THE GENERAL-ELECTRIC COAL-FUELED DIESEL-ENGINE PROGRAM (1982-1993) - A TECHNICAL REVIEW

In the early 1980s, General Electric-Transportation Systems (GE-TS), a manufacturer of locomotive diesel engines, announced plans to develop a coal-fueled locomotive due to the availability and low cost of coal . In 1985 and 1988, the General Electric Company (GE) was awarded majo r contracts from the Department of Energy, Morgantown Energy Technolog y Center, to continue the research and development of a coal-fueled di esel engine. This paper is a review of the technical accomplishments a nd discoveries of the GE coal-fueled diesel engine research and develo pment program during the years 1982-1993. The results of an economic a ssessment completed by GE-TS indicated the merits for the development of a coal-fueled diesel engine for locomotive applications and therefo re, GE-TS embarked on an ambitious program to develop and commercializ e a coal-fueled diesel engine. Among the major accomplishments of this program were the development of specialized fuel injection equipment for coal-water slurries, diamond compact inserts for the nozzle tips f or wear resistance, and an integrated emissions control system. Over 5 00 hours of engine operation was accumulated using coal fuel during th e duration of this program. A major milestone was attained when, durin g November and December 1991, a coal-fueled diesel engine powered a lo comotive on the General Electric test track.