What if the Steam Locomotive were constructed today?

Basic facts & assumptions 1. The classic - or conventional – steam is OUT 2. There are - and always will be - railways that never electrify for various reasons, e.g.

- Costly infrastructure - Vulnerability of the catenary system - Benefits & flexibility of diesels

3. The use of fossile fuel will be restricted 4. Biopower is gaining ever more attraction 5. The state-of-art technology in power plant engineering, as well as in electric & electronic industry, has greatly advanced since the days of the conventional steam locomotive.

NUCLEAR

POWER

FUEL CELL

CONVENTIONAL

STEAM

DIESEL/

ELECTRIC

TIME FRAME

POWER

RANGE

Present time

Energy balance of a classical steam locomotive

To be realistic, a steam locomotive should:

- Be comparable to diesels in efficiency

- Be free of operational handicaps, like slippage, heavy construction, ergonomical problems, need of turning, crew demands, emissions etc.

- Be compatible with other types of motive power, as regards multi-unit operation and service facilities excluding only the steam-specific operations (fuelling and cleaning)

ACE3000; Proposed Steam Locomotive

American Coal Enterprises

3000 hp continuous power

Drawings as presented in the

Model Railroader Magazine, June 1982

Steam turbine direct drive;

Grängesberg-Oxelösund RR

ca. 1935-1955

Case Study of Steam Turbine

Electric Locomotives

• In 1938; GE built a test engine for the UP

• !n 1947-49, Baldwin-Westinghouse built 3

units for the Chesapeake&Ohio Railroad

• In 1954, Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton +

Westinghouse and Babcock&Wilcox built a

test engine for the Norfolk&Western RR;

tests lasted until the end of 1957

The General Electric Steam Turbine Locomotive;

tested by Union Pacific and Northern Pacific Railroads between 1938-44

A high pressure, water tube type, condensing, oil fired Babcock&Wilcox boiler

The

Chesapeake&Ohio

Railroad

Steam Turbine Loco

(1949)

Non-condensing,

Coal fired, fire tube

Boiler

TE-1 Kokoonpanoa The Norfolk&Western RR Steam Turbine Locomotive, tested between 1954-57

(non-condensing)

Functional Sketch for a

Biopowered, fully condensing Steam

Turbine Electric Locomotive

- High pressure, closed circuit WATER TUBE boiler

- Steam turbine driven generator unit

- Traction motors on each axle

- Heat recovery of cooling air & flue gases

- (eventual oxyfuel burning process in future)

A

A

A-A

B

B

B-B

Hs 1

140 km/h

G

G

G = 50-60 t

Light weight, self-supporting frame construction

What is novel?

• Completely oil free, compact steam turbine generator unit (dual unit execution)

• Fully automated, wood burning combustion process

• Light weight construction

• Modular design includes common parts with existing diesel/electric locos

• Low emission level

• One man, bi-directional operation

• Multiple unit operation with any kind of motive power is possible

Thank you for your attention!