Compressed air leak detector could save fuel and labour costs for rail operators

This is the claim of the Texas-based Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), which has developed a proof-of-concept system to detect the air leaks and relay the location of them to personnel for repair.

Trains use compressed air for functions including air brakes, valve actuation, and radiator shutters. Each year it is estimated that the rail industry loses between 2-3 per cent vehicle efficiency due to air leaks, which can have a detrimental effect on train operability and safety.

“Air leaks significantly increase fuel consumption and reduce the effectiveness of a locomotive’s automatic engine stop-start (AESS) systems, which causes locomotives to run more often, burn more fuel and reduces the lifespan of parts such as starters, air compressors and batteries,” said SwRI lead engineer Christopher Stoos. “We are talking potentially saving millions of gallons of fuel and reducing carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter emissions.”

Finding air leaks requires a manual search, with staff going on, under or between railway vehicles to listen or feel for leaks. The practice is inefficient, time-consuming and introduces unnecessary risk to mechanical staff, prompting the US Federal Railroad Administration to define acceptable air leak rates for trains.