Two New Rail Engine Launches

The Innotrans rail and transport show held in Europe every two years, this time in Berlin, is generally an active, well-attended event. The news coming from the show, officially the International Trade Fair for Transport Technology, can vary from year-to-year, but this Innotrans saw at least two new significant engine introductions one from GE, as well as the Voith Rail Engine.

Innotrans was held September 18-21 at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. More detailed individual stories may follow in Diesel Progress or on dieselgasturbine.com

GE Adds Two

GE Transportation announced a new high-speed diesel engine program that will serve the locomotive, marine and power generation segments. The engine platform, which was announced Innotrans trade show, is designed will provide improved fuel efficiency and reliability, as well as lower lifecycle costs.

The platform will consist of 12- and 16-cylinder configurations, with a maximum-rated power of 1865 kW (2500 hp) and 2500 kW (3350 hp) respectively. The design will meet the emission standards for both the European Union’s Stage 3 A/B and the International Union of Railways’ UIC Stage 1/2. The engine is seen as applicable for shunter and light-weight locomotive markets, according to GE. The first engine will be delivered in 2019 to Kazakhstan Temir to power 300 shunter locomotives ordered in early 2018.

GE Transportation said its new high-speed engine will offer a 5% better total cost of ownership. It will be 5% more fuel efficient, saving customers more than 6000 gal. of diesel per year. The engine also will reduce maintenance costs by 10% and provide 184-day service intervals. Overhauls will be on 10-year intervals, the company said.

The combination of a powerful engine at a smaller size and weight makes the platform suited for regions like Asia, Africa, South America, Australia and New Zealand, which require lighter locomotives, GE said.

GE Transportation is developing the platform for application in multiple segments. At 7.40 lbs. per horsepower, the design will be 40% more powerful per pound compared to a medium-speed engine, the company said. It also will be digitally ready with remote prognostic capabilities to improve performance and reliability.

The core architecture of the engine platform was jointly developed with GE Distributed Power, incorporating that group’s high-speed engine experience across the Jenbacher and Waukesha product lines. GE Distributed Power is targeting a serialization of the technology to introduce a range of stationary gas engine operating potentially as soon as 2020, the company said.

Voith & Liebherr

Voith and Liebherr unveiled a jointly-developed Voith Rail Engine for railway applications. The six-cylinder rail engine has an output power of up to 480 kW and a maximum engine torque of 2800 Nm.

The two companies said the engine delivers up to 23% more power and consumes up to 8% less fuel. The new engine meets the new European Stage 5 emissions standard.

The new drive solution is the first milestone of the cooperation entered into by Voith and Liebherr in September 2017. The engine will be available in 2020.

ˮWith this partnership, we clearly demonstrate our comprehensive approach to shaping the mobility of the future. We combine our expertise in rail traffic with Liebherr’s long-standing experience as an engine manufacturer. We are delighted to offer state-of-the-art, cutting-edge railway drive solutions to our customers,” said Uwe Knotzer, member of the corporate board of management of Voith and chairman of the management board of Voith Turbo.

Willi Liebherr, president of the administrative board of Liebherr- International AG, added: ˮTogether we have developed a highly efficient and robust engine for the rail industry. It combines the strengths of the two technology leaders to an equal extent. We are very pleased with the outcome.”