Locomotive Idle Reduction

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Locomotive Idle Reduction August 11, 2004 Brian
F. Loll Assistant Commissioner Energy Air
Quality Division Chicago Dept of Environment
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Locomotives Spend A Lot of Time Idling
Road Idle Time Yard Idle Time
EPA Estimate 38.0 59.8
AAR Estimate 54.0 75.4
RAC Estimate 60.0 81.0
EPA Environmental Protection Agency AAR
American Association of Railroads RAC Railway
Association of Canada
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Locomotives Consume A Lot of Fuel When
Idling(figures shown are in gallons per hour)
Model Idle Notch 3
SW12/SW15 3.8 9
GP7/GP9 3.7 8
GP38-2/SD38-2 4.5 11
GP40-2/SD40-2 5.1 11
A locomotive typically idles at the idle
throttle setting, but when outside temperatures
drop to 10-15F, the locomotive is idled at the
notch 3 setting to keep the engine warm.
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21,685 gallons/year!

In a typical year, one locomotive consumes as
much fuel idling as 11 idling semi-trucks
(assumptions per EPA420-R-02-025).
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Fuel In Emissions Out
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Why do locomotives idle?

• Avoid difficult start-ups
• Engine cold when lt 100F
• Weak batteries
• Freeze Protection
• Engine freezes when lt 32F

Note Locomotive engine is 30 times bigger than
engine in Suburban, does not use anti-freeze,
uses a 74vDC starter motor and runs on diesel
fuel.
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EPA Project

• 1st project to test a locomotive idle reduction
  technology.
• Driven by idle reduction directive in the
  National Energy Policy.
• Goal Quantify reductions in fuel consumption,
  emissions and noise.

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EPA Project Partners

• Funding resources supplied by
• EPA Office of Transportation Air Quality
• City of Chicago, Dept of Environment
• BNSF Railroad
• Wisconsin Southern Railroad
• Kim Hotstart Manufacturing Company

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Technology
The Hotstart Diesel Driven Heating System
manufactured by Kim Hotstart Manufacturing
company of Spokane, WA was selected for the
project. The Hotstart allows an idling
locomotive to be shutdown by keeping the
locomotive engine temperature above 100F and
keeping the batteries charged.
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7 Retrofits

• 3 Hotstarts installed on BNSF GP 38 locomotives
  idling in Corwith Yard
• BNSF 2133 also equipped with SmartStart system to
  automatically shutdown locomotive.
• 4 Hotstarts installed on WS SD 40-2 locomotives
  idling in Belt Railway

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BNSF GP38 LocomotiveEngine 16-645E (10,320
CID, 2000hp)
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WSOR SD40-2 LocomotiveEngine 16-645E3 (10,320
CID, 3000hp)
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Retrofits
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Project Timeline

• April 2002 Project Partners selected and Scope
  of Work agreed upon.
• Aug 2002 Technology installed.
• Sep 2002 EPA-Chicago launch event held.
• Sep 2002 - FRA noise testing completed.
• Jan 2003 Heating capacity test conducted.
• Sep 2003 Fuel savings and emission reduction
  quantified.
• March 2004 EPA report released.

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BNSF 2133 Results

• Idle Time Reduced 80
• Fuel Savings per day 42.7 gallons
• Fuel Savings per year 14,339 gallons
• NOx reduced per year 2.4 tons
• PM reduced per year 0.07 tons
• Noise pollution reduced 8-15 decibels
• Cost to reduce 1 ton of NOx just 1,420

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Project was a Win! Win! Win!
Cleaner air for our citizens!
Fuel Savings!
Reduced air and noise pollution!
Left to Right Tom Skinner, EPA Marcia Jiminez,
Chicago Craig Hill, BNSF
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Acknowledgements
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Thank You!