Trains in the desert
Freezing is a foreign word for the people in Saudi Arabia. Temperatures below freezing point are only found there in the deep freeze. But even there, the engines have to deal with special conditions: across the sandy desert - from the port city of Dammam on the Persian Gulf to the capital Riyadh in the interior - mtu engines power ten Powerheads produced by the Spanish manufacturer CAF. Temperatures of up to 60 degrees Celsius above zero are just as common there as sandstorms that make it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's eyes. In general, the conditions for trains in the desert are difficult: camels often block the way and just as the tracks have to be cleared of snow in colder regions, sand drifts are a problem here. And this is in the middle of the desert, where someone cannot constantly come by to clear the tracks. Apart from this the desert sand is so fine that no seal can withstand it - not even that of the engine compartment.
Each of the ten diesel-electric power cars is equipped with two 1,800-kilowatt mtu twelve-cylinder engines of the 4000 series. These are part of complete power modules consisting of a rail engine, a traction generator and the mtu automation system Powerline. "Integrating two mtu motors into one powerhead is unique and the result of customised development work," says mtu project manager Frank Scheider. The requirement, he says, was due to the fact that the motors had to be redundant, as their operation was vital. "If the engines fail in the middle of the desert, not even the air conditioning would work, that would be life-threatening for the passengers," says Scheider, who also explicitly praises the cooperation with the manufacturer CAF.
The air filter concept of the powerheads is also designed for the sandy conditions in the desert. Special cyclone coarse filters separate 90 percent of the sand grains before the air enters the engine room through the roof of the powerhead. However, before the air is compressed by the turbocharger and enters the combustion chamber, it is cleaned again by two large cyclone air filters, each with an integrated paper filter. What still gets into the engine now no longer harms it.
mtu engines turn turtle
“At least we're on an even keel,” might be the thought flashing through the minds of the mtu Series 2000 engines which have to work dependably in big lifeboats whenever the sea is so rough that other vessels return to port or find themselves in distress. To keep these lifeboats moving, Rolls-Royce has developed a special SAR kit for search-and-rescue (SAR) vessels, enabling the engines to remain running at extreme angles of heel or even when turning turtle. The Hong Kong fire department is set to join sea rescue organizations using this technology in Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway and Canada, to name but a few. The design incorporates an extra-deep oil pan with special baffles and a modified crankcase breather system which enable the engine to withstand extreme angles of inclination in rough seas up to, and including, a full rollover. The crankcase breather and its pipework are designed to prevent oil or oil mist entering the engine intake, and hence uncontrolled combustion, should the vessel turn turtle through a full 360 degrees. The engines are also equipped with a digital inclination sensor which constantly transmits measured values to a dedicated software program, which in turn processes the signals and trips appropriate responses to protect the engines. The software is eminently versatile, allowing the SAR system to be tailored to meet customer requirements or different vessel designs.