UC Davis Dissertations
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UC Davis Dissertations Title Fuels and Fuel Technologies for Powering 21st Century Passenger and Freight Rail: Simulation-Based Case Studies in a U.S. Context Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3wt0n8tx Author Isaac, Raphael S Publication Date 2020 eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Fuels and Fuel Technologies for Powering 21st Century Passenger and Freight Rail: Simulation-Based Case Studies in a U.S. Context By RAPHAEL S. ISAAC DISSERTATION Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Transportation Technology and Policy in the OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES of the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS Approved: Paul A. Erickson, Chair Joan M. Ogden Andreas Hoffrichter Committee in Charge 2020 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS While this dissertation represents the culmination of many years of hard work on my part, I could not have produced this piece, as it stands, without significant help along the way from many individuals and organizations. First and foremost, there is the significant input and insights provided by my dissertation committee, composed of Dr. Paul Erickson, Dr. Andreas Hoffrichter, and Dr. Joan Ogden. Beyond that, Dr. Andrew McGordon and his team with the Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick, UK, allowed me to make use of the Single Train Simulator that served as the basis for much of this work, and Dr. McGordon also provided some assistance with its usage. Particular thanks goes to Athanasios Iraklis, formerly of the Warwick Manufacturing Group, and Orwell Madhovi, a Ph.D. student at Michigan State University, both of whom have a very strong command of MATLAB and Simulink’s programming aspects, and whose contributions towards developing and refining the single-train-simulator, and help with troubleshooting, when necessary, were crucial in order for me to successfully produce the simulation results presented in this dissertation. The time freed up by these two individuals allowed me to expand the scope of this project, enabling me to provide an analysis that, rather than focusing only on the technical aspects of vehicle simulation, aims to provide policymakers and members of the rail industry with some insights on cost and environmental impacts, which can be taken into account when deciding how to approach fuel choices for rail applications in the coming years. ii Dr. Lewis Fulton, of UC Davis, first brought me onto a project involving rail, which was rather unusual for UC Davis’ Institute of Transportation Studies at the time. For his continued support of my pursuit of this topic, and for his having served as a key mentor during my time at UC Davis, particularly on the cost modeling side, I am very much appreciative! An additional thank you goes to Dave Cook, of Rail Propulsion Systems, whose in-depth knowledge of and experience with locomotives meant that he was a great go-to source when questions came up about a particular locomotive function or characteristic. Other people who provided invaluable assistance that ultimately improved the quality of this work include various employees, past and present, of both the Class I freight railroads and the local passenger rail agencies, who provided valuable information on actual rail routes along with additional insights into typical rail operations. Additional assistance was provided by representatives from numerous manufacturers of various rail equipment components and sub- components, whose insights helped ensure that the analyses conducted in this study were as realistic as possible. To these people, and those not specifically mentioned, but who provided academic or emotional support along the way, I owe my many thanks! iii ABSTRACT The last century brought a shift in rail propulsion from the (typically) coal-powered steam engine to a combination of the diesel-electric locomotive and the electrified locomotive running under electrified overhead lines. While, no doubt, an advance over the earlier technology, the two incumbent technologies are not without their shortcomings. In the current era, rapid technological developments and increased concerns about climate change have also spurred interest away from the internal combustion engine and the use of fossil fuels in various applications. These same technologies hold promise in a rail context, a mode of transportation that relies on a smaller number of more centralized operators. With the tremendous investment of time, cost, and other resources that can go into a pilot experiment of a fuel technology and, often, related regulatory processes, it makes sense to determine the key candidates for such pilots. A major goal of this work is to help industry and government narrow down the key technologies, in terms of cost, viability, and environmental impacts, and simultaneously identify the challenges that may be encountered by a given technology that otherwise appears to hold significant promise. This study focuses on a U.S. context, and on the period between 2022 and 2038. Passenger and freight rail routes and systems were examined, each with different characteristics, via simulations of a single rail trip, A general environmental analysis was also performed on freight switcher locomotive activity. The fuels examined included diesel, natural gas, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, hydrogen, and, in a passenger rail and switcher context, diesel and hydrogen powertrains paired with batteries to take in regenerative braking energy. The study finds cost reductions with both natural gas and (natural gas-derived) Fischer-Tropsch diesel, but with limited environmental benefits. iv Hydrogen via fuel cell has significant promise to reduce GHG and criteria pollutant emissions. That technology’s costs, both fuel and equipment, are highly uncertain; however, the study finds that, with lower bound projected costs, it could be competitive with diesel-electric costs; in the case of passenger rail, hybridization with batteries is also compelling. Hybridized hydrogen also was found to demonstrate a clear environmental benefit in switcher locomotive applications. v Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. iv Figures and Photos .................................................................................................................... viii Tables ........................................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 1 1.1 Recent and Near-term Context: Rail, Energy, and Emissions ............................................... 1 1.2 Research Statement ................................................................................................................ 6 1.3 Additional Historical Context: Rail Propulsion ................................................................... 11 1.4 Overview of the present study ............................................................................................. 14 1.5 Contribution ......................................................................................................................... 20 1.6 Summary and Arrangement of Dissertation Document ....................................................... 22 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW: FUEL TECHNOLOGY COMPARISONS IN RAIL ......................................................................................24 2.1 Chapter Introduction ............................................................................................................ 24 2.2 Literature Review ................................................................................................................ 24 2.3 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................................ 46 CHAPTER 3. FUELS BACKGROUND .................................................................48 3.1 Chapter Introduction ............................................................................................................ 48 3.2 Diesel-Electric ..................................................................................................................... 49 3.3 Biodiesel/FT Diesel ............................................................................................................. 52 3.4 Overhead Line Electrification (OLE) .................................................................................. 57 3.5 Natural Gas .......................................................................................................................... 64 3.6 Hydrogen and Fuel Cells ..................................................................................................... 70 3.7 Batteries and Hybridization ................................................................................................. 92 3.8 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................................ 98 Chapter 4. METHODS .............................................................................................99 4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 99 4.2 Background on the Simulator Tool Utilized