New generation of gas turbines will be a diesel beater
1. History
To day , trains powered by gas turbines have cumulated more than 107 hours and 50 7 km . These
trains operates in various environmental conditions such as :
-
Artic in North America , where gas turbines can be stop each evening and restart the
day after without pre-heating sequency
Desert in Iran or Egypt where sandstorms are supported without operating
conditions or supplementary operating cost
These gas turbines have also demonstrated their easiness of maintenance in USA , Egypt or Iran where
since seventies , local mechanical technicians ensure cheaper gas turbines maintenance than diesel after
training of two weeks
With these conditions gas turbines heve a life time more than 100 000 hrs and time between overhaul
around 9 000 hrs for the MAKILA TI
2. Art status
Since the 60‘s, date of first tests in SNCF of railways gas turbines, TURBOMECA gas turbines have
decreased their fuel consumption from 420 g/kW.h for the TURMO III of RTG to 250 g/kW.h for the
EURODYN. In the same time, TURBOMECA’S experience of industrial genset applications has enabled
to increase their reliability and their TBO from 3000 hrs to 10 000 hrs for the MAKILA (more than
106 km on the ENR RTG or Amtrak RTL) and 15 000 hrs are expected with the EURODYN. Experience
of industries has allowed to divide by 3 the Hourly operational price with computer systems for oncondition maintenance.
The Combustion Chamber developed for industrial gensets operating in Japan, USA or European main
cities, permits to fulfil in actual MAKILA TI gas turbines with liquid diesel fuel a level of pollution in
conformity with EURO V not applicable before 2008. New developments are going on to cut per 3 these
levels in a new version of MAKILA and EURODYN.
3. Development in progress
Nevertheless, TURBOMECA is working on a new generation (post-EURODYN) of TM 1800 Gas
Turbines based on its aeronautical and industrial experience to follow ambitious goals :
3.1 Fuel consumption
To obtain the same efficiency at max load and partial loads than diesel engines . We have
developped a recuperator fitted on exhaust gases circuit . With this equipment , fuel consumption
reaches 210 g/kw.h. for an engine with all its accessories . This system not only reduces the fuel
consumption but also takes the place of anti-noise system .
3.2 Prices
To reach the same level price than diesel engine it was necessary to take similar technology than this
applied by the turbochargers industry . this is the reason why this new generation of gas turbines is
very simple and includes only :
One radial compressor based on aeronautical technology allowing to reach 84%
efficiency
One or two axial turbines
One external combustion chamber
Industrial accessories driven by electrical motor
One recuperator/silencer
3.3 Maintenance costs
The design of gas turbines does not permit replacement of internal parts on site . For this reason , the
mainrtenance time on site is very low (<2mn/h) . for industrial application , where gas turbinesTime
between overhaul reaching over 20 000 hrs and lifetime without limits.
3.4 Operability
- Turbomeca experience in North America has proved the capabilities of gas turbines to operate from
– 30 to + 45 °C without special sequence of pre-heating . This avoid to run at idle when the
temperature is below - 25 °C . Our experience in various environmental conditions of railways added
at our knowledges issued from marine , industrial , military or aeronautical operations confirms that
this new generation of gas turbine will not have limitations of operations
3.5 Environment
The development of new combustor allows to decrease combustion temperature to permit very low
level of pollution (10 times lower than alternative engines). The emission of high frequency noise
allow to protect the environment against noise emission ( on actual genset for industry , we obtain 75
dB at 1m) .
4. Conclusions
WITH
THEIR TECHNOLOGIES WHICH ADD ADVANTAGES OF GAS TURBINES AND THOSE OF DIESEL
ENGINES IN TERMS OF EFFICIENCY
,
THIS NEW GENERATION
OF GAS TURBINES CAN OFFER NEW
PROPULSION SYSTEMS INCREASING CAPABILITIES OF TRAINS OPERATIONS
PARTICULARLY WE CAN NOTE :
.3 .1
Dual-mode
FOR THE OPERATORS
.
locomotives able to operate with fuel and electricity
With their high speed generators , these gas turbines provide DC current which has the same
voltage than DC Bus of electrical locomotives . The operation with one or the other is
consequently possible and allows to reduce local pollution in the stations of big cities . This
gas turbine can also be the powering system for trminals where electrification is not available
and where infrastructure does not allow fast trains
3.2 BB freight loco with more than 4000 kW of installed power.
A preliminary design of installation has permitted to fit in one locomotive two TM 1800 able
to provide more than 4 000 KW . This configuration not only furnished high power on BB
locomotive but also high level of redundancy . This locomotive can allow the operator to
decrease the number of its locos in heavy freight trains .
3.3 Fast trains on existing tracks with minimum investment
This new generation of gas turbines includes not only the gas turbines of propulsion but gas
turbines for hotel loads also . With their installation as gensets systems , all these turbines will
provide electricity on DC Bus and electricity is dispatched through adapted ondulators to
propulsion or hotel loads systems .
Gas Turbines , Diesel Beater ?
WCRR 2001
DIRECTION - REF -02.10.2001 - P. 1
Summary
» Actual situation
» In progress
» The future
» Conclusion
DIRECTION - REF -02.10.2001 - P. 2
Actual situation
• Since ten years , French turbotrains have been in
operation. Their “sixties” design is today obsolete in many
technologies : noise protection, fuel consumption,
transmission, hotel load genset, command and control
system,…….
• Nevertheless, with 10 000 000 operating hours and more
than 500 000 000 km, they have proved their reliability and
availability in very hard environmental conditions such as :
• Snow and ice condition in North America
• Desertic operations in Egypt and Iran
• Cities in Paris and New-York
DIRECTION - REF -02.10.2001 - P. 3
The future
• Based on its unique experience, Turbomeca is working on
new turbines solving problems of Turbotrains. Its works
are mainly on :
– Fuel consumption and efficiency of Gas Turbines
– Gas turbines driving systems
– Environment : pollution and noise
– Accessories : filtration , cooling systems , ….
– Reliability allowing the guarantee of operations
– Availability to avoid maintenance operations out of train operations
DIRECTION - REF -02.10.2001 - P. 4
Diesel/Gas Turbine : competition or complementarity
•
Diesel :
• Weight occurs high load per axle
required for heavy freight trains
• Constant efficiency, whatever
the required power will be.
• Maitenance time is important but
well known by the operators.
• Needs treatment of gas to reach
future regulations of pollution.
• Low frequency vibrations difficult
to solve and disturbing
passengers comfort.
DIRECTION - REF -02.10.2001 - P. 5
•
Gas Turbines :
• Lightness, allowing to reach
requirements of high speed
trains
• Maximum efficiency at max
power needing to operate at
max power
• Maintenance on site very
light
• Low pollution
• Low noise and vibration
level after treatment
Diesel / Gas turbines : consumption comparison
450
400
350
300
250
Diesel
200
Actual Gas turbines
Future Gas turbines
150
100
50
0
25% power
DIRECTION - REF -02.10.2001 - P. 6
50% power
75% power 100% power
The future gas turbine
•
•
•
•
•
•
This future powering system includes :
Gas turbine
Recuperator
Generator
Command
Control
DIRECTION - REF -02.10.2001 - P. 7
Problems and Solutions
•
•
•
•
•
Price :
• Minimum number of rotating components and
bearings
Maintenance :
• Computer system allowing maintenance
On-condition
Fuel consumption : • Recuperator and variable speed permit to reach
same level of consumption as for Diesel engines
Noise level :
• Treatment against noise is included in
recuperator design
Pollution :
• Low Nox combustor to reach pollution level in
accordance with Californian regulations
DIRECTION - REF -02.10.2001 - P. 8
2MW GTA
POWER SYSTEM
G
ZPSU
ZPSU
Electrical propulsion
Loads or electrical propulsion
2MW GTA
G
ZPSU
ZPSU
Loads or electrical propulsion
Electrical Propulsion
Power System DC bus
DIRECTION - REF -02.10.2001 - P. 9
As you can see on
this scheme,
whatever the
electrical current
necessary will be,
the Ondulator
system allows to
obtain it and the
powering system
can ensure a total
redundancy for all
train components
Conclusion
•
With this operational flexibility, gas turbines gensets of the next
generation will convince not only for fast trains but also for more
conventional systems like freight or new dual mode trains which can
be the future of thermal traction with very hard regulations coming
on for trains engines.
•
This next generation of gas turbines will have lower pollution than
any present thermal engines in its range of power with cumulative
advantages of gas turbines and diesel engines. The following
generation cumulates advantages of these gas turbines and fuel
cells.
DIRECTION - REF -02.10.2001 - P. 10