KickStart Battery and Starting Manager

Key Features

• Supercapacitor System: Enhanced Starting Power
  KickStart BSM integrates a high-capacity supercapacitor system that stores and releases energy during the cranking process. This additional power boost ensures that even high-horsepower locomotives, which demand more energy to start, can reliably crank up even when batteries are heavily depleted. The supercapacitor’s fast discharge properties mean the locomotive starts quickly and smoothly, while reducing the strain on the lead-acid battery. The result is a significant reduction in dead-won’t-start (DWS) events, keeping your fleet operational even in challenging conditions like extreme cold or heavy load demands.
• Bus Boost™: Stabilize Voltage for Crucial Systems
  One of the most critical challenges during a locomotive start is the temporary voltage drop that can affect sensitive electronics. KickStart BSM’s Bus Boost™ feature stabilizes the voltage during cranking, ensuring that onboard electronics and essential systems continue to operate smoothly. This prevents power cycling and resets in critical systems, which can otherwise cause disruptions in the locomotive’s operation. With Bus Boost™, you can count on reliable voltage regulation, reducing the risk of electronic failures during start-up and extending the life of your electronics.
• Battery Management System: Optimizing Battery Health
  The integrated Battery Management System (BMS) continuously monitors battery health, charge cycles, and voltage levels. This real-time data allows the system to optimize the charging and discharging of the batteries, preventing deep discharges and extending the overall life of your lead-acid batteries. With the BMS actively managing the health of the battery, you can expect up to 3x longer battery life. The system ensures that batteries are always operating within optimal parameters, reducing maintenance costs and preventing unexpected battery failures.
• One More Crank™: Emergency Power for Critical Starts
  KickStart BSM’s One More Crank™ feature ensures that, even when the battery is nearly depleted, there is enough power available for one additional cranking cycle. This emergency feature disconnects non-essential parasitic loads, redirecting all available battery power to ensure the locomotive can start. By doing so, One More Crank™ prevents stranded locomotives and costly delays. This feature is particularly beneficial for long-haul operations, where locomotives may need to restart after long shutdown periods or under low-battery conditions.
• Extended Battery Life: Maximize Longevity and Reduce Costs
  By reducing the strain on batteries and preventing deep discharge cycles, KickStart BSM extends the life of locomotive batteries by up to three times. This reduction in battery wear means fewer replacements, less maintenance, and lower operating costs. Over time, these savings can add up to significant reductions in capital expenditures for your fleet, making KickStart BSM an investment that not only improves performance but also pays for itself through cost efficiency.
• Reduced AESS Idle Time: Save Fuel and Cut Emissions
  KickStart BSM works in harmony with Automatic Engine Stop-Start (AESS) systems to minimize the need for unnecessary idling. By ensuring that batteries are kept in optimal health and preventing failed starts, KickStart BSM reduces the time locomotives need to idle to maintain battery charge. This reduction in idle time leads to substantial fuel savings and lower greenhouse gas emissions, supporting both operational efficiency and sustainability goals. Rail operators can reduce fuel consumption by thousands of gallons per year, making KickStart BSM a critical tool for cutting costs and minimizing environmental impact.

KickStart BSM Benefits

How KickStart BSM Works

KickStart Battery and Starting Manager (BSM) is designed with a modular approach, consisting of three main components, each playing a critical role in ensuring reliable locomotive performance.

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• Control Module: This module oversees the entire operation of the system, managing the interaction between the supercapacitor and the battery. It ensures the proper sequencing of events during cranking, monitoring battery status, and controlling features like Bus Boost™ and One More Crank™.
• Capacitor Module: This module stores and releases energy during engine start-up, reducing the strain on the battery. The supercapacitor delivers additional cranking power when it’s needed most, enabling reliable starts even under low battery conditions.
• Power Manager Module: The power manager ensures optimal battery health and energy efficiency. It manages the charging and discharging cycles, optimizing battery life while ensuring minimal fuel consumption and emissions through integration with AESS.

Get Started with KickStart BSM

KickStart BSM is the ideal solution for rail operators looking to enhance starting reliability, eliminate DWS events, extend battery life, and reduce fuel and maintenance costs.