Well - its imaginative .Maybe we need more of this out of the box thinking to get out of our oil rut. You be the judge
Interesting, the trouble with fireless loco’s is that they have a short range before needing to be refilled, I guess they would use a solar reflection generator like the solar plant in Barstow used and store the steam in a collection tank. If they plan on using the engine around the Sacramento RR museum grounds it could work, at least on sunny days.
Let’s see now. One kilowatt per square metre… 5,000 hp engine… 5,000 square metre collector… engine is 3 metres wide… um. Let’s say the engine then is a mile long, more or less.
Love to see it… yeah, right.
I think if you take the concept that a large scale fireless locomotive is feasible then I agree its rather silly. But if you consider that a one hundred square mile solar collector lets say out in the western desert could power all our electrical needs as they stand now, its a matter of shifting focus and priority into that giant lightbulb in the sky that wirelessly sends energy to us, in human terms perpetually. It isnt perhaps a large scale effort, or a large fireless steam engine that is the point-its the idea that alot of small things add up. Washington is way behind states and muncipalities when it comes to cutting the oil cord-look at Portland as a good example of that. We need a Manhatten scale project to make this a priority and some real leadership. A small demonstration like this is just a signpost of innovation not a solution in of itself.
Assuming they can generate the quantity of steam they need, this sounds like a very good idea. The article also mentioned a nearby steam plant, so they may have a backup.
I’m guessing that fireless cooker at something less than 1000 HP. I found references around the net indicating a weight of around 65 tons, with drawbar pull around 11,000 lbs. Service available on a full charge was apparently around 4 hours. “Topping off” between runs would probably extend that.
You still need water for steam which means a lot of stops or a lot of watertank cars.
What happens if you run out of “juice” at night or in a long tunnel? I like the imagination though. I would have gone with the solar powered remote control unit.
CC
From waht the article says this engine would be used only around the Museum grounds, so range wouldnt be that big an issue. The biggest thing to me would literally BE a big thing, namely the generation plant needed to heat the water. The solar refactory plant in Barstow used hundereds of mirrors over many acres to focus sunlight on a central collection point that heated mineral oil to several hundereds of degrees, that was then pumped thru a heat exchanger to boil water for the turbine generators, Here the mirrors could likely just boil water directly and then pump it under pressure into a collection tank next to the tracks where the engine would periodicly have to pull up and recharge. The Issue to me is how would they house the collector? That could be a lot of real estate and you have to be carefull of how the light is collected to avoid blinding or burning neighbors.
What would all those poor oil & gas companies do if we didn’t need them anymore. Looking at the tax breaks the government gave the oil companies during their most profitable times in history. It seems obvious who’s side they’re on.
Dave
http://www.dpdproductions.com
- Featuring the TrainTenna Railroad Scanner Antennas -
The best solar collectors are about 15% to 20% efficient – so the engine only needs to be about 5 - 6 miles long.[8D]
dd
Vic, I met the guy that designed that collection array east of Dagget. His name is Dreyton Aldrin. He is the uncle of a friend of mine and also related to Buzz Aldrin the astronaut.
So I was being generous![:)]
The problem with Wally’s comment, which is correct so far as it goes, is the little problem that even in the western deserts the sun does set… and so you need to store the energy… and steam doesn’t store very well. Electricity can be stored, but the means are not simple nor, for large amounts, particularly environmentally friendly.
The steam in a large solar array is converted to steam which is converted to electricity not steam storage if you are referring to the national grid, if thats what you are referring to. Its not a all or nothing proposition. In other words while the sun is there you use it. It reduces not eliminates dependance on other sources and cuts particulate pollution… The conversion of the suns radio energy to steam on a small fair type tourist railroad was not intended to be a prototype for class 1’s. It is out of the box thinking which makes it interesting, which we are in dire need of. If you think this is far fetched check out what Sandia Labs and Lockheed are doing in the Southwest…
http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2004/renew-energy-batt/Stirling.html
If I were looking at solar power for a short range switching locomotive, I would strongly consider compressed air storage. Fixed solar cell panels would power an air compressor. The compressed air would be used periodically to recharge a compressed air locomotive. IIRC compressed air locomotives have been used in underground mining operations. No new technology here - just existing technology used in new ways.
dd
Dldance-check this out. Everything old is new again.