Hybrid technology for the rail industry

A new type of battery-dominant hybrid technology has been developed for the rail industry. Switcher locomotive service is characterized by highly variable power output use. This variability in demand is exploited to allow the use of a significantly smaller, fuel-efficient, Tier 2 certified, low maintenance engine and generator combination to supply energy to the traction motors and to the application-engineered battery pack. In the last three years, a demonstrator vehicle, the Green Goat/spl reg/, has been designed, tested, constructed and put into field trials for 18 months in various locations and types of service, with impressive (performance and operational) results. The design, concept, field trials results, as well as applications of the technology to other types of service, are discussed.