TWO-UNIT GAS-TURBINE LOCOMOTIVE

Abstract

 The inventive two-unit gas-turbine locomotive comprises two traction units which are provided with bodies with a framework and a control cabin and powered trucks. A power unit consisting of a gas-turbine engine for rotating traction and auxiliary generators, an air-preparing device for the gas-turbine engine and auxiliary facilities are arranged in one unit. A tank for storing liquefied cryogenic gas fuel for the gas-turbine engine, an auxiliary diesel generator and auxiliary facilities are arranged in the other unit.; The tank for storing the liquefied cryogenic gas fuel is mounted on the framework in the body in such a way that the vertical projection of the center of gravity thereof coincides with the center of gravity of the remaining mass of the unit, wherein, for increasing technical safety, said container and the power unit are separated from the control cabins and the rear walls of the unit by means of insulated sections which are locked during the operation of the gas-turbine engine and contain the auxiliary facilities and the auxiliary diesel generator.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] This invention relates to the field of rail transport, more particularly to the design of locomotives and specifically to that of gas-turbine locomotives.

Description of the Related Art

[0002] A unit G1 of a cargo two-unit gas-turbine locomotive is known. A gas-turbine engine (GTE) is installed in the middle portion of the body on the unit frame. The GTE axial compressor intakes the outside air through the filters and directs it to the combustion chambers to which heated liquid heavy-oil fuel is supplied. Gases from the combustion chamber rotate the turbine which translates rotation, through a gear unit, to two traction alternators feeding the traction electric motors. The GTE exhaust gases are released through the exhaust tube where a heater (heat-exchanger) for a heavy liquid fuel is arranged.

[0003] An auxiliary diesel-generator set is installed in the known unit, which serves for start of the GTE, as an electric drive for the brake compressor and for separate movement of the gas-turbine locomotive. After starting the GTE the auxiliary diesel-generator set is stopped. It is provided that a liquid diesel fuel is used for starting the GTE, and that subsequently a liquid heavy-oil fuel is used. («Gas-Turbine Traction: History and Prospects», «Locomotive» Magazine No. 4, 2005, p.37, 38).

[0004] Several disadvantages of the known gas-turbine locomotive are:

• low efficiency;
• use of a heavy-oil fuel affecting the ecological performance of the gas-turbine locomotive;
• an auxiliary diesel-generator set and a fuel reservoir for the gas-turbine engine in each unit of the gas-turbine locomotive, which makes the whole structure more expensive and complicated and does not enable to install additional reservoirs for a liquefied gas.

[0005] A gas-turbine locomotive is also known, which has a gas-turbine engine operating on a liquefied natural gas. Gas tanks are installed on the locomotive frame, occupy about a half of its length and have a great weight. (US Patent No. 5,129,328, IPC B61C5/00, 1992).

[0006] Several disadvantages of this gas-turbine locomotive are:

• a low power of a unit, which is associated with the presence of liquefied gas tanks in the unit;
• a low reserve of a gas for combustion and a great weight of tanks themselves;
• higher explosion hazard due to a high pressure of a liquefied gas in tanks.

[0007] A two-unit gas-turbine locomotive is also known, which comprises a tender for a liquid heavy-oil fuel in the form of a separate tank wagon.

[0008] The frame of each traction unit is supported by two three-axle bogies with wheel pairs and traction electric motors (TEM) having an air-cooling system and tubes for supply and exhaust of cooling air.

[0009] One locomotive unit comprises a power unit (a gas-turbine unit) including a gas-turbine engine (GTE) with an axial compressor and devices for air processing and noise reduction. The GTE is connected to a traction alternator and an auxiliary alternator.

[0010] The GTE fuel system includes a fuel pump supplying a fuel from the tender fuel tank to the GTE combustion chambers.

[0011] The second locomotive unit comprises an operator's cab and auxiliary equipment, such as: an auxiliary diesel-generator set, a diesel-fuel tank, a cooling system for the diesel engine and a lubricating oil for the GTE bearings and electric generators, traction electric motors, a cooling fan for TEM, brake compressors, a battery, control facilities.

[0012] A heavy fuel is supplied to the tender reservoir at 93°C. In order to keep the heavy fuel heated the walls of the reservoir are equipped with thermal insulation.

[0013] Both units are connected therebetween by power cables, control cables, two hoses for cooling water, a pipeline for a diesel fuel used for starting the GTE, and brake hoses. («Gas-Turbine Traction: History and Prospects», «Locomotive» magazine No. 3, 2005, p.41).

[0014] Several disadvantages of this two-unit gas-turbine locomotive having a tender are:

• only one operator's cab;
• use of a heated heavy-oil fuel affecting the ecological performance of the gas-turbine locomotive;
• a separate tender where a reserve of a liquid heavy fuel is stored, which increases the weight and the dimensions of the locomotive, while reducing its efficiency.

[0015] A reactive gas-turbine locomotive is also known, which comprises a turbojet gas-turbine engine, a compressor for the engine with an input channel (tube) having an air-intake device, a combustion chamber designed for two fuels, a heat-exchanger - gasifier (serving as a fuel heater) for a liquefied gas, which is heated by a hot gas supplied from the gas-turbine engine, fuel reservoirs (tanks) that are made as a cryogenic (heat-insulated) structure intended for storing a liquefied gas in the locomotive either within its body or on the locomotive roof, and a fuel pipeline (RU Patent No. 225105 C1, B61C 11/06, 2005).

[0016] Several disadvantages of this locomotive are:

• a low power of its unit, which is associated with the arrangement of the power unit for the gas-turbine engine and fuel reservoirs (tanks) in the gas-turbine locomotive;
• a higher explosion hazard because the fuel tanks and the gas-turbine engine are not separated from the operator's cab;
• several fuel tanks arranged in several places either inside the body or on the roof of the locomotive, which cannot ensure uniform axial loads on the wheel pairs of the locomotive.

Summary of the Invention

[0017] The technical effect of this invention is an increase in the efficiency of a gas-turbine locomotive due to improved economic and ecological performance, lowered metal consumption, increased traction characteristics as well as an improved safety and protection level of the fuel tank and the power unit of a locomotive in emergencies.

[0018] The said technical effect can be achieved due to the fact that the proposed two-unit gas-turbine locomotive, which comprises two traction units provided with bodies each having a frame and an operator's cab, bogies having powered wheel pairs, a power unit including a gas-turbine engine used for rotating a traction alternator and an auxiliary alternator, an air-processing unit for the gas-turbine engine and a reservoir for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel, an auxiliary diesel-generator set, auxiliary equipment, a fuel pipeline with an inter-unit connection, has the power unit arranged in the body of one traction unit and the reservoir for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel arranged in the other traction unit and mounted on the frame in the body in such a way that a vertical projection of the gravity center of the reservoir coincides with the gravity center of the unit remaining weight, the reservoir for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel and the power unit being separated from the respective operator's cabs and from the rear walls of the unit bodies by sections where the auxiliary equipment and the auxiliary diesel-generator set are arranged, which are isolated and locked therefrom during operation for the purpose of improving technical safety.

[0019] Moreover, the reservoir for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel is made as a cryogenic tank with the maximum filling of the locomotive unit body volume, and the fuel pipelines of the locomotive units are made cryogenic for the purpose of transferring a cryogenic fuel from the reservoir for storing a liquefied gas fuel, which is arranged in one unit, to the gas-turbine engine arranged in the other unit and are connected therebetween by a flexible inter-unit connection arranged in the area where mutual movements of the two units relative to each other are at minimum. The inner cavity of the reservoir for storing a liquefied gas fuel is connected to the cryogenic fuel pipeline either directly by a liquefied gas transferring pump or via an intermediate accumulating tank having heat-insulated walls and mounted on the same unit with the pump for supplying a liquefied gas, the tubes for air exiting from the cooled cavities of the electric machines arranged in the power unit of the gas-turbine locomotive are connected to the on-roof air-processing unit of the gas-turbine engine for the purpose of preventing the distributor of the gas-turbine engine from icing in winter.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] 

Figure 1 schematically shows a general view of the first unit of the gas-turbine locomotive, side elevation.

Figure 2 schematically shows a general view of the second unit of the gas-turbine locomotive, side elevation.

Description of Preferred Embodiments

[0021] The two-unit gas-turbine locomotive comprises two traction units 1 and 2 (Figs. 1, 2) that are provided with bodies 3 with frames 4 and operator's cabs 5 arranged on the opposite ends of the gas-turbine locomotive. The frames 4 of the units 1 and 2 are mounted on bogies 6 with powered wheel pairs 7 and traction electric motors 8.

[0022] The body 3 of the unit 1 comprises a power unit 9 including a gas-turbine engine (GTE) 10 used for rotating a traction alternator 11 and an auxiliary alternator 12, an on-roof air-processing unit 13 for the GTE 10.

[0023] The unit 1 comprises the auxiliary equipment 14 of the gas-turbine locomotive: rectifying installations 15, a brake compressor set 16, a central system for supplying air to the electric machines with an air-supplying fan 17. For the purpose of improving technical safety the power unit 9 is separated from the operator's cab 5 and the body rear wall 18 of the unit 1 by isolated sections 19, 20 containing the auxiliary equipment 14, which are locked from the cab during operation of the GTE 10.

[0024] The unit 1 is also provided with a battery 21 feeding an electric starter 22 used for starting the GTE 10. Tubes 23 for air exiting from the cooled cavities of the electric machines of the power unit 9 of the gas-turbine locomotive are connected to the on-roof air-processing unit 13 of the GTE 10 for the purpose of preventing the distributor of the GTE 10 from icing in winter. A fuel pipeline 24 is laid to the GTE 10 in the unit 1.

[0025] The unit 2 comprises a reservoir 25 for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel for the GTE 10, other auxiliary equipment 26 for the gas-turbine locomotive, namely: an auxiliary diesel-generator set 27 with a diesel fuel tank 28, a fan 29 for supplying air to the traction electric motors 8.

[0026] The reservoir 25 for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel is made as a cryogenic tank having heat-insulated walls and a hermetically sealed inner cavity with the maximum filling by volume of the body 3 of the unit 2, and is mounted on the frame 4 in the body 3 of the unit 2 in such a way that the vertical projection of the reservoir center of gravity coincides with the gravity center of the remaining weight of the unit 2.

[0027] For the purpose of improving technical safety the reservoir 25 for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel is separated from the operator's cab 5 and the rear wall 30 of the body 3 of the unit 2 by isolated sections 31, 32 containing the auxiliary equipment 26, which are locked from the cab during operation of the GTE 10. Thus, for example, the fan 29 for supplying air to the traction electric motors 8 is arranged in the section 31, between the reservoir 25 and the operator's cab 5, and an auxiliary diesel-generator set 27 is arranged in the section 32, between the reservoir 25 and the rear wall 30 of the body 3. The inner cavity of the reservoir 25 for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel is connected to the fuel pipeline 33 of the unit 2 either directly by a liquefied gas transferring pump 34 or via an intermediate accumulating tank 35 with heat-insulated walls, which tank shares the same unit with the liquefied gas transferring pump 34.

[0028] The fuel pipelines 24, 33 of the locomotive units 1, 2 are made cryogenic for the purpose of transferring a cryogenic fuel from the reservoir 25 for storing a liquefied gas fuel, which is arranged in the unit 2, to the GTE 10 arranged in the unit 1 and are connected therebetween by a flexible inter-unit connection 36 arranged in the area where mutual movements of the two units relative to each other are at minimum.

[0029] The gas-turbine locomotive may be operated as follows.

[0030] The reservoir 25 is filled with a liquefied gas fuel. A liquefied gas fuel is supplied from the reservoir 25 either directly by the pump 34, or via the intermediate accumulating tank 35 via the fuel pipeline 33 and the inter-unit connection 36 to the unit 1 and further via the fuel pipeline 24 to the GTE 10 of the power unit 9. The GTE 10 is started by the electric starter 22 with the use of the battery 21. The GTE 10 rotates the traction alternator 11 which is used for powering the traction electric motors 8 and the auxiliary alternator 12 through the rectifying installations 15.

[0031] The arrangement of the power unit 9 and the reservoir 25 in the different traction units 1 and 2 of the gas-turbine locomotive enables to make the volume of the reservoir 25 sufficient for long-term operation of the gas-turbine locomotive. Furthermore, this arrangement enables to improve technical safety of the gas-turbine locomotive owing to the isolated sections 19, 20, 31, 32, which are locked from the power unit 9 and the reservoir 25 during operation of the GTE 10, with their auxiliary equipment 14, 26 and the auxiliary diesel-generator set 27. Moreover, the reservoir 25 is mounted on the frame 4 in the body 3 in such a way that the vertical projection of the reservoir center of gravity coincides with the gravity center of the remaining weight of the unit 2, which helps maintaining the general gravity center of the unit 2 when a liquefied gas fuel is consumed and keeping the axial loads on the wheel pairs 7 constant.

[0032] Owing to making the reservoir 25 for a liquefied gas fuel in the form of a cryogenic tank with the heat-insulated walls and hermetically sealed inner cavity, a cryogenic fuel may be stored without access of environmental heat and the metal consumption is lowered to a minimum.

[0033] The flexible inter-unit connection 36 is arranged in the area where mutual movements of the units 1, 2 relative to each other is at minimum, which improves the reliability of this connection. The inner cavity of the reservoir 25 for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel may be connected to the liquefied gas transferring pump 34 via the intermediate accumulating tank 35, which raises the operation stability of the GTE 10.

[0034] The tubes 23 for exit of air cooling the electric machines of the power unit 9 of the gas-turbine locomotive are connected to the air intake of the on-roof air-processing unit 13 in order to prevent the distributor of the GTE 10 from icing in winter.

Industrial Applicability

[0035] The inventive gas-turbine locomotive is designed for moving heavy-weight cargo trains.

Claims

1. A two-unit gas-turbine locomotive comprising two traction units provided with bodies each having a frame and an operator's cab, bogies having powered wheel pairs, a power unit including a gas-turbine engine used for rotating a traction alternator and an auxiliary alternator, an air-processing unit for the gas-turbine engine and a reservoir for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel for the gas-turbine engine, an auxiliary diesel-generator set, auxiliary equipment, a fuel pipeline with an inter-unit connection, characterized in that the power unit is arranged in the body of one traction unit, and the reservoir for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel is arranged in the other traction unit and mounted on the frame in the body in such a way that a vertical projection of the gravity center of the reservoir coincides with the gravity center of the unit remaining weight; the reservoir for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel and the power unit being separated from the respective operator's cabs and from the rear walls of the unit bodies by sections where the auxiliary equipment and the auxiliary diesel-generator set are arranged, which are isolated and locked therefrom during operation for the purpose of improving technical safety.

2. A two-unit gas-turbine locomotive according to Claim 1, characterized in that the reservoir for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel is made as a cryogenic cistern with maximum filling of the unit body volume.

3. A two-unit gas-turbine locomotive according to Claim 1, characterized in that the unit fuel pipelines are made cryogenic for transferring a cryogenic fuel from the reservoir for storing a liquefied cryogenic gas fuel from one unit to the gas-turbine engine arranged in the other unit, and are connected therebetween by a flexible inter-unit connection arranged in the area where mutual movements of the two units relative to each other are at minimum.

4. A two-unit gas-turbine locomotive according to Claim 1, characterized in that the inner cavity of the reservoir for storing a liquefied gas fuel is connected to the cryogenic fuel pipeline either directly via a liquefied gas transferring pump, or via an intermediate accumulating tank with heat-insulated walls, which is mounted in the same unit as the liquefied gas transferring pump.

5. A two-unit gas-turbine locomotive according to Claim 1, characterized in that the tubes for air exiting from the cooled cavities of the electric machines of the power unit of the gas-turbine locomotive are connected to an on-roof air-processing unit in order to prevent the distributor of the gas-turbine engine from icing in winter.

Drawing