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V.4(64), 2025
39-48In the modern operating conditions of railway refrigerated transport, the primary tasks have become increasing the energy efficiency of rolling stock and reducing operating costs. This article presents an analysis of the energy and economic efficiency of replacing the power equipment of an autonomous refrigerated car to transition from diesel fuel to liquefied natural gas. To perform the analysis, the authors developed an engineering model of the energy balance for the autonomous refrigerated car equipment, supplemented by a cold recovery loop from liquefied natural gas regasification. The research methodology is based on a systems approach that considers the thermodynamic properties of the proposed replacement fuel and the specifics of heat exchange processes in the cargo compartment. Based on the obtained model, a comparative analysis was performed between the calculated indicators of the considered power equipment designed for liquefied natural gas and the operational data of existing diesel analogs. During the evaluation of the fuel replacement effect, the technical feasibility of ensuring standard car autonomy indicators when transitioning to liquefied natural gas without deteriorating the rolling stock's operational characteristics was confirmed. It was established that cold recovery from liquefied natural gas regasification significantly improves the equipment's energy performance, ensuring a sufficient level of energy autonomy and reduced fuel consumption through the beneficial use of the gas's physical exergy. The developed model allows for a comprehensive assessment of the systemic effect of replacing diesel fuel with liquefied natural gas, taking into account various temperature regimes of the car body. The conclusions demonstrate that converting refrigerated rolling stock from diesel fuel to liquefied natural gas for use as both energy fuel and refrigerant (cogeneration) is expedient.
