The use of phase transition heat accumulators for pre-start preparation of diesel locomotives

This article is dedicated to solving problems related to the operation of transport diesel engines in the cold season. The use of phase transition heat accumulators for pre-start preparation of diesel locomotives is a promising scientific and technical direction that is consistent with the development strategy of JSC "Russian Railways". These technical solutions were developed for a shunting diesel locomotive of the CHME3 series, and the calculated experiment performed showed high efficiency of using thermal accumulators for pre-start preparation of a diesel engine. The article gives the results of modeling three thermal accumulators: for oil, for coolant and for air charge. The adequacy of the conducted studies was checked by comparing the simulation results with experimental data. In general, the proposed technical solutions make it possible to reduce the intensity of wear on the rubbing surfaces of diesel parts and reduce fuel consumption for heating locomotives in winter.