Design Development of a Modular Gas-diesel Retrofit System for Locomotive Engines Without Deep Base Engine Modification
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The rapid escalation of diesel fuel costs combined with increasingly stringent emissions regulations compels the railway sector to seek cost-effective alternatives for the existing diesel locomotive fleet. This study analyzes the conceptual and engineering foundations of a modular gas-diesel dual-fuel retrofit system designed to be installed on diesel locomotives without modification of the base engine cylinder head, injectors, or compression ratio. The primary objective is to establish a technically verified design framework for a load-adaptive fuel control system that maintains diesel-pilot ignition while substituting up to 65–70% of the fuel energy with compressed or liquefied natural gas at cruise conditions. A systematic literature review, comparative technical analysis, and engineering case study methodology are applied. The results demonstrate that the proposed modular architecture yields fuel cost reductions of approximately 35–40%, along with verified reductions in NOx emissions by 60–67%, particulate matter by 89–90%, SOx by 95–100%, CO by 50–65%, and CO2 by 22–25% relative to the pure diesel baseline. The findings are applicable to railway operators, locomotive manufacturers, and infrastructure planners engaged in sustainable rail transport transitions
Author: Dinges, Maksim
Language: English
Topic: Engine and Fuel Emissions
Subfield: Automotive Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204276816
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