Fuel system for consist having daughter locomotive
AssigneeElectro-Motive Diesel, Inc.
InventorAaron Gamache FOEGE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure is directed to a fuel system for a consist. The fuel system may have a tank located on a tender car of the consist and configured to hold a supply of liquefied gaseous fuel. The fuel system may also have an accumulator located on a daughter locomotive of the consist and configured to hold a supply of pressurized gaseous fuel at a predetermined pressure. The fuel system may further have at least one conduit fluidly connecting the tank to the accumulator and the accumulator to a first engine on a lead locomotive of the consist. The accumulator is configured to supply pressurized gaseous fuel to the first engine when pressure of fluid within the at least one conduit drops below the predetermined pressure of the pressurized gaseous fuel in the accumulator.
Claims20
A fuel system for a consist, comprising:
- a tank located on a tender car of the consist and configured to hold a supply of liquefied gaseous fuel;
- an accumulator located on a daughter locomotive of the consist and configured to hold a supply of pressurized gaseous fuel at a predetermined pressure;
- and
- at least one conduit fluidly connecting the tank to the accumulator and the accumulator to a first engine on a lead locomotive of the consist, wherein the accumulator is configured to supply pressurized gaseous fuel to the first engine when pressure of fluid within the at least one conduit drops below the predetermined pressure of the pressurized gaseous fuel in the accumulator.
A method of fueling a consist, comprising:
- pumping fuel from a tank located on a tender car of the consist to an accumulator on a daughter locomotive within the consist, the accumulator being configured to hold a supply of pressurized gaseous fuel at a predetermined pressure;
- and
- distributing the fuel from the accumulator to a first engine in a lead locomotive of the consist when pressure of fluid within the at least one conduit drops below the predetermined pressure of the pressurized gaseous fuel in the accumulator.
The method of claim 11, further including distributing the fuel from the accumulator to a second engine on the daughter locomotive.
The method of claim 12, further including moving at least one control valve configured to regulate fuel flow between the tank and the accumulator and between the accumulator and the first and second engines.
The method of claim 13, wherein the fuel in the tank is a liquefied gaseous fuel.
The method of claim 14, further including vaporizing the liquefied gaseous fuel before directing the fuel to the accumulator.
The method of claim 16, wherein the accumulator is located on the daughter locomotive in position corresponding to a cabin on the lead locomotive.
A consist, comprising:
- a lead locomotive having at least a first engine configured to power the consist;
- a daughter locomotive coupled to the lead locomotive and having at least a second engine configured to power the consist;
- a tender car coupled to the daughter locomotive;
- a tank located on the tender car and configured to hold a supply of liquefied gaseous fuel;
- an accumulator located on the daughter locomotive and configured to hold a supply of pressurized gaseous fuel at a predetermined pressure;
- a pump located on the tender car and configured to pump fuel from the tank;
- a heat exchanger located on the tender car and configured to vaporize the fuel;
- and
- at least one conduit fluidly connecting the tank to the accumulator and the accumulator to the at least a first and at least a second engines on the lead locomotive and on the daughter locomotive, wherein the accumulator is configured to supply pressurized gaseous fuel to the at least a first and at least a second engines when pressure of fluid within the at least one conduit drops below the predetermined pressure of the pressurized gaseous fuel in the accumulator.
The consist of claim 18, further including at least one control valve configured to regulate fuel flow between the tank and the accumulator and between the accumulator and the at least a first and second engines.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.