BERLIN —The InnoTrans commerce truthful in late September introduced collectively nearly all main producers, giant and small, serving the worldwide rail business. Each InnoTrans version has a number of general themes in phrases of new expertise, and in 2024 the thrill phrases had been AI (Artificial Intelligence) and various energy sources for trains. In each circumstances, what was show represented evolution from earlier years, however maybe crucially confirmed these new applied sciences at the moment are actuality and in use in some nations, quite than simply being new concepts at a commerce present.
Hydrogen and batteries
Hydrogen continues to be seen as a gasoline of the long run for the rail business, with a number of hydrogen-powered trains on show. Korean producer Hyundai Rotem had introduced a hydroge- powered gentle rail automobile for the South Korean metropolis of Daejeon all the best way to Europe to exhibit it. The Hyundai Rotem automobile, one of 34 that will likely be provided by 2028, makes use of gasoline cells made by its companion firm, auto producer Hyundai.
Chinese language producer CRRC displayed two vehicles of a four-car, 125-mph, hydrogen-powered “Cinova” practice utilizing hydrogen expertise it has developed [see “World largest rail exhibition returns …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 24, 2024, for an image]. The corporate additionally introduced plans to construct automated refueling robots to be used in retailers sustaining hydrogen-powered trains. And through the present, Siemens took invited visitors on mainline journeys on one of its new Mireo +H hydrogen fuel-cell-powered trains; a fleet of these will enter service within the Berlin space in December.
Use of hydrogen and gasoline cells to generate electrical energy to energy motors or cost batteries has been round as an idea for practically a decade — Alstom first demonstrated its iLINT practice and exhibited it at Innotrans in 2018. Nevertheless, gasoline cells should not the one method to make use of hydrogen — it may be burned in internal-combustion engines as an alternative of diesel. Stadler displayed a brand new regional practice, aimed squarely on the German market, referred to as the RS Zero. (The RS stands for Regioshuttle, a long-established identify for two-axle diesel trains constructed by Stadler and extensively used on rural strains in Germany and the neighboring Czech Republic.) The RS Zero makes use of hydrogen and burns it in engines made by German agency Deutz; another, completely battery-equipped mannequin can be deliberate.
Wabtec: hydrogen and extra
Wabtec officers instructed Trains Information Wire the corporate is actively testing hydrogen as a gasoline for internal-combustion engines with a GEVO engine presently present process long-term exams burning a mixture of hydrogen and diesel on the Oakridge Nationwide Laboratory [see “Wabtec: Hydrogen is the locomotive fuel of the future,” News Wire, Aug. 30, 2023].
Philip Moslener, Wabtec’s company vp for superior applied sciences, instructed Information Wire that the corporate stays satisfied of the long run significance of hydrogen – however provides that till large-scale inexperienced hydrogen (made out of electrolysis of water utilizing renewable electrical energy) turns into obtainable, then various lower-carbon options, equivalent to biofuel, could also be more practical to scale back diesel consumption.
Moslener additionally factors out that hydrogen gasoline cells are a extra environment friendly use of the gasoline (in comparison with burning it), and that the ability obtainable from gasoline cells is growing yearly, with present fashions providing practically twice as a lot energy as these simply two years in the past. Nevertheless, he sees the transfer to utilizing hydrogen as a long-term transition, and steps alongside the best way to scale back gasoline utilization, in addition to introducing alternate fuels to scale back diesel use, are all half of the long run. Moslener says he can see benefits in utilizing engines that may burn both hydrogen or diesel; in states equivalent to Texas or California, the place hydrogen is prone to be plentiful inside a decade, the locomotives can use that gasoline, however swap again to diesel elsewhere.
Wabtec additionally displayed a brand new modification for current GEVO engines to make use of exhaust gases within the engine’s turbo to generate electrical energy,. successfully including a generator inside the engine. This could then be used to energy one of a unit’s six traction motors, successfully lowering the necessity for full energy from the engine and due to this fact gasoline consumption. The corporate has additionally beforehand invested in battery expertise and is constructing the primary full-scale 7 megawatt-hour battery highway locomotives for Australian mining companies and a few smaller 2.4-MWh switchers to be used in New York Metropolis.
Caterpillar-owned Progress Rail additionally had a giant stand on the present, and was exhibiting the Caterpillar-made lithium-ion batteries with which it’s now equipping its “Joule” line of locomotives; the corporate’s show featured pictures of a battery-equipped, rebuilt SD40 (an SD40JR), utilizing a pantograph fitted only for recharging.
Uncommon take a look at work in progress
Wabtec had a spread of “work in progress” initiatives on show from itsAdvanced Know-how Group group, which the corporate describes as its model of the Lockheed Martin “Skunk Works” method. As most rail producers hardly ever present something in public that has not gone by way of in depth testing, the Wabtec method is refreshing, as the corporate freely admits some of the concepts might not come to something — and definitely not of their present experimental type. Some of the highlights of this show, as proven to Information Wire in a tour, embody:
— A “robotic sled” referred to as Rail Ghost — a wheeled trolley with versatile wheel helps that may go beneath a freight practice, going across the vehicles’ wheelsets whereas protecting some wheels on the rails, and robotically test automobile standing and search for axle defects — was on show in mannequin type, though a video confirmed the prototype in testing. One other idea displayed was an effort to take away the necessity for air provide for practice brakes; the “airless” electro-mechanical brakes envisioned wouldn’t want an air provide or fluids.
— Whereas artificial intelligence and machine studying was a recurring present theme, Wabtec had a sensible and centered instance it calls “one bot.” The idea is that the bot may be skilled on full technical manuals and drawings, enabling engineers to far more simply discover related info than by wanting by way of a multi-thousand-page handbook. Wabtec stresses that the bot should solely be skilled on official documentation and never different sources — for instance the web. If saved safe, it’s going to present solely authentic producer info.
— Wider-scale use of “tele operators” to drive trains remotely or help onboard crews find defects can be being examined. Wabtec sees business curiosity on this, because it may support recruitment, probably permitting some work presently executed outside in all sorts of climate to be executed remotely.
— Intriguingly, Wabtec displayed fashions of a doable future autonomous switching locomotive. That is maybe not that uncommon, as robotic switchers are already in use inside equipment-shop yards in some European nations. However Wabtec has brief line use in thoughts for its locomotive, and has even constructed a prototype powered by batteries (though diesel and hydrogen may be utilized in a future manufacturing mannequin). That is being examined at a Wabtec facility, as proven in a video at InnoTrans and in a picture provided to Information Wire, though show mannequin of future “Maverick” locomotives is quite extra trendy. Two variations of the locomotive are envisioned — the “Maverick” is a brand new construct (though the prototype makes use of a three-axle truck from an older locomotive), whereas the “Pathfinder” idea would use current locomotives however equip them for autonomous operation with new digital gear and sensors.
AI and real-time sensors
Many producers at the moment are providing a spread of sensors and trackside monitoring gear that allow railroads to determine issues earlier than they trigger harm or derailments. Progress Rail and Wabtec each had shows displaying their newest techniques – in each circumstances, the software program linking the monitoring units and the information from them more and more use AI to foretell issues based mostly on earlier knowledge. Wabtec says its analysis reveals round 50% of freight automobile upkeep prices relate to wheels and bearings – and that acoustic sensors can spot defects lengthy earlier than they turn into important; linked to AI-driven software program, this could prioritize vehicles for inspection and restore. Progress Rail was exhibiting its “Talos” practice automation system, which the agency is growing to create a practice driving/gasoline administration system based mostly upon machine studying from earlier journeys.
A French consortium together with rail freight firm Europorte (owned by Channel Tunnel operator Getlink), France-based satellite tv for pc operator Kerlink, and French software program agency Synox launched a brand new freight automobile monitoring and situation monitoring system referred to as “Observe Worth,” which not solely has sensors but in addition has computer systems onboard each automobile. The small rectangular field, in a module linked to the sensors fitted on the automobile by Bluetooth, is about 8 inches lengthy and weighs round 2 kilos. It’s designed for use for 5 years earlier than it wants changing (the battery life drives the unit life). The system is being provided to rail freight firms for round $300 a module per yr and is already in use with Europorte in France. That is much like North America’s RailPulse, whose backers embody 4 Class I railroads, Railroad Improvement Company, GATX, and Greenbriar. This offers a platform for real-time info on automobile standing, location, and situation, utilizing GPS and both new or current sensors on freight vehicles.