Posted by admin | Posted in Model RR Trains Lionell | Posted on 27-03-2003
Tags: engine, history, locomotive, locomotive engineer, locomotive engineer jobs, locomotive engineer salary, locomotive engineer training, locomotive engines, steam, train
Why don’t hybrid car makers just run the gas engine to power a generator at constant speed? More efficient.
An internal combustion engine runs more efficiently at constant speed. If it was run to charge the batteries when needed, via a generator, it seems to me it would be much more efficient than today’s dual mode hybrids. This is essentially what diesel-electric locomotives do, and they get much better “gas mileage” than cars.
My understanding is that this IS how some hybrids work. At low levels of acceleration, the battery provides most of the work. It is when the car accelerates hard that the switch is made to use the gasoline engine. It is depends on whether the hybrid has a series or parallel configuration.
The hybrids key nitch is stop-and-go traffic. Without it, there are other compact cars that get better gas mileage. The electro-resistive braking is one of the best features of hybrids, because it takes kinetic energy and converts it to electro-potential energy. That means in light acceleration and light breaking traffic, a driver would use far less energy.
The engine in Toyota and some Honda hybrids are essentially high-end, high-efficiency generator engines. Engine acceleration is smooth (efficient) as the battery provides a good chunk of the energy in the beginning of the acceleration. Then the computer evaluates current draw, reserves, and current acceleration to set the engine speed. If you suddenly take your foot off the accelerator, the engine slowly revs down, sending the suddenly excess power to the battery.
Because of the large battery bank and computer management, hybrids are actually far more efficient for variable demand situations than a standard generator.
I don’t know much about diesel-electric trains, but diesel is almost always the better bet for mostly constant-rate driving, and gasoline is the best bet for highly variable-rate driving. I can see a line of logic for a bio-diesel hybrid car with a significant battery pack to further smooth out the highs and lows.
The link below might help you out.
Norfolk Southern Locomotive Engine Start Up
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15″ DARK RED STEAM ENGINE LOCOMOTIVE TRAIN BUILDING TOYS 2 MINIFIG 168 BRICKS $23.99 |
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13.4″ CLASSIC STEAM ENGINE LOCOMOTIVE TRAIN ONE CARRIAGE BUILDING TOY 240 BRICKS $22.99 |
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9.6″ HEAVY DUTY LOCOMOTIVE COMBUSTION ENGINE TRAINS BUIDING TOYS 224 BRICKS $22.00 |
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15″ dark red steam engine locomotive train with one carriage $18.99 |
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9.6″ gray black heavy duty Combustion engine locomotive train buiding toys $17.99 |
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13.4″ black classic steam engine locomotive train with one carriage building toy $13.99 |
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Wilton Choo-Choo Train Set $11.75 Choo-Choo Train Set. Two-piece pan snaps together to create a cake 10 x 4 x 6 in. high… |
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Nordic Ware Platinum Collection Train Pan $18.45 What’s the fastest way to Giggle City? Take the train! Nine different railroad-car shapes are parked in this heavy cast-aluminum pan, waiting to be filled with batter and baked to mini-cake perfection. This one pan is the ticket to limitless fun parties and extraordinary centerpieces. For ages 5 and up with adult supervision. Decorations are not included. Size Cars measure approx. 3″ – 4″… |
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RM Locomotive Train Engine Metal Cookie Cutter for Baking / Birthday Party Favors / Scrapbooking Stencil $0.95 Make holiday or everyday cookies extra special when cut into shapes. Decorate with royal icing, coloured sugars, and sprinkles. Or, use to cut out shapes from brownies, bar cookies, or sandwiches. Size: 3.5″ Dimensions: 3.5″L × 1″D Materials: Tinplate Care: Hand wash and dry immediately. Do not soak in water. Not dishwasher safe…. |
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Thomas and the Magic Railroad $3.75 Thomas, as anyone familiar with the eponymous, wildly popular TV series knows, is a very useful engine, and never more so than in his first theatrical release, which was a modest box-office success. On a tank filled with little more than pluck, determination, and goodwill, Thomas sets out full steam ahead on a danger-fraught mission to help his friend Mr. Conductor. The conductor’s stash of magic … |
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Thomas & Friends: Calling All Engines! $3.99 Summertime is always beautiful on the Island of Sodor. It is a busy time for all of the engines….but when the Steam engines and Diesels can’t get along, and no work is getting done, the engines are in a terrible mess! Will the new airport get ready in time? Will the bridge get built? Can the engines save the day?Product Measures: .5″ x 7.5″ x 5.25″Recommended Ages: 18 months & up… |
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Thomas & Friends: 10 Years of Thomas & Friends – Best Friends $4.83 THOMAS & FRIENDS:10 YEARS OF THOMAS & – DVD Movie… |
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America’s Railroads – The Steam Train Legacy [VHS] $10.00 … |
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National Geographic’s The Great Indian Railway [VHS] $10.00 The British Empire’s legacy to India is the subcontinent’s railway system. The largest railway under single management in the world, it covers 40,000 miles and has 7,000 stations, with 11,000 trains running every day and 80 million people depending on the train for their livelihood. With a staff of 1.6 million, India’s railway is also the largest employer in the world. Steam trains and other locom… |