Steam diesel hybrid locomotive
Encyclopedia
A steam diesel hybrid locomotive was a railway locomotive
with a piston engine which could run on either steam
from a boiler
or diesel fuel. Examples were built in the United Kingdom
, Russia
and Italy
but the relatively high cost of fuel oil meant that the designs were not pursued.
, Leeds, built an experimental example for the London and North Eastern Railway
, using as their model the Still engine
already in use for stationary and marine applications. It was on trial until 1934, but then scrapped. It was designed because a steam engine
offered a high starting torque while a diesel engine
offered a high fuel efficiency and it was considered desirable to combine the two.
, but it had four pairs of horizontally opposed cylinders mounted longitudinally above the frame and driving a crankshaft placed between them. The cylinders were made double-ended, with one end of each cylinder for steam and the other fitted with a diesel injector. (Some drawings, published in contemporary magazines, show only two pairs of cylinders and it seems that this was one of the design features that was changed during development.) The boiler, with a diameter of only fifty-one inches (130 cm) and a small internal firebox, was mounted above. The driving position was in the usual place behind the boiler and tanks for fuel and water were mounted on the frame at the rear.
Overall power output did not compare well with conventional steam locomotives, although the performance on gradients was good because of the gearing. During the trials it was used successfully with coal trains and it proved very efficient in terms of fuel used, because the waste heat from the diesel power was recovered. However its running costs depended on the price differential between coal and oil and this was not favourable. When Kitson's failed in 1934 the LNER handed the machine back to the company's receivers and it was dismantled.
compressed steam which was then fed to conventional steam engine cylinders. The exhaust steam was re-compressed and used again. There must have been a small boiler
to generate the initial charge of steam but this is not shown in the diagram .
The steam was used mainly as a transmission system but the locomotive does count as a hybrid because some steam storage
was provided. A possible advantage of the system was that it enabled existing steam locomotives to be converted to diesel operation but this did not come to fruition.
Patent
s for the system were held by Severino Cristiani and Secondo Sacerdole in Italy and it was promoted in England
by Captain William Peter Durtnall
. A trial was made in England, using two "Paragon" marine petrol engine
s, under the name "Paragon-Cristiani". The equipment was mounted on a 0-6-0
chassis (works number 3513/1923) built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company
. It was not a success and the chassis was converted to a conventional 0-6-0ST named "Stagshaw" which is preserved on the Tanfield Railway
.
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
with a piston engine which could run on either steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
from a boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
or diesel fuel. Examples were built in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
but the relatively high cost of fuel oil meant that the designs were not pursued.
Kitson-Still locomotive
In 1926 Kitson and CompanyKitson & Co.
Kitson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Early history:The company started as James Kitson at the Airedale Foundry, off Pearson Street, Hunslet in 1835 with Charles Todd as a partner...
, Leeds, built an experimental example for the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
, using as their model the Still engine
Still engine
The Still engine was a piston engine that simultaneously used both steam power from an external boiler, and internal combustion from gasoline or diesel, in the same unit...
already in use for stationary and marine applications. It was on trial until 1934, but then scrapped. It was designed because a steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
offered a high starting torque while a diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
offered a high fuel efficiency and it was considered desirable to combine the two.
Construction
In outline the machine resembled a conventional 2-6-2T steam locomotiveSteam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
, but it had four pairs of horizontally opposed cylinders mounted longitudinally above the frame and driving a crankshaft placed between them. The cylinders were made double-ended, with one end of each cylinder for steam and the other fitted with a diesel injector. (Some drawings, published in contemporary magazines, show only two pairs of cylinders and it seems that this was one of the design features that was changed during development.) The boiler, with a diameter of only fifty-one inches (130 cm) and a small internal firebox, was mounted above. The driving position was in the usual place behind the boiler and tanks for fuel and water were mounted on the frame at the rear.
Operation
The sequence of operation was to heat the boiler in the normal way, but using fuel oil instead of coal. The start from rest would be made with steam power, but at about five mph (8 km/h) the diesel injectors would be started and the steam turned off. The waste heat from the cylinder jackets and diesel exhaust then maintained the boiler in steam for auxiliary functions (brakes and whistle) and in readiness to supplement the diesel power if required, or for the next start. By using steam for starting, no form of variable transmission was necessary and a permanent reduction geartrain of 1·878 to 1 ratio was fitted.Overall power output did not compare well with conventional steam locomotives, although the performance on gradients was good because of the gearing. During the trials it was used successfully with coal trains and it proved very efficient in terms of fuel used, because the waste heat from the diesel power was recovered. However its running costs depended on the price differential between coal and oil and this was not favourable. When Kitson's failed in 1934 the LNER handed the machine back to the company's receivers and it was dismantled.
Cristiani compressed steam system
The Italian Cristiani Compressed Steam System used the process of Mechanical vapor recompression. A diesel engineDiesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
compressed steam which was then fed to conventional steam engine cylinders. The exhaust steam was re-compressed and used again. There must have been a small boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
to generate the initial charge of steam but this is not shown in the diagram .
The steam was used mainly as a transmission system but the locomotive does count as a hybrid because some steam storage
Steam accumulator
A Steam accumulator is an insulated steel pressure tank containing hot water and steam under pressure. It is a type of energy storage device. It can be used to smooth out peaks and troughs in demand for steam. Steam accumulators may take on a significance for energy storage in solar thermal...
was provided. A possible advantage of the system was that it enabled existing steam locomotives to be converted to diesel operation but this did not come to fruition.
Patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s for the system were held by Severino Cristiani and Secondo Sacerdole in Italy and it was promoted in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
by Captain William Peter Durtnall
William Peter Durtnall
William Peter Durtnall , M.I.Mar.E., M.I.Auto.E., M.I.Loco.E, was a British electrical engineer and inventor, and a Captain in the Royal Air Force. He was involved in both marine and locomotive engineering and invented a thermo-electric engine patented as the "Paragon"...
. A trial was made in England, using two "Paragon" marine petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
s, under the name "Paragon-Cristiani". The equipment was mounted on a 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
chassis (works number 3513/1923) built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company
Hawthorn Leslie and Company
R. & W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturer. The Company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982.-History:...
. It was not a success and the chassis was converted to a conventional 0-6-0ST named "Stagshaw" which is preserved on the Tanfield Railway
Tanfield Railway
The Tanfield Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway in Gateshead and County Durham, England. Running on part of a former colliery wooden wagonway, later a steam railway, it operates preserved steam and diesel industrial tank locomotives. The railway operates a passenger service on Sundays all...
.