Scalable Non-invasive Power Systems
ThermaRail 300
ThermaRail 300 is tailored to maximize conversion from thermal energy to electricity at high notch setting (high power operations). In these configurations, water is utilized as working fluid and the conditioned electricity produced by the turbo-generator can be distributed to augment propulsion power and/or to supply auxiliary electrical loads. Installation can be executed via fork-lifting or crane-lifting the enclosures and mechanically couple them to the locomotive external frame via pins sliding through OEM lugs, normally utilized to execute locomotives repair and maintenance.
ThermaRail 25
This configuration supplies pollutant-free electric power to selective electrical loads, for example, high-efficiency battery packs. ThermaRail25 utilizes only a fraction of the total waste thermal energy. All configurations are modular, non-invasive, and enable programming of the power control system to match operator’s requirements with dynamic, static, reactive or resistive electrical loads and scalable power rating.
Rugged Power Conversion Enclosures
ThermaRail power conversion enclosures protect the closed-loop components from environmental and vibratory stressors. All components are thermal-hydraulically and electrically coupled to execute full-scale testing at various operating conditions prior to locomotive installation. ThermaRail components are tested under normal and off-normal operating conditions as well as during power transients, repeated start-shutdown, and thermal cycling conditions through ThermaDynamics Rail state-of-the-art high power testing facility equipped with a heat source generating exhaust gases to mimic operating conditions of different locomotive engine models.
Low Back-pressure Heat Exchangers
Ruggedized high-pressure heat exchangers (HiPHEXs) are designed to match locomotive operators’ and engine model requirements. Prototyping and full-scale heat exchangers are manufactured and tested at ThermaDynamics Rail facilities. ThermaRail heat exchangers are tested under vibratory, high-temperature and thermal-cycling conditions to verify their performance, reliability and endurance prior to locomotive installation.
High-speed Motors/Generators
Scalable high-speed direct-turbine drive electromagnetic machines are designed, manufactured, assembled balanced at speed and tested at ThermaDynamics Rail facilities. These high-speed motors-generators can withstand substantial radial-loading and accelerations to reliably operate in harsh rail environments.
Titanium Turbines
With tolerances of 2 microns (0.0787 thousandth of an inch), ThermaDynamics Rail produces axial and radial turbines in Titanium and various Steel alloys. Turbines parameters are matched to the generator and thermodynamic cycle requirements. Turbines are then optimized and extensively tested under normal operating conditions, over-speeding conditions, and unbalances at full-power and under power surges and under extreme accelerations to ensure metal-to-metal contact between rotary and stationary components is avoided under all credible design basis and beyond design basis accident scenarios.
TDR Vertical Integration Advantage
ThermaDynamics Rail’s vertical integration approach enables in-house analysis, design, manufacturing and testing of all components forming Rankine and Brayton power cycles at various power rating, enabling cost-effective production of ThermaRail technology solutions.
On-Site Multi Mega-Watt Testing Facility
Thermadynamics Rail operates testing facilities which can replicate multi Mega-Watt Thermal (MWth) heat sources, equipped with industrial scale Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and supervisory system. Individual Rankine or Brayton cycle components or complete test rigs can be tested at full-scale under typical locomotive operational conditions. Failure mode analyses can also be conducted by operating the rigs under off-normal conditions to verify components perform with adequate safety margins, prior to installing ThermaRail systems on locomotives. ThermaDynamics Rail engineering team can also be subcontracted to manufacture, assemble and test individual components or complete operating systems for parties developing products for rail and non-rail applications.
Services
- Computer Aided Design (CAD) fromconcept to machine language
- Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
- Structural and rotor-dynamic analysis
- Modeling of complex power systems and components matching
- Power electronics and control system design, manufacturing and testing
- Advanced codes field-tested
- Full-scale testing of thermal-hydraulically coupled components
- Techno-economic feasibility analysis of various power systems
- Techno-economic audits for 3rd parties
- Risks identification and mitigation
