Zero Emission Diesel Engine Replacement Drive Train

The Minister for Transport has announced the ambition to remove all diesel only trains off the track by 2040\. This presents technical challenges to the UK rail network, where only ~42% of the 20,000-mile network is electrified, for passenger locomotive Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs). For the last five years Steamology have been developing innovative hydrogen based zero emission steam power turbines. For over a decade the technical team have been working with superheated steam engineering. Following a successful world land speed record project for a steam turbine driven car the priority has been the development of a clean, novel energy dense hydrogen and oxygen fuelled steam unit for commercial applications. The Sustainable Innovation Fund: SBRI phase1 will enable the application of this technology to the specific competition theme: accelerating the shift to low carbon transport. The Zero Emission Diesel Engine Replacement Drive Train will deliver a full scale operational ~300kW diesel engine replacement drive train for a Class 158 DMU demonstrating a typical in-service duty cycle in a test cell driving a Dynamometer. The steam turbine and transmission will be designed to be installed, on vehicle, on network following phase2 Steamology have partners in place owning ~34% of the UK's passenger rolling stock as well as a global supplier of transmissions. Support is in place to re-traction a DMU by replacing the diesel engine with a certified zero emission direct drive train and fuel system. The impact on climate change can be directly recorded by carbon dioxide emissions removed by the reduction in diesel fuel use. The Steamology steam generators are patent pending. The closed system is emission free, producing no Carbon, Sulphur, NOX or particulate emissions in a repeatable cycle. Steam turbines are compact, robust and reliable with few moving parts, suitable for the aggressive duty cycle of the railway industry. Steamology adopt a 'Cradle to Cradle' approach. This means not using rare earth or toxic materials or exotic manufacturing processes designing and engineering products with simple, service, maintenance and long-life. Demonstrating a ~300kW steam turbine in the highly regulated setting of the UK rail industry will provide an excellent marketing opportunity to the ~3700 UK DMU's and more widely to the Worldwide ~14,000DMU's in operation in more than 80 countries. Steamology will explore wider zero emission power turbine applications in; rail freight marine, heavy haulage and static industrial power applications.