K9® Auxiliary Power Unit - Locomotive Idle Reduction System A New Technology towards Reducing GHG Emissions from the Railroad Sector

Locomotives have historically been allowed to idle for extended periods of time when not in operation in order to protect the engine from freezing. Depending on their assignment, locomotives typically idle 8-14 hours a day, sometimes even more. This has resulted in large quantities of harmful emissions into the atmosphere, particularly NOx, SO₂ and GHG. In this paper we introduce the K9^reg Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) for locomotives, an idle reduction system that controls locomotive engine shutdown. The APU consists of an Engine Shutdown Timer coupled with a generator set that is connected to the fluid system of the main engine. This configuration allows for the safe shutdown of the locomotive while monitoring and maintaining the fluid temperature and battery voltage, as well as providing auxiliary power for air conditioning/heating for the cab. The APU system results in large fuel savings, as well as emission and noise reduction. The APU is also equipped with a GPS communication device that allows remote monitoring of the locomotive and quantification of emissions reductions and fuel savings. The APU has been recognized as a system that enables the creation of NOx and SO₂ emission reduction credits by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and has the potential to be a strong mechanism of GHG emissions mitigation for the railroad sector.