SwRI: Locomotive Testing and Evaluation

  image of the SwRI Locomotive Emissions Test Center, established in 1990 in response to a need by the Association of American Railroads for locomotive exhaust emission testing capabilities
 

The SwRI Locomotive Emissions Evaluation Center was established in 1990 in response to a need by the Association of American Railroads for locomotive exhaust emission testing capabilities.

Locomotive engine research has been conducted at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) for more than 30 years. 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

  image of EMD 16-645-E engine
 

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 evaluation 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.

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Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®) is an independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization with 12 technical divisions using multidisciplinary approaches to problem solving. The Institute occupies more than 1,200 acres and provides nearly two million square feet of laboratories, test facilities, workshops, and offices for more than 3,300 employees who perform contract work for industry and government clients.