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I was just wandering if anyone in the know could answer a couple of questions for me.1) I remember a story in Model Railroader about a concept to use powdered coal to power a modern locomotive. I don't remember the exact issue it was in but the locomotive had a modern look to it (looked a little like the DD40). It had two small trucks that were steam driven. The wheels were just slightly larger then the modern locomotive wheels about 38" I'd say. Being powdered coal it could be fed with compressed air. It had a tender aswell looked pretty cool. Perhaps someone has scene it and would like to comment. Aswell..2) A locomotive powered with a fuel cell. That is one powered by hydrogen. The Diesel is just a basic fuel cell anyway. It converts chemical energy into electrical energy (fuelcell). However the source of the energy. I could invision a locomotive with a liqued hydrogen tender following behind and all the exhaust would be is water. It would also be very quite (no prime mover). I'm sure they are moving liqued hydrogen around at this point anyway so infastructure is not a problem. Almost all the locomotives movement is made with AC/DC anyway so conversion is not all that hard. The next thing would be the cost of the hydrogen Hmmmmm. That I don't know. Hey have you seen the price of diesel lately?? It could be cheaper?Feel free to post your thoughts.Ronson
RailPower is working on a natural gas powered turbine locomotive..The natural gas cylinders will take up the space previously occupied by the diesel engine systems; and the turbine will go in the back (where the radiator would be)..Apparently, it has similar (if not better) HP/Tractive effort as modern diesel locomotives..http://www.railpower.com/natural_gas_locomotive.php
The first diesels,as designed by Diesel himself,ran on powdered coal,with blast air injection.Indeed the first marine diesels used blast injection of the fuel oil,until modern,solid fuel injection pumps and injectors were perfected.Blast injection pipwork was prone to exploding if it was contaminated by fuel blown back into it by faulty engine fuel valves.The blast air,engine driven compressor,took considerable power from the engine to drive it.This is much less using the solid injection system.One engine I worked on had the fuel injected by a gas powered injection pump.IE the pressure developed in each individual cylinder,during the compression stroke,pumped the fuel into that cylinder,when a predetermined minimum pressure was achieved.This was ideal in a two stroke marine engine,and although novel,and reliable,never caught on for wider use.
>I was just wandering if anyone in the know could answer a >couple of questions for me. > >1) I remember a story in Model Railroader about a concept to >use powdered coal to power a modern locomotive. I don't >remember the exact issue it was in but the locomotive had a >modern look to it (looked a little like the DD40). It had >two small trucks that were steam driven. The wheels were >just slightly larger then the modern locomotive wheels about >38" I'd say. Being powdered coal it could be fed with >compressed air. It had a tender aswell looked pretty cool. >Perhaps someone has scene it and would like to comment. >Aswell.. I believe you are thinking of the ACE 3000 (sounds a bit like Sniper's favorite, HAL9000:-P)\In any case, It was never produced at all. It was akin to N&W's Jawn Henry, but modernized.
I think I've seen similar pictures, once in Chessie System paint and one in Burlington Northern Cascade Green. The BN version was particularly cool I thought; it was supposed to represent the largest ACE engine planned at the time, the 3000/8. It had the DDA40X-style cab (might have had one at each end) and was built in a 4-8-4+4-8-4 configuration....two 4-8-4 units back-to-back with a center "tender" section suspended in between, sort of articulated-style over the trailing 4-axle wheelset of each unit. The 8 drivers under each unit were split 4 and 4, each set of four driven by cylinders facing outwards to each end of the unit. It wasn't two complete units coupled, one held the boiler and condensers, the other the coal supply and other workings IIRC. I remember hoping against hope that idea would become reality, a modern steam engine using condensers to conserve water, computer-balanced drivers to virtually eliminate pounding on the rails, and computer controls for all the vitals just like the diesels. I do remember reading how each member of the consortium behind the project backed out one by one, very sad. I still think there will be another time in the future when the focus will shift again towards alternate engine types, so maybe the plans will come in handy again. In the meantime.....(/me looks towards that copy of 3D Canvas Pro he really needs to learn how to use ) Mr. F
"There's no 'I' in 'Team'.....there's no 'U' either....."
Thanks for the info guys. I done some digging on the net and found that Hydrogen Locomotives are being developed for there use in mining. Although there have been several studies into it the big boys aren't as interested in hydrogen as a fuel source. Even though for the reasons I had put forth it would seem a good idea. Perhaps one day though they may find that shipping it around for a all the other transport systems they adopt it themselves.Ronson
The hydrogen fuel cell idea is not as environemntally friendly as it might seem. You have to generate the hydrogen, a process that requires energy and might demand additional coal fired electricity. The natural gas locomotive seems like a better alternative.
Hey what about electrification based on cheap electricity generated by standardized nuclear plants like France has (they don't have Jane Fonda over there and their government is quite adept at ignoring the Tree Huggers -LOL) The worlds premier high speed train (just ask them) the TGV is powered in this method.... IIRC they did this (they would say they were forced to do this) because they were being held hostage on energy matters my Qaddafi (sp) and the other Arabs.... IMHO Pretty elegant solution... Chuck Schneider Chief Cook and Bottle Washer North American Locomotive Works
