Exhaust After Treatment System for Diesel Locomotive Engines—A Review

Indian Railways (IR) operates a large fleet of Diesel Locomotives. In recent times, a concerted effort is being made to understand the emission implications on the environment from these locomotives and its remedial measures. This article reviews the global standards for diesel locomotive emission norms and available after treatment solutions for diesel locomotives. Currently, there are no emission norms defined in India for locomotives and may be considered in future. The Diesel after treatment solutions include Diesel Oxidation Catalysts (DOC), Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems. Initially, it may be advisable to employ only DOC solution on diesel locomotives of IR followed by a thorough study of emissions on representative routes. Such a study would yield data for a design of a complete after treatment solution.