Description:
Rail transportation is one of the most environmentally friendly and energy efficient means of transportation for both passengers and freight. However, there are opportunities to improve upon these benefits and to extend their impact by further improving the efficiency and reducing the emissions associated with rail transportation and by increasing the proportion of our freight and passenger traffic which is moved by rail. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is interested developing and demonstrating new and emerging technologies which support these goals. Successful proposals will need to include a limited lifecycle cost/benefit analysis to demonstrate the likelihood of a positive return on investment for implementation once commercialized. New locomotives will be required to achieve substantial reductions in nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) exhaust emissions by 2012 and 2015. Non-Urea solutions for engine emissions reduction are sought for the railroad applications which will have positive ROI when compared to UREA based solutions, and will maintain or improve the efficiency of the locomotive engine. The development, adaptation, refinement of systems and/or subsystems which are likely to lead to the earliest and greatest real-world impact are sought.
Expected Phase I Outcomes:
Outcomes expected from the Phase I include a detailed concept that demonstrates the feasibility of developing a
prototype that satisfies the attributes described above.
Expected Phase II Outcomes:
Phase 2 efforts include the manufacturing, demonstration and/or integration of the prototype system into a
locomotive for real world testing.
