Weight |
80 to |
Starting Tractive Effort |
25 to |
Length |
52.5 ft |
Maximum Speed |
87 mph |
Power rating |
2,730 hp (3 x 910 hp) |
Energy Storage |
180 MJ (4,000 hp·min) |
Traction power |
13,920 hp (4 x 3,480 hp) |
Fuel tank |
1,320 gal (5,000 l) |
The ease of transmitting and storing high powers, the robust construc-tion, and low consumption of the advanced hydrostatic drive system for locomotives result in significant benefits regarding performance, opera-ting characteristic, and costs.
The drive system consists of three single-cylinder free-piston engines, the accumulator assembly, and a hydraulic motor, one on each axle, transmitting the torque through a single stage gearbox. The engine is the same as used in the tracked vehicle, but the speed is reduced to increase the service life. Six piston accumulators and two spherical containers for the pressurized nitrogen gas store the energies for driving and braking.
The simple engagement and disengagement of the motors and control of torque provide a very effective operation over a wide range (15:1) of speed and tractive forces. The maximal tractive effort can be applied during a standstill without overheating the motors since the hydraulic fluid transmits the power und lubricates and cools the motors. The re-duced use of the braking system and low heat radiation simplifies the structure and maintenance of the locomotive.
![](/Data/Sites/36/media/locomotive/locomotive.gif)
Hydrostatic Locomotive
The high efficiency of the engine and the recuperation of the braking energy (Round-trip-efficiency 75% - 80%) reduces the fuel consumption and emissions by more than 40%.
Charging the accumulator can also be achieved through a small, simple electric motor driving a hydraulic pump at constant speed. In this confi-guration, the power peaks for accelerating or from braking are compen-sated by the accumulator and only a lower, constant base load from the electric grid is required. The storage capacity of the accumulator can be increased by a factor of two (to 100 kW∙h) without exceeding the size of locomotives of comparable power.
Copyright Valentin Technologies, LLC
The picture shows the locomotive with its drivetrain components in scale.