SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE

 

Locomotive
Testing

 

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Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has more than 30 years of experience in locomotive engine research. In the early 1970s, SwRI tested in-use locomotives for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inventories and NOx reduction studies on an EMD 2-567 diesel engine for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the EPA.

 

EMD 16-645-E Engine

SwRI owns four EMD-567 test engines. One is used exclusively for lubricating oil qualification and the others are for various research and development projects.

 

Past projects included:

  • Development of exhaust emissions test procedures

  • Baseline exhaust emissions studies

  • Effects of injection timing and aftercooling

  • Field testing of in-use locomotives

  • The California Air Resources Board (CARB) fuel effects study

  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) biodiesel studies

 
 

EMD 16-645-E Engine

Current projects are focused on testing to support EPA certification and developmental support to meet EPA Tier 0 and Tier 1 requirements.

 

SwRI maintains a locomotive emissions test center near downtown San Antonio. The facility was established in 1990 for the Association of American Railroads, and to date, more than 70 locomotives have been tested at this site. Included in these tests have been projects for EPA, CARB, the California DOT (CaDOT), DOE, AAR, railroads, and original equipment manufacturers.
 

For more information about locomotive testing capabilities at SwRI or how you can contract with SwRI, please contact Steven G. Fritz, P.E. at sfritz@swri.org or (210) 522-3645.
 

Contact Information

Steven G. Fritz, P.E.

Locomotive Testing

(210) 522-3645

sfritz@swri.org

Related Terminology

locomotive engine emissions

AAR

Association of American Railroads

CARB

California Air Resources Board

EPA

Environmental Protection Agency

DOE

Department of Energy

FRA

Federal Railroad Administration

EMD

electro motive division

lubricating oil qualification

verification testing

APUs

auxiliary power units

NREL

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

railroad

trains

locomotive exhaust emissions

 

| Emissions R&D | Engine, Emissions & Vehicle Research Division | SwRI Home |

Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®), headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a multidisciplinary, independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization with 11 technical divisions.

July 18, 2008