Performance Testing of a Locomotive Engine Aftertreatment Pre-prototype in a Passenger Cars Chassis Dynamometer Laboratory

The aim of this work is the definition of a pilot test procedure to carry on the system testing and validation tests with a locomotive engine aftertreatment pre-prototype called ENSPIRIT system, developed in the framework of the FP7 European Project Eliminating NOx, SOx& Particulate in Rail Transportation. Here it is described the study, processing and definition of the test procedure. A study has been conducted investigating the legislation (both European and US EPA) dealing with emission standards and tests for locomotives, gathering the fundamental information to create a driving cycle, suitable for tests with passenger cars, taking into account the main features of the locomotive test cycle. The first version of the ENSPIRIT Driving Cycle (EDC) has been tested in laboratory with two 2.0 l diesel experimental vehicles in order to refine it to better reproduce the locomotive test procedure, in particular with respect to notches duration, speed and rpm increase. The refined and definitive version of the EDC has been tested as well and the obtained results are here reported. The developed EDC was then inserted in a pilot testing protocol whose aim is to determine, through the EDC laboratory execution, the ENSPIRIT pre-prototype effectiveness in reducing the emission of NOx > 75% and the emission of PM2.5 > 98%. This can be done comparing the emissions of the two experimental vehicles, deprived of all the emission abatement systems (DPF, EGR, Oxy cat), with and without the use of the ENSPIRIT pre-prototype.