Trains may run on natural gas soon

[AVERAGE INDIAN]

Could trains be run on gas? The Indian Railways, which is currently developing a prototype of locomotive which would run on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), could have an answer. Once the prototype is proven on field, the Railways intends to build another 20 LNG-based locomotives on the same concept.

Currently, Lucknow-based Research Design & Standard Organisation (RDSO), a research wing of the Railways, is working on the development of such a prototype.

The biggest beneficiary of such a move would be the Railways, as LNG would help reduce operating costs of locomotives by over 50 per cent, officials said.

At present, Railways runs its fleet of locomotives on diesel and electricity. With prices of both these fuels skyrocketing, natural gas would be the ideal alternative. Apart from the operating costs, the LNG locomotives would help in controlling pollution as it would eliminate smoke and even lead to significant reductions in other regulated and unregulated emissions like NOx.

"Once Indian Railways switches over completely to natural gas as fuel for its diesel locomotives, it would amount to only 2.2 per cent of India's annual natural gas consumption of 81 million tons and therefore commercially feasible," railway officials say.

The new technology would come in handy as India has substantial reserves of natural gas in the form of conventional natural gas, shale gas and gas hydrates.

According to industry estimates, India has 1241 billion cubic metres of conventional gas, 7462.5 billion cubic metres of recoverable shale gas reserves and 1890 trillion cubic metres of gas hydrates.

To use global reserves of natural gas, India is setting up infrastructure for import of LNG into the country.

Trains may run on natural gas soon - The New Indian Express

 

[AVERAGE INDIAN]

ICF manufactures train running on CNG, diesel

CHENNAI: Integral Coach Factory ( ICF) general manager Ashok K Agarwal on Tuesday flagged off the first CNG DEMU (compressed natural gas diesel electrical multiple unit) manufactured at the factory here.

The CNG DEMU can run on both CNG and diesel.

The Indian Railways has taken steps to make trains eco-friendly. CNG emits fewer toxic and carcinogenic pollutants and zero particulate matter. It also helps reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 90%, carbon dioxide emissions by 25%, nitrogen oxide emissions by 35% and non-methane hydrocarbon emissions by 50%.

The CNG DEMU power car consists of a driver's cab, an engine room and a radiator room, like any other DEMU power car. In additional to these, it has a CNG cascade room at the rear end. The CNG cascade contains 40 cylinders, each with a capacity to store 15kg of CNG at 255 bar pressure.

ICF manufactures train running on CNG, diesel - The Times of India

 

[Kunal Biswas]

This Idea is most welcome, Though if possible a Kit would be more logical ?