Locomotive Engine Testing Behind The Scenes : Blog : GE Global Research

Locomotive engine testing – behind the scenes

Our team has been very busy performing engine experiments on our full-scale locomotive single cylinder engine. You might wonder what this looks (and sounds) like, so here is a video to let you have a peak inside the control room and test cell. This video was taken while we were testing the engine at full load, otherwise known as, Notch 8. Enjoy!

October 20th, 2006 | Global Research

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I have loved trains since I was a kid. Thanks for the video. I can’t imagine the vibrations that the cylinder puts out. How much of your time is spent collecting data vs. analyzing data?

Bryan | 10/23/06, 3:01 PM

This is very interesting. What is the advantage of a single cylinder engine for customers and end users?

K.Murali | 10/25/06, 3:31 PM

I am the local, Western NY, Representative for Dewetron Data Acquisition Test Systems that combine very powerful test attributes: time sychronization of all streaming data input, on-the-fly touchscreen GUI with no LabView programming, battery powered PC with hot swap replacement for low noise data acquisition in the field and video, GPS positioning environmental data integrated on the same GUI.

joseph thomson | 12/01/06, 10:10 AM

Hi! Someone asked how much time is spent collecting data vs. analyzing data. I’d say we spend at least twice as much time analyzing data than actually collecting data! We try to design good experiments, so all the data we take is good quality and the right operating conditions. Good engine data is a gold mine and we often find ourselves revisiting data to learn more or compare it to something new.

Jenny | 2/07/07, 11:47 PM

Why use one cylinder when you can have twelve? There are many reasons why we use a single cylinder engine for fundamental combustion research:

1) we have better control over the engine operating parameters such as intake air pressure and temperature, 2) we have the ability to measure smaller changes in performance, such as fuel consumption and emissions, and 3) the one cylinder requires fewer resources, such as prototype parts, lab space, and fuel.

The single cylinder engine is a great combustion research tool!

Jenny | 2/08/07, 12:04 AM