus on areas such as ergonomics, safety, future automation, productivity and flexibility of use. The locomotive has a single cab and can be driven and controlled with maximum visibility in the direction of travel. Most mining houses are converting from the use of the 10 Ton Goodman battery operated locomotive to the 10Ton New Era locomotive, hence the focus of noise and vibration measurements on the latter. Objectives This research report documents a project to measure noise and whole-body vibration exposure levels of locomotive operators working in an underground platinum mine. The objectives of the study are: • to describe the eight hour time weighted average occupational noise exposure levels of locomotive operators operating the 10-Ton New Era locomotive in an underground platinum mine over 2008 and 2009; • to describe personal whole-body vibration exposure levels of locomotive operators operating the 10-Ton New Era locomotive in an underground platinum mine over 2008 and 2009; and 5 • to determine whether personal noise and whole-body vibration exposure levels of locomotive operators operating the 10-Ton New Era locomotive in an underground platinum mine over 2008 and 2009 comply with national and international standards. Methods Personal noise and whole-body vibration exposure measurements were obtained from 21 underground locomotive operators. Measurements were conducted in accordance with the procedures described in the SANS 10083 standard for personal noise dosimetry and the ISO 2631-1 standard for whole-body vibration. Determination of likely health risks for the operators were based on a comparison of the measured time-weighted noise exposure levels with the South African OEL and the ACGIH threshold limit value; whole-body vibration levels were compared with the HGCZ limits presented in Annex B of the ISO 2631-1 standard and the EU directive daily exposure limits. Results The measured noise and whole-body vibration levels taken over an 8-hour TWA exposure period were higher when compared to national and international standards. The mean LTWA levels for noise was 66.5 dB(A) with 12.5% of the measurements exceeding the South African OEL of 85dB(A). 45% of the wholebody vibration measurements fell within the HGCZ indicating that whole-body vibration exposure on locomotive operators presents a moderate probability for an adverse health outcome. Discussion and Conclusion Locomotive operators are exposed to potentially harmful levels of noise and whole-body vibration. The Mine Health and Safety Act requires an employer to assess the health and safety risks that hazards pose to their employees, and to take reasonably practicable steps towards eliminating or controlling those risks. Like any other risks at a workplace, noise and whole-body vibration needs to be 6 identified and controlled, and the approach to be taken is one of a risk management