GE Trip Optimizer™

Inefficient acceleration and braking can reduce engine fuel efficiency, increasing use and emissions. Using a sophisticated system of sensors, on-board computers, and GPS, GE’s Trip Optimizer™ system creates an optimal speed profile to reduce unnecessary braking and excess acceleration typically reducing fuel consumption and particulate matter by approximately 10 percent.

The Environmental Challenge

With ever rising fuel and energy prices and increased emission regulations, rail companies are looking for ways to improve Evolution locomotive efficiency. While GE’s Evolution locomotive platform is among the most energy efficient, inefficient acceleration and braking can reduce engine fuel efficiency, thereby increasing emissions and fuel consumption.

GE’s Innovative Solution

GE’s Trip Optimizer™ system determines the optimum speed profile over a trip or route to minimize travel time and fuel consumption. The optimization reduces unnecessary braking due to “running-up” on speed limits, braking before inclines, and braking to control over speeds while reducing or eliminating the variation in driving techniques between drivers.

Closed loop speed regulation is provided to the calculated optimum speed profile to adjust for the differences between actual and estimated train performance. It also allows GE’s Trip Optimizer™ system to create an optimal trip profile and automatically learn and adjust throttle settings for variations in grade, drag, locomotive health, and train manifest errors (length and weight).

GE’s Trip Optimizer™ system was designed to work on the GE Evolution locomotive platform. However, future plans include developing a solution to retrofit older GE, EMD, and other international freight and passenger locomotives. The system is also designed to work on diesel and electric locomotives.

Environmental Impact

Using a sophisticated system of sensors, on-board computers, and GPS, GE’s Trip Optimizer™ system can create an optimal speed profile, typically reducing fuel consumption and particulate matter by approximately 10 percent.

Installing GE’s Trip Optimizer™ system could reduce GHG emissions by 365 tons/year per locomotive. If Trip Optimizer™ was installed in 1,500 GE Evolution locomotives, the GHG emission reductions would be equivalent to removing 95,000 cars from the roads for a year or the amount of CO2 absorbed by approximately 498,700 acres of forest.

Reducing Costs

GE’s Trip Optimizer™ system typically reduces fuel consumption by up to 32,000 gallons/year per Evolution locomotive. If the technology of the Trip Optimizer™ system was applied to a fleet of 1,500 GE Evolution locomotives it could save 48 million gallons of fuel per year.