Special Transport & Railway
A Northeast Railway Bureau
Railway Power Fuel Assurance
Key outcomes
- Efficient fueling capability: 40m³/h ultra-high flow rate ensures efficient execution of locomotive fueling operations
- Extreme cold environment adaptability: adapts to -40°C extreme cold environment, ensuring stable equipment operation
- Locomotive injection system protection: effectively protects locomotive HPCR system, reducing overhaul frequency
Case Study
Stage 1 · Customer Problem
A Northeast Railway Bureau has jurisdiction over lines located at the northernmost part of China, spanning Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, and other provinces. As a major artery of Northeast railway transport, its operating environment faces harsh winter cold. This project aimed to upgrade the diesel supply system of its key locomotive depot. In high-latitude, extreme-cold railway transport, fuel quality directly relates to transport safety.
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Extreme Cold Operation
Heilongjiang winter temperatures are extremely low, requiring equipment to operate stably under ultra-low temperature conditions and preventing pipe freeze-blockage caused by low temperatures.
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High Flow vs. Precision Balance
Locomotive single fueling volumes are large, requiring filtration equipment to maintain 40 m³/h high flow while achieving micron-level precision, which ordinary cartridges struggle to balance.
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High-Value Asset Risk
Modern diesel-electric locomotives are expensive; injector pump wear caused by poor-quality diesel results in high repair costs and loss of transport capacity.
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Large Fuel Turnover
The locomotive depot's daily fueling volume is large, requiring filters with high dust capacity to reduce operational interruptions from frequent cartridge replacement.
Stage 2 · Fuel Analysis · NEW
Sampling of depot diesel before the polishing system revealed heavy rust, pipe-scale and free-water carryover from bulk storage and cold-climate transport, typical of high-latitude railway fuel. The analysis below summarizes the baseline before treatment versus the post-treatment target achieved by the 40 m³/h system.
| Indicator | Before Treatment | After Treatment | Target / Standard |
|---|
| ISO 4406 Cleanliness | ~23/21/18 | 15/13/10 | ISO 4406 ≤ 16/14/11 |
| Free Water (ppm) | ~400 | < 100 | < 200 |
| Visual Appearance | Cloudy, rust particles | Clear & bright | Clear & transparent |
| TAN (mg KOH/g) | ~0.50 | 0.10 | ≤ 0.5 |
| Particle Composition | Rust, pipe scale, suspended solids | Isolated inert particles | — |
Sampling at depot fueling island before/after the polishing skid; ISO 4406 per ISO 11500, free water by Karl Fischer.
Stage 3 · Solution
Jingyuan custom-developed a 40 m³/h dedicated locomotive fuel purification system for the Railway Bureau. A parallel multi-cartridge large-capacity housing ensures 40 m³/h ultra-high flow at relatively low differential pressure without affecting locomotive fueling time. The Jingyuan® polymer rigid composite membrane leverages oleophilic-hydrophobic properties to efficiently intercept particulate impurities while synergistically removing trace free water, and a customized cold-proof design with enhanced low-temperature-resistant seals ensures reliable operation in the Heilongjiang climate.
Filter Media
Polymer rigid composite membrane
Regeneration
Gas-pulse regeneration (brief 5-15 min safety pause)
Housing
Parallel multi-cartridge, large-capacity
Filtration Strategy
Multi-stage staged
Cold-Proof
Low-temp seals, cold-resistant electrical
Ambient Temp
-40°C operation
Stage 4 · Results
Since the system was put into production, it significantly improved the fuel quality control level of the locomotive depot. The unplanned maintenance rate of locomotive injection systems decreased noticeably. The 40 m³/h efficient purification capacity effectively meets the busy scheduling demands of the depot, achieving efficient fueling while ensuring fuel cleanliness, providing solid assurance for the safety and efficiency of high-latitude railway transport.
40 m³/h
Sustained Flow Rate
15/13/10
ISO 4406 Achieved
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Injector Overhaul Frequency
| Metric | Before | After | Improvement |
|---|
| ISO 4406 Cleanliness | ~23/21/18 | 15/13/10 | ~3 codes / scale |
| Free Water (ppm) | ~400 | < 100 | ~75% reduction |
| Flow Rate @ Precision | Could not sustain 40 m³/h | 40 m³/h at low ΔP | High flow + micron precision |
| Locomotive Injection Unplanned Maintenance | Frequent | Noticeably decreased | HPCR system protected |
| Fueling Efficiency | Limited by filtration | Meets busy scheduling | Depot turnaround assured |
Stage 5 · Lessons Learned · NEW
Key takeaways from the Northeast Railway Bureau deployment that are transferable to other extreme-cold, high-throughput locomotive fueling operations.
✅
High-Flow + Precision Balance
A parallel multi-cartridge large-capacity housing sustains 40 m³/h at low differential pressure without sacrificing micron-level precision — essential for large single locomotive fueling volumes.
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Extreme-Cold Engineering
For high-latitude railway operation, -40°C low-temperature seals and cold-resistant electrical systems are non-negotiable to prevent pipe freeze-blockage and ensure stable year-round availability.
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Staged Filtration + Gas-Pulse Regen
Multi-stage staged filtration handles bulk-fuel rust and suspended solids, while gas-pulse group-switching regeneration (~32–64s/group) keeps high dust-holding cartridges in service and reduces replacement interruptions.
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Customer feedback
In the bitter cold of Heilongjiang, fuel reliability is the lifeline of locomotives. Jingyuan's 40m³/h system solved the dual challenge of high-speed fueling and fuel cleanliness. Since installation, fuel-related engine failures have decreased significantly, giving us more confidence in harsh winter operations.
Special Transport & Railway
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