[geeks] electric cars

[Sandwich Maker]

" From: "James Fogg" <James at jdfogg.com>
" 
" Technically locomotives do have some storage, but it's not used that way. The
" generator is reverse-fed by the batteries and used as a starter (along with
" compressed air injection in some models).

technically all cars have 'some storage' in their batteries...

" Also, what the eco-car people call regenerative braking where the brakes
" charge the batteries (use motor as a generator) is also done in loco's, but
" it's called dynamic braking, where the traction motors become generators and
" the output is fed to a huge resistor bank on the roof (and fan cooled).

right, but again - no storage, thus no hybrid action.  electrics, like
milwaukee's famous 'little joes' [4800hp in the '40s], can do
regeneration easily and feed power back into the overhead wire.

" My favorite diesel of all time is the Fairbanks-Morse opposed piston 2-stroke
" diesel (ranges of 800 to 2000HP). Think of a diesel with NO cylinder heads.
" Instead it's an inline with two crankshafts mounted one on top of the other,
" and the pistons meet in the middle of the cylinder and create the compression
" in the middle. It was used in a FM loco, and is hugely popular as a marine
" diesel. Very light-weight for it's output.

up to 2400hp in locomotives - the 'train master', at it's time the
most powerful single-engine loco.  also very popular in stationary
power apps.  iirc they have models that run on landfill and sewage
treatment gas.

the fm model 38 is still around, with current outputs up to 4400hp
from that same 12-cyl design.  it isn't that light though; in an odd
twist, they now also own alco's engine, the 251f, and it weighs little
more than half the 38 for comparable power.
http://www.fairbanksmorse.com/
________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
adh at an.bradford.ma.us                       and think what none thought