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.
POWER
RANGE
NUCLEAR
POWER
DIESEL/
ELECTRIC
CONVENTIONAL
STEAM
FUEL CELL
Present time
TIME FRAME
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 steamspecific 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
The Norfolk&Western RR Steam Turbine Locomotive, tested between 1954-57
(non-condensing)
TE-1 Kokoonpanoa
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
B
Hs 1
140 km/h
A
B
A-A
B-B
Light weight, self-supporting frame construction
G
G = 50-60 t
G
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!