Hydrogen supplemented diesel electric locomotive

• US 4,382,189 A
• Filed: 05/06/1981
• Issued: 05/03/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1979
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John B. Wilson
• Original Assignee: John B. Wilson
• Inventors: Wilson, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jr., David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duncanson, Jr., W. E.
• Application Number:
  US06/262,051
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 123/1 A, 123/3, 123/119 E, 123/DIG. 12, 180/65, 188/159, 204/129, 290/3, 290/9, 290/16, 290/45, 318/367
• US Class Current: 290/3
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 3/06 with compression ignition compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 43/10 Engines or plants characterised by use of other specific gases, e.g. acetylene, oxyhydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 51/04 involving electricity or magnetism
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A system is disclosed for using internally generated electricity as the power to OPERATE an electrolysis cell for the production of hydrogen gas. This hydrogen gas would be stored under pressure and used on demand as a fuel supplement as for hill ascension by a diesel locomotive.

Claims

1. A hydrogen supplementally fueled diesel powered locomotive comprising:

(a) a conventional diesel electric locomotive having a diesel engine as its prime mover,

(b) traction motors mounted in said locomotive adapted for dynamic braking of said locomotive and adapted to generate electricity when actuated,

(c) at least one electrolysis cell for the electrolytic decomposition of water,

(d) means coupled to said traction motors and to said, at least one, electrolysis cell to deliver electricity from said traction motors to said cell upon dynamic braking to generate hydrogen,

(e) means for supplying generated hydrogen to said diesel engine as a fuel for said engine.

2. The locomotive of claim 1 including:

(g) means for separately storing oxygen generated in said electrolysis cell.

3. The locomotive of claim 2 further including:

(h) means for supplying stored oxygen to said diesel engine.

4. In the locomotive of claim 1 further including storage means for storing hydrogen generated in said at least one electrolysis cell.

5. The method of supplementing the power of a diesel electric locomotive for heavy local conditions, which comprises:

(a) dynamically braking the locomotive upon descent of hills, to generate D.C. current;

7. The method of claim 5, further including storing the H₂ gas after the preparation thereof, prior to feeding the gas to the diesel engine.

8. The method of claim 5 including feeding at least a portion of the O₂ into the diesel engine.

9. The method of claim 7 further including the step of supplementing the O₂ with air for use in the diesel engine.

10. The method of claim 5 including the step of storing the O₂ after the preparation thereof.

6. (b) energizing on electrolysis cell containing water to separate the water into H₂ and O₂, said cell being disposed in the locomotive or some other car of said train,

(c) feeding the H₂ gas into the diesel engine of said locomotive.