Research And Development Agreement Signed For Hydrogen Combustion Trains In US
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on H2-View.
This is the opening paragraph.
Hydrogen combustion engine-powered trains are set to be at the centre of a collaborative research and development agreement between Argonne and Oak Ridge National Laboratories and Wabtec in a bid to decarbonise US rail.
The US is certainly calling up the heavy brigade in Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratories and Wabtec.
This appears to be the main objective.
It is hoped the team will be able to design train engines that will deliver the same power, range, and cost-effectiveness as current diesel technology.
The article states that there are 25,000 diesel locomotives in the United States, but because of exports to large parts of the world, including the UK, this research could clean up a lot more than just the United States.
The omens are good, in that both Cummins and Rolls-Royce mtu, who are two of the world’s big diesel engine manufacturers have successfully launched hydrogen combustion engines.
The Anonymous Widower 
It seems to me that the ORNL plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by working on hardware changes to retrofit to existing locomotives in use in North America is process that assists all of the US Railroad industry.
However, while ANL should be modelling the combustion and emission control techniques used in hydrogen combustion engines, ONRL should be working with all the US engine builders including Cummins and Caterpillar, not just Wabtec who inherited the Intellectual Property of the Electro Motive Diesel brand.
Indeed a simple desktop study will introduce them to the current developments by major engine manufacturers and combustion consultants including the US Dept of Energy sponsored SwRI, in Texas, as well as other companies like CMB Tech who are already modifying what is now Wabtec engine hardware so that the amount of hydrogen can be increased.
https://rollingstockworld.com/locomotives/diesel-locomotives-are-to-be-converted-to-hydrogen-combustion-traction-in-namibia/
Comment by fammorris | November 12, 2022 |