onsidering that one in every four cars that rolls off assembly lines around the world is fitted with one of its clutches, very little is known about LuK, part of the Schaeffler Group, Germany's largest family owned business. However, this subsidiary has a portfolio of interesting products that include the dual mass flywheel, the twin clutch gearbox, the belt-driven starter generator and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Additionally, it is the worldwide leader in tractor clutches. Transmission technology has developed into an innovative driving force in the automotive industry with both autoshift and twin-clutch gearboxes providing alternatives to conventional automated transmissions. For LuK, these gearbox variants comprise its XSG family that embraces Electronic Clutch Management (ECM), which dispenses with the clutch pedal, the Auto Shift Gearbox (ASG), where the actual gear shifting is automated, and the Uninterrupted Shift Gearbox (USG), where a partial filling of the torque interruption during a gearshift is achieved with an additional clutch. It also includes the Parallel Shift Gearbox (PSG), which belongs to the twin-clutch gearbox group, and the Electrical Shift Gearbox (ESG), in which a starter-generator is coupled in parallel to one of the two input shafts. It is the twin-clutch PSG that excites Dr. Peter Gutzmer, LuK president and CEO, who had spent 17 years with Porsche working in various positions in engine and vehicle development. Known as DSG--Direct Shift Gearbox--in Volkswagen-Audi parlance, it combines the advantages of a conventional six-speed manual-shift gearbox with the qualities possessed by a modern automatic transmission. The driver enjoys immense agility and driving pleasure with smooth, dynamic acceleration without any interruption to the power flow. The technical basis of the DSG, developed in the VW-Audi case by BorgWarner, is a double clutch. It consists of two wet plate-type clutches with hydraulically regulated contact pressure. One of the two clutches engages the odd-numbered and the other the even-numbered gears. This principle enables gearshifts to be made without interrupting the power flow and keeps the shift times extremely short. While the first clutch is transmitting the power, the second clutch is ready to engage the next gear, which is pre-selected. When the driver makes the gearshift, the first clutch is released and the second engages, so that the gear shift takes place in a fraction of a second. The driver can operate the DSG manually or allow changes to take place automatically. In the automatic mode there is a choice between the well-balanced, comfortable standard shift settings and a program with greater sports emphasis. Manual shifts are made either at the gear lever or at shift paddles behind the steering wheel. "I believe very strongly that within the next five years we will see this kind of transmission being more widely offered, especially in Europe," says Gutzmer. "It has several advantages with the fuel economy being for me more or less the hidden one. It has greater agility and driving comfort at the same time and this is what you really can tell. The customer also feels like a Formula One driver!"
Building on the PSG concept is ESG, in which a starter-generator is linked to one of the gearbox shafts. Advantages include functions such as start/stop, energy recuperation by regenerative braking and electric powered driving, all with a compact design. Furthermore, with the combustion engine switched off, the air conditioning system can be operated using the electric motor. The ESG can result in reduced fuel consumption over 20% compared to a manual gearbox. "Looking to the future we see hybrid solutions," says Gutzmer. "To reduce fuel consumption and emissions even further, the combustion engine will only be used when needed. We will see start/stop, and electrically supported driving, but the applications might be different in different parts of the world."
An important part of the argument in favor of the automation of manual transmissions is the improvement in fuel consumption, says Gutzmer. If the manual transmission is taken as a basis, automatic transmissions suffer from greater fuel consumption at the same shift point selection due to hydraulic power loss. Automatic transmissions and automated gearboxes can use the choice of more favorable operating points in the engine map for shift point selection to their advantage, resulting in reduced fuel consumption in legally defined cycles. Moreover, this reduction in fuel consumption through automatic shift point selection is also realized in practice, since the average driver using a manual transmission generally avoids driving at economic low engine speeds.
While the single clutch automated manual transmission has come in for some criticism for its lack of finesse and smoothness, Gutzmer believes that it still has a future. But he thinks they are only likely to come under threat once the economies of scale are applied to the double-clutch gearboxes and their prices start to fall. "I expect the double-clutch gearbox has the potential to come down the model range by 2010 to 2012. It is in the 1.6- to 3.0-liter segment where we feel the dual clutch approach is very appropriate."
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Penske talks about DDC - Roger Penske on Detroit Diesel Corp - interview
The transportation business is a matter of calculated passion for Roger S. Penske. Well beyond needing the money, it is the competition that drives the auto racer turn& entrepreneur. Racing analogies litter conversation about his business empire like tires at a pit stop, He paused, briefly, from his efforts at Detroit Diesel Corp. to talk with Ward's Auto World.
Q - What In particular attracted you to Detroit Diesel?
A - It was a business opportunity. I typically have taken businesses, which were not highly fine-tuned, and been able to add our expertise in team-management style to bring them to a solid and profitable market position.
I was contacted by an investment banker who had the job of either selling off or breaking up Detroit Diesel. I guess if I hadn't gotten the call, I wouldn't have been knocking on the door. But when I did get the call, I realized here was a business I had been involved with for 15 years as a distributor. I knew the product, I knew the problem, I knew the people.
So, with that in hand, I took a look at what the structure of a deal could be. Typically, I have always wanted to have good partners. I've learned that two people can pull on the rope harder than one. When this opportunity came about and I was able to look at potentially having GM (General Motors Corp.) as a partner. Q - What's your assessment after about a year?
A - This is the greatest. We've got a 3-million-sq.-ft. (278,700-sq.-m) plant and everybody's pulling in the same direction . I look at the numbers coming in every day on our new Series 60 engine and we're on a market share climb that's hard to believe. And that creates different problems.
We're making some reat progress. Everybody's having fun. We're very positive. Not that it has been easy.
Q - Does It signal a change in direction for Penske Corp.?
A - I don't think I'm concerned about what types of businesses, whether it's manufacturing or not. I think that expense controls, sales capability, technology are important. There are good people out there and, I think, the better you are as a communicator, the more apt you are to attract those kind of people.
Q - Isn't manufacturing new for your organization?
A - It's certainly a different atmosphere, but I've been in the manufacturing business. We manufactured stainlesssteel aluminum tank trailers in a company we hadat one time. We manufactured large turbine generator sets.
We manufacture race cars. Somebody said to me 'what the hell is a race car compared to building a diesel engine?' Look, I know where the product goes, I know what's required from the duty cycle and to meet the customer requirements.
When you look at American industry during the last 10 years, if you're not capable of changing your course, you're probably going to be out of business.
Q - Does that mean other Penske manufacturing efforts?
A - I'll look at anything that would be in a transportation-related business. Components or things like that where I understand the customer base. Where am I going to go with the product? Then I back up to find out what it's going to take to provide that product.
I think if we can prove we can run this type of business, we can look at other things. Penske Transportation, the truck leasing business, these are all interrelated as far as transportation.
Q - Could that Include assembling niche cars?
Obviously, there's an opportunity for niche cars, but seeing the capability of both the foreign and domestic manufacturers, I don't think you'll see me in that business.
Q - At what point does your organization get so large you can't manage it In your traditional hands-on manner?
A - What you have to do is develop the right kind of people and the right kind of controls. It's no different than the CEO of a large corporation managing his business. You learn how to do that.
I want to understand what's going on in the organization. I'll be walking through the plants, or looking at the suspension setup or looking at dyno sheets for my whole life. The day I stay out of the factories, I should get out of the business.
Q - What In particular attracted you to Detroit Diesel?
A - It was a business opportunity. I typically have taken businesses, which were not highly fine-tuned, and been able to add our expertise in team-management style to bring them to a solid and profitable market position.
I was contacted by an investment banker who had the job of either selling off or breaking up Detroit Diesel. I guess if I hadn't gotten the call, I wouldn't have been knocking on the door. But when I did get the call, I realized here was a business I had been involved with for 15 years as a distributor. I knew the product, I knew the problem, I knew the people.
So, with that in hand, I took a look at what the structure of a deal could be. Typically, I have always wanted to have good partners. I've learned that two people can pull on the rope harder than one. When this opportunity came about and I was able to look at potentially having GM (General Motors Corp.) as a partner. Q - What's your assessment after about a year?
A - This is the greatest. We've got a 3-million-sq.-ft. (278,700-sq.-m) plant and everybody's pulling in the same direction . I look at the numbers coming in every day on our new Series 60 engine and we're on a market share climb that's hard to believe. And that creates different problems.
We're making some reat progress. Everybody's having fun. We're very positive. Not that it has been easy.
Q - Does It signal a change in direction for Penske Corp.?
A - I don't think I'm concerned about what types of businesses, whether it's manufacturing or not. I think that expense controls, sales capability, technology are important. There are good people out there and, I think, the better you are as a communicator, the more apt you are to attract those kind of people.
Q - Isn't manufacturing new for your organization?
A - It's certainly a different atmosphere, but I've been in the manufacturing business. We manufactured stainlesssteel aluminum tank trailers in a company we hadat one time. We manufactured large turbine generator sets.
We manufacture race cars. Somebody said to me 'what the hell is a race car compared to building a diesel engine?' Look, I know where the product goes, I know what's required from the duty cycle and to meet the customer requirements.
When you look at American industry during the last 10 years, if you're not capable of changing your course, you're probably going to be out of business.
Q - Does that mean other Penske manufacturing efforts?
A - I'll look at anything that would be in a transportation-related business. Components or things like that where I understand the customer base. Where am I going to go with the product? Then I back up to find out what it's going to take to provide that product.
I think if we can prove we can run this type of business, we can look at other things. Penske Transportation, the truck leasing business, these are all interrelated as far as transportation.
Q - Could that Include assembling niche cars?
Obviously, there's an opportunity for niche cars, but seeing the capability of both the foreign and domestic manufacturers, I don't think you'll see me in that business.
Q - At what point does your organization get so large you can't manage it In your traditional hands-on manner?
A - What you have to do is develop the right kind of people and the right kind of controls. It's no different than the CEO of a large corporation managing his business. You learn how to do that.
I want to understand what's going on in the organization. I'll be walking through the plants, or looking at the suspension setup or looking at dyno sheets for my whole life. The day I stay out of the factories, I should get out of the business.
Load sharing modules added to deep sea range
Deep Sea Electronics Inc. (DSE) has added its first UL-listed load sharing modules to its ever-expanding line of generator set and engine controls. "The launch of the 5510 and 5520 modules gives DSE complete integrated load share systems for all types of power generation applications," said Paul Apsey, vice president/ technical sales manager for the Rockford, Ill.-based subsidiary of Deep Sea Electronics Plc, based in the U.K. The U.S. operation has recently moved into new and larger operations in Rockford.
DSE's 5510 is a multiple gen-set control with full load sharing capability, while the 5520 is a single set control that allows paralleling with the utility. DSE's P810 software has also been expanded to allow easy programming of the load sharing modules.
The 5510 is equipped with synchronizing and load sharing capabilities including auto synch control, volts, frequency matching with built-in synchroscope, and closing onto dead Bus. These units also feature VAP, control, peak shaving, NFPA 110 level 1 compliance and single phase paralleling. Apsey said the 5510 has direct and flexible outputs from the module to allow connections to commonly used governors and automatic voltage regulators.
DSE's 5510 is a multiple gen-set control with full load sharing capability, while the 5520 is a single set control that allows paralleling with the utility. DSE's P810 software has also been expanded to allow easy programming of the load sharing modules.
The 5510 is equipped with synchronizing and load sharing capabilities including auto synch control, volts, frequency matching with built-in synchroscope, and closing onto dead Bus. These units also feature VAP, control, peak shaving, NFPA 110 level 1 compliance and single phase paralleling. Apsey said the 5510 has direct and flexible outputs from the module to allow connections to commonly used governors and automatic voltage regulators.
Diesel maker on the rebound; with GM as a 'central banker,' DDA goes on the offensive - Detroit Diesel Allison Div
Diesel maker on the rebound
The order--"No more deviations allowed!' --will go out sometime this year at Detroit Diesel Allison Div. of General Motors Corp. "And we'll make it stick, too,' promises DDA General Manager Ludvik F. Koci.
It will mean, the GM vice president declares, that DDA has "ended forever the sinful waste . . . in having to pay all those engineers and others to redesign something they've already designed.'
That's what has happened in U.S. industry, he continues. "People are often paid twice--the second time to decide what deviation limits will be allowed so that the part keeps moving through the pipeline.'
DDA, he says, has reduced the deviation process drastically and "will entirely eliminate it this year and be doing things right the first time from then on.'
For Mr. Koci (pronounced Ko-see), that will mark a major milestone toward his announced goal of making DDA "one of the top diesel engine producers' in an industry where a dozen or so globe-spanning diesel makers--with combined capacity far above demand--struggle dog-eat-dog to stay, or get, profitable. In that context, he says, DDA--with the "stability of GM as a central banker' behind it--has stirred its competitors in recent months with:
Products: The microprocessor-controlled DDEC (Detroit Diesel Electronic Control) system went into production last September and gave DDA, Mr. Koci claims, a 1-year jump on other big-truck diesel makers. Coming early next year is a new engine, the Series 60, and a new family of transmissions. DDA also is re-entering the diesel/electric generator-set business after 15 years.
A joint venture: Almost overnight, DDA beefs its engine line by adding 13 Deere & Co. 50-hp to 250-hp diesels for on-and off-highway and marine use. Talks proceed with Deere, meanwhile, about going beyond a marketing agreement to merge most engine operations of both into a separate company (see sidebar).
Cost cutting: DDA consolidates engine production by moving parts-machining and 8.2L medium-duty diesel output a dozen miles to its Detroit works from Romulus, MI.
The total program, says Mr. Koci, shoves DDA far ahead of the "go-go' late 1970s when "demand was high and the emphasis was on getting out enough product to meet it. In hindsight, our quality wasn't up then to what the market demands today.'
But "there's a cost of quality--and you've got to pay it,' he adds. "You can't pay too much, though, or your prices are blown too high. So you must keep the cost of quality down.'
DDA's quality cost is "57% of what it was in 1979,' he adds, partly through a 50% drop in warranty claims on heavy-duty engines and a 30% cut in transmission claims.
Scrap costs--for material wasted in engine-making because it can't be used again --are down from $200 per engine in '79 to $125 today, he says. "That's helped us save about $2 million a year on heavy-duty diesels alone.'
This is not to say, Mr. Koci stresses, "that we don't still have quality problems. We do, but fewer all the time.'
And company-union people conflicts are rare today, he adds, compared to back in the mid-1970s "when we had an open house and the (United Auto Workers) union leaders stood outside and told people not to go in.' For the '85 open house, he recalls, "the union took the lead in setting up the program, and everybody--wives, friends, neighbors--attended, about 40,000 all together.'
But that "kind of change just doesn't happen. It takes constant attention from union and company people.'
There's particular enthusiasm at DDA over the Quality Action Program (QAP), a program launched in 1982 from a union-leadership idea that operates through 4-person teams of two company and two union members. "They can shut the line, or whatever, as long as they agree,' Mr. Koci relates. "They only buck it up if they can't agree. And about half the calls they get now are from salaried people.'
The trouble-shooting team concept "isn't foolproof, of course,' the DDA boss says. "Some regard it as a usurpation of authority, but it's a long step ahead of where we were.'
Another idea, having hourly employes handle plant tours--"of which there weren't all that many in the past'--has worked so well that "our only problem now is sorting out the requests.'
And Mr. Koci himself is booked solid for his monthly meetings with 30 hourly and salaried workers, sessions that rotate among DDA plants in Detroit, Moraine, OH, and Indianapolis and Muncie, IN.
The Series 60 engine, being field-tested now and due for customer sale in early '87, will be a "great product,' he asserts, "mainly because of the way we've involved people in development and production.'
The order--"No more deviations allowed!' --will go out sometime this year at Detroit Diesel Allison Div. of General Motors Corp. "And we'll make it stick, too,' promises DDA General Manager Ludvik F. Koci.
It will mean, the GM vice president declares, that DDA has "ended forever the sinful waste . . . in having to pay all those engineers and others to redesign something they've already designed.'
That's what has happened in U.S. industry, he continues. "People are often paid twice--the second time to decide what deviation limits will be allowed so that the part keeps moving through the pipeline.'
DDA, he says, has reduced the deviation process drastically and "will entirely eliminate it this year and be doing things right the first time from then on.'
For Mr. Koci (pronounced Ko-see), that will mark a major milestone toward his announced goal of making DDA "one of the top diesel engine producers' in an industry where a dozen or so globe-spanning diesel makers--with combined capacity far above demand--struggle dog-eat-dog to stay, or get, profitable. In that context, he says, DDA--with the "stability of GM as a central banker' behind it--has stirred its competitors in recent months with:
Products: The microprocessor-controlled DDEC (Detroit Diesel Electronic Control) system went into production last September and gave DDA, Mr. Koci claims, a 1-year jump on other big-truck diesel makers. Coming early next year is a new engine, the Series 60, and a new family of transmissions. DDA also is re-entering the diesel/electric generator-set business after 15 years.
A joint venture: Almost overnight, DDA beefs its engine line by adding 13 Deere & Co. 50-hp to 250-hp diesels for on-and off-highway and marine use. Talks proceed with Deere, meanwhile, about going beyond a marketing agreement to merge most engine operations of both into a separate company (see sidebar).
Cost cutting: DDA consolidates engine production by moving parts-machining and 8.2L medium-duty diesel output a dozen miles to its Detroit works from Romulus, MI.
The total program, says Mr. Koci, shoves DDA far ahead of the "go-go' late 1970s when "demand was high and the emphasis was on getting out enough product to meet it. In hindsight, our quality wasn't up then to what the market demands today.'
But "there's a cost of quality--and you've got to pay it,' he adds. "You can't pay too much, though, or your prices are blown too high. So you must keep the cost of quality down.'
DDA's quality cost is "57% of what it was in 1979,' he adds, partly through a 50% drop in warranty claims on heavy-duty engines and a 30% cut in transmission claims.
Scrap costs--for material wasted in engine-making because it can't be used again --are down from $200 per engine in '79 to $125 today, he says. "That's helped us save about $2 million a year on heavy-duty diesels alone.'
This is not to say, Mr. Koci stresses, "that we don't still have quality problems. We do, but fewer all the time.'
And company-union people conflicts are rare today, he adds, compared to back in the mid-1970s "when we had an open house and the (United Auto Workers) union leaders stood outside and told people not to go in.' For the '85 open house, he recalls, "the union took the lead in setting up the program, and everybody--wives, friends, neighbors--attended, about 40,000 all together.'
But that "kind of change just doesn't happen. It takes constant attention from union and company people.'
There's particular enthusiasm at DDA over the Quality Action Program (QAP), a program launched in 1982 from a union-leadership idea that operates through 4-person teams of two company and two union members. "They can shut the line, or whatever, as long as they agree,' Mr. Koci relates. "They only buck it up if they can't agree. And about half the calls they get now are from salaried people.'
The trouble-shooting team concept "isn't foolproof, of course,' the DDA boss says. "Some regard it as a usurpation of authority, but it's a long step ahead of where we were.'
Another idea, having hourly employes handle plant tours--"of which there weren't all that many in the past'--has worked so well that "our only problem now is sorting out the requests.'
And Mr. Koci himself is booked solid for his monthly meetings with 30 hourly and salaried workers, sessions that rotate among DDA plants in Detroit, Moraine, OH, and Indianapolis and Muncie, IN.
The Series 60 engine, being field-tested now and due for customer sale in early '87, will be a "great product,' he asserts, "mainly because of the way we've involved people in development and production.'
Twin diesels to power "green" switching locomotive
When it comes to locomotives, the Union Pacific Railroad fleet is considered by many to be the "greenest" in the U.S. railroad industry. In the past five years, 35% of Union Pacific's locomotive fleet has been certified under EPA Tier Zero standards (44% less than the average NOx emission rate of locomotives manufactured prior to the implementation of EPA regulations in 2000) or Tier 1 standards (56% less than the average N[O.sub.x] emission rate of locomotives manufactured prior to the implementation of the EPA rules). Additionally, its 3000 to 4400 hp diesel locomotives that pull heavy-tonnage freight trains over long distances between cities emit only one-third as much N[O.sub.x] compared to over-the-road diesel trucks when measured in emissions per-gross-ton-mile. This can be attributed largely to the greater efficiency of steel wheels on steel rails.
In the future, UP's medium- to heavy-duty switching locomotives used in and around rail yards could also produce less emissions as well as consume less fuel. For instance, UP recently ordered a prototype low emissions switch (LES) locomotive being developed by the National Railway Equipment Co., Dixmoor, Ill. The prototype switcher is based on a system architecture proposed by Newage AVK SEG, the electrical machine unit of Cummins Inc. and NRE Electronics, and uses Cummins QSK19 engines developed for construction equipment. The two Cummins inline six-cylinder diesel engines, each with 19 L displacement, will replace the single 1500 hp EMD 12-cylinder 645-series (12-645E) naturally aspirated diesel engine now used in the MP 1500 DC switching locomotive. The locomotive being converted was originally delivered to the former-Southern Pacific Railroad in December 1974.
The two engines each produce a total output of 700 hp, giving the converted switcher locomotive a 1400 hp rating. The engines each produce a massive 1970 lb.ft. peak torque. Peak power for this configuration will be available at 1800 rpm compared to an industry standard 2100 rpm. This results in higher fuel efficiency and reduced noise, the company said. No special modifications from the standard QSK19-C were made for this application.
Like any conventional diesel-electric locomotive, each engine powers a rail specification Newage HC5 generator specifically engineered for this application. These generators power the electric traction motors driving each set of wheels. The converted locomotive will retain its EMD D77 direct current traction motors.
This new switching locomotive is expected to reduce N[O.sub.x] by 70% and particulate matter by approximately 45% from EPA Locomotive Tier 2 levels. Based on the Association of American Railroads (AAR) duty cycle for switching locomotives, it is estimated that as much as a 15% reduction in fuel consumption can be achieved. The LES will offer other advantages with respect to durability and long-term operating costs. The engine will go 30,000 hours between overhaul with an estimated 10-year-plus engine life, according to AAR standards for medium-duty cycle engines. The plug-and-play design for all major components means reduced maintenance downtime.
The LES incorporates advanced electrical equipment, including an ac to dc traction horsepower motor controller/ dc chopper to individually control the amount of power supplied to each traction motor for enhanced adhesion between wheels and track. A low-voltage power supply (LVPS) featuring a 480 Vac to 72 Vdc rectifier/transformer provides up to 10 kW of 72 Vdc electrical power for heating, headlights, ditch lights, and auxiliary lighting, all MU (multiple unit) trail-dine propulsion and operating controls functions and for charging the locomotive's battery.
An auxiliary drive power supply ADPS featuring a 690 Vac to 480 Vac transformer is installed on units equipped with a 690 Vac alternator in order to achieve higher track speeds. This ADPS provides 70 kVA of 480 Vac power for the new air compressor drive and traction motor drive motors plus auxiliary cab accessory power. The NRE Electronics-Microprocessor System (NFORCE) manages and controls all propulsion functions, engine/generator set stop/start functions, alarm and fault logging, operator interface functions and red-time diagnostic monitoring.
Union Pacific and National Railway Equipment are also considering the 12 V over-the-road truck lighting for certain federally mandated lighting requirements onboard the locomotive, such as walkway lights.
Also added is a new Wabco CDC three-cylinder, air-cooled, constant speed (1100 rpm) air compressor driven by a three-phase, 480 Vac electric motor for air braking. The unit features new drilled connecting rods, full flow oil filters and an environmental control kit that prevents crankcase gases from escaping into the atmosphere. There is also a new constant speed traction (2700 rpm) motor blower driven by a three-phase electric motor.
In the future, UP's medium- to heavy-duty switching locomotives used in and around rail yards could also produce less emissions as well as consume less fuel. For instance, UP recently ordered a prototype low emissions switch (LES) locomotive being developed by the National Railway Equipment Co., Dixmoor, Ill. The prototype switcher is based on a system architecture proposed by Newage AVK SEG, the electrical machine unit of Cummins Inc. and NRE Electronics, and uses Cummins QSK19 engines developed for construction equipment. The two Cummins inline six-cylinder diesel engines, each with 19 L displacement, will replace the single 1500 hp EMD 12-cylinder 645-series (12-645E) naturally aspirated diesel engine now used in the MP 1500 DC switching locomotive. The locomotive being converted was originally delivered to the former-Southern Pacific Railroad in December 1974.
The two engines each produce a total output of 700 hp, giving the converted switcher locomotive a 1400 hp rating. The engines each produce a massive 1970 lb.ft. peak torque. Peak power for this configuration will be available at 1800 rpm compared to an industry standard 2100 rpm. This results in higher fuel efficiency and reduced noise, the company said. No special modifications from the standard QSK19-C were made for this application.
Like any conventional diesel-electric locomotive, each engine powers a rail specification Newage HC5 generator specifically engineered for this application. These generators power the electric traction motors driving each set of wheels. The converted locomotive will retain its EMD D77 direct current traction motors.
This new switching locomotive is expected to reduce N[O.sub.x] by 70% and particulate matter by approximately 45% from EPA Locomotive Tier 2 levels. Based on the Association of American Railroads (AAR) duty cycle for switching locomotives, it is estimated that as much as a 15% reduction in fuel consumption can be achieved. The LES will offer other advantages with respect to durability and long-term operating costs. The engine will go 30,000 hours between overhaul with an estimated 10-year-plus engine life, according to AAR standards for medium-duty cycle engines. The plug-and-play design for all major components means reduced maintenance downtime.
The LES incorporates advanced electrical equipment, including an ac to dc traction horsepower motor controller/ dc chopper to individually control the amount of power supplied to each traction motor for enhanced adhesion between wheels and track. A low-voltage power supply (LVPS) featuring a 480 Vac to 72 Vdc rectifier/transformer provides up to 10 kW of 72 Vdc electrical power for heating, headlights, ditch lights, and auxiliary lighting, all MU (multiple unit) trail-dine propulsion and operating controls functions and for charging the locomotive's battery.
An auxiliary drive power supply ADPS featuring a 690 Vac to 480 Vac transformer is installed on units equipped with a 690 Vac alternator in order to achieve higher track speeds. This ADPS provides 70 kVA of 480 Vac power for the new air compressor drive and traction motor drive motors plus auxiliary cab accessory power. The NRE Electronics-Microprocessor System (NFORCE) manages and controls all propulsion functions, engine/generator set stop/start functions, alarm and fault logging, operator interface functions and red-time diagnostic monitoring.
Union Pacific and National Railway Equipment are also considering the 12 V over-the-road truck lighting for certain federally mandated lighting requirements onboard the locomotive, such as walkway lights.
Also added is a new Wabco CDC three-cylinder, air-cooled, constant speed (1100 rpm) air compressor driven by a three-phase, 480 Vac electric motor for air braking. The unit features new drilled connecting rods, full flow oil filters and an environmental control kit that prevents crankcase gases from escaping into the atmosphere. There is also a new constant speed traction (2700 rpm) motor blower driven by a three-phase electric motor.
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