Patent ID: 7614232

Claim:
A method for maintaining an airflow path to a turbocharger system on a locomotive operating at high altitude and in a low ambient temperature environment, comprising: generating an ambient air stream flow into the locomotive turbocharger system via an air filtering device to create a compressed air stream flow having a compressed air stream temperature, wherein said ambient air stream flow includes an ambient air stream flow temperature; processing said compressed air stream to create an intercooler air stream having an intercooler air stream temperature, wherein said compressed air stream temperature is greater than said intercooler air stream temperature; directing at least a portion of at least one of said compressed air stream and said intercooler air stream toward a controllable re-circulation device, wherein said controllable re-circulation device is in flow communication with at least one of said compressed air stream flow and said ambient air stream flow; and operating said controllable re-circulation device to combine said at least a portion of at least one of said compressed air stream and said intercooler air stream prior to said air filtering device with at least one of said compressed air stream flow and said ambient air stream flow to increase at least one of said compressed air stream temperature and said ambient air stream temperature to a predetermined level.