Small Scale Diesel Generator for Railway Applications

Autonomous inspection systems are necessary to increase awareness of track safety and maintenance issues. However, electrical power for these systems is not available under freight railway vehicles. Mainstream Engineering (MEC) proposes development of a small-scale diesel generator with an integrated starter-alternator (ISA) and automated battery charging circuit for this application. The proposed generator affords significant improvements in fuel efficiency and durability/reliability, even in harsh under floor railway environments, compared to conventional diesel generators. The proposed generator features a high level of system integration that enables compact packaging, eliminates a major failure mode, allows the engine to run at its most efficient operating point, and reduces engine runtime. During this Phase I, MEC will design, build, package, and test a prototype 500-W diesel generator for railway applications. This accelerated development schedule is made possible by leveraging technology from MEC’s 2000-W advanced military generator product. MEC has been developing small, purpose-built diesel generators for demanding niche military applications for over 10 years, and the proposed small generator for railway applications fits well within our experience and capabilities. MEC has a strong track record of commercializing SBIR efforts; we have an outstanding DOD commercialization achievement index and are a Tibbetts award winner.