Experimental Locomotive Exhaust Filter Tested in Oakland
December 14 2006 - 1:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Union Pacific Continues Looking at New Technology to Further Reduce
Emissions OMAHA, Neb., Dec. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Union
Pacific Railroad has begun a year-long test in Oakland's railyards
to determine if an experimental after market exhaust system filter
will reduce diesel engine emissions in older railroad locomotives.
"Our goal is to find innovative methods of further reducing exhaust
emissions to create a better environment," said Bob Grimaila, Union
Pacific's vice president for environment and safety. A
1,500-horsepower yard locomotive, built in November 1982, has been
retrofitted with diesel particulate filters or "DPFs." The DPF
initiative is the result of a four-year program, funded in part by
Union Pacific, to assess exhaust after market technologies for
locomotive applications. The DPF uses high-temperature silicon
carbide blocks to trap particulate matter in the exhaust. As gases
containing the carbon particles accumulate, the device periodically
heats the carbon, causing it to ignite and burn off as carbon
dioxide. The diesel engine has been outfitted with various sensors
that can remotely monitor, with the help of Global Positioning
Satellite (GPS) technology, in "real-time" the engine and DPF
system operation. Remote "real-time" monitoring capability helps
researchers evaluate how the engine and the experimental filters
are functioning. Its emissions performance and the maintenance
requirements for the locomotive will be assessed at the end of the
one-year test period. The locomotive was subjected to EPA
locomotive standards testing before and after the DPF was
installed, using standard EPA non-road diesel fuel and "ultra-low
sulfur diesel" (ULSD) fuel that UP is now using for intrastate
locomotives in California. During static testing, particulate
emissions were reduced 80 percent when the DPF was installed. Union
Pacific will also begin a year-long field test in the Los Angeles
area of the North America rail industry's first long-haul diesel
electric locomotive modified with "after market" experimental
technology aimed at reducing hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and
particulate exhaust emissions. Union Pacific's "Green" Fleet
Currently, about 50 percent of Union Pacific's more than 8,200-unit
locomotive fleet is certified under existing EPA Tier 0, Tier 1 or
Tier 2 regulations governing air emissions. That gives Union
Pacific the most environmentally friendly locomotive fleet in the
nation. Union Pacific has tested, and is acquiring, two types of
environmentally friendly low-horsepower rail yard locomotives. The
Genset locomotive is powered by three 700-horsepower low-emissions
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) non-road Tier
3-certified diesel engines projected to reduce emissions of both
nitrous oxides and particulate matter by up to 80 percent, while
using as much as 40 percent less fuel compared to current
low-horsepower locomotives. The second type of environmentally
friendly low horsepower rail yard locomotive, known as the Green
Goat, uses state-of-the-art diesel-battery hybrid-technology
designed to cut air emissions by 80 percent and reduce diesel fuel
use by 40 percent compared to conventional diesel-powered
locomotives used in switching service. The hybrid switcher is
powered with large banks of batteries. When energy stored in the
batteries is depleted to a pre-set level, a small, low-emission
diesel engine automatically starts to power a generator that
recharges the batteries. It is anticipated that these switching
locomotives will receive California Air Resources Board (CARB)
recognition as Ultra-Low Emitting Locomotives (ULEL), in addition
to exceeding the EPA's stringent Locomotive Tier 2 standards. These
ULELs are a direct result of Union Pacific's efforts to encourage
development of ever-cleaner technology by its locomotive suppliers.
The ultra-low emissions of these locomotives will help Union
Pacific meet its commitment to CARB to reduce its fleet average
nitrous oxide emissions inside the South Coast Nonattainment Area
by 2010. CARB Memorandum of Understanding In addition to the
emission reductions that the Genset and hybrid locomotives will
achieve in the South Coast, a June 30, 2005, Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) among CARB, Union Pacific and BNSF Railway will
further reduce diesel emissions in and around the state's rail
yards. The important agreement calls for reductions that will be
greater and quicker than any that could have resulted from
regulatory processes. This was the second significant agreement of
this type. The first one was signed in 1998 and covered nitrous
oxide emissions (NOx) from locomotives. Under the first agreement,
NOx levels from locomotives will be reduced by 67 percent in the
South Coast Nonattainment Area. The June 2005 agreement represents
the next logical step in the process and will reduce particulate
matter (PM) emissions statewide. CARB has estimated the MOU will
reduce particulate emissions by approximately 20 percent at rail
yards by June 2008 when all the program's elements are phased in.
Union Pacific expects to spend more than $20 million implementing
the program. Jobs at Union Pacific Currently, Union Pacific has job
openings at many locations throughout its 23-state operating
system. Opportunities are available in train service, skilled
disciplines (e.g., diesel mechanics and electricians) and
management. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit
http://www.unionpacific.jobs/. About Union Pacific Union Pacific
Corporation owns one of America's leading transportation companies.
Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23
states in the western two-thirds of the country and serves the
fastest-growing U.S. population centers. Union Pacific's
diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products,
Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal.
The railroad offers competitive long-haul routes from all major
West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific
connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad
serving all six major gateways to Mexico, making it North America's
premier rail franchise. For more information, contact Mark Davis at
(402) 544-5459. DATASOURCE: Union Pacific Railroad CONTACT: Mark
Davis, +1-402-544-5459, for Union Pacific Railroad
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