Success Story
BNSF
Remote Hybrid Power: Railway Signal Control
The Situation
BNSF Railway, created through the merger of Burlington Northern Inc. and Santa Fe Pacific Corp., builds on the traditions of hundreds of predecessors and provides customers with efficient, reliable and cost-effective transportation services. BNSF serves over 32,500 route miles in the western two-thirds of the United States, portions of Canada and key South American gateways. Many of these routes wind their way through the most remote parts of North America. Providing continuous reliable electrical power to the farthest reaches of their routes is critical for the ongoing control and monitoring of their transportation assets.
The Solution
Qnergy’s PowerGen power solution is specifically designed to provide seamless and extremely reliable power generation to remote locations. With multiple configurable and controllable outputs, the PowerGen was programmed to output 240Vac (single-phase) electric power to provide charging services to a BNSF Signal Control room. Its smart logic was programmed to only initiate generation when extra electricity was needed beyond that which was being produced by the parallel solar and wind resources.
The Result
The PowerGen was installed and commissioned in June 2017 at a remote site in Eastern Washington State. It was placed adjacent to the Signal Control station and is fueled by propane. Electrically, it is coupled directly to the control room electrical panel with a standard single-phase 4-conductor cable carrying the 240 VAC / 60 Hz.
Electrical System
| Application | Signal Control | Battery Bank Charging |
| Operating Profile | On Demand Cycle Charging |
| Power Output Configuration | 240 VAC / 60 Hz | Standard Grid Single Phase |
| Power Output Setting | 3,100 watts |
| Fuel Source | Propane |
BNSF PowerGen Configuration
