7 ms·

It's crazy to me that people still scoff at the idea of batteries being a serious power source for things, but you're right, they do, even though there are 100M

It's crazy to me that people still scoff at the idea of batteries being a serious power source for things, but you're right, they do, even though there are 100MWh batteries deployed already with 1GWh batteries being approved and nearing deployment.

stickfigure 8y ago
The experimental locomotive discussed in that link has 2400kwh of battery (probably significantly less in practice; you don't want full discharges). The diesel-electric locomotives they'll be working with generate about 3,000kw for as many hours as they have fuel in the tank. Maybe (hopefully) batteries will get better, but I wouldn't go dumping my money into electric locomotive startups just yet.
- sgift 8y ago
  You don't need power for the whole trip. If most of it can be electrified with wire and you only have small patches which cannot (like the tunnel mentioned) current battery technology is up to the task. We will introduce that here in the near future for a new tram line going through a park (where we don't want overhead wires).
- masklinn 8y ago
  The point they were making is that the train would go on batteries for the bits of the route which can't be electrified (e.g. too low tunnels), the track would otherwise be normally electrified, the battery would only be necessary to cross between electrified sections of the track. Similar to the battery-equipped dual-mode trolleybuses increasingly getting developed / deployed[0] allowing both point-charging at stops and more independence from overhead line (so trolleys can more easily be rerouted, or can serve increasingly longer sections without overhead lines). [0] they've existed since the 30s but mostly electric / ICE
  - Gibbon1 8y ago
    That is basically my entire argument, hybrid battery units remove a bunch of pain points with electrification. Like having over-head lines in you switching yard, lines through tunnels, on curves, bridges and grade crossings. I think someone else brought up that with electrification you could also put traction motors in rail cars like is done often with commuter rail systems. And there is actually no need for the battery to be part of the locomotive either. Think old steam trains with a coal car.
vkou 8y ago
I dearly hope not. A 1 GWh battery stores 1/10th the energy of the Hiroshima nuclear bomb, and will release it incredibly spectacularly should it ever catch fire. I don't want that thing anywhere near a train... Or where I live.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

stickfigure 8y ago

The experimental locomotive discussed in that link has 2400kwh of battery (probably significantly less in practice; you don't want full discharges). The diesel-electric locomotives they'll be working with generate about 3,000kw for as many hours as they have fuel in the tank. Maybe (hopefully) batteries will get better, but I wouldn't go dumping my money into electric locomotive startups just yet.

sgift 8y ago
You don't need power for the whole trip. If most of it can be electrified with wire and you only have small patches which cannot (like the tunnel mentioned) current battery technology is up to the task. We will introduce that here in the near future for a new tram line going through a park (where we don't want overhead wires).
masklinn 8y ago
The point they were making is that the train would go on batteries for the bits of the route which can't be electrified (e.g. too low tunnels), the track would otherwise be normally electrified, the battery would only be necessary to cross between electrified sections of the track. Similar to the battery-equipped dual-mode trolleybuses increasingly getting developed / deployed[0] allowing both point-charging at stops and more independence from overhead line (so trolleys can more easily be rerouted, or can serve increasingly longer sections without overhead lines). [0] they've existed since the 30s but mostly electric / ICE
- Gibbon1 8y ago
  That is basically my entire argument, hybrid battery units remove a bunch of pain points with electrification. Like having over-head lines in you switching yard, lines through tunnels, on curves, bridges and grade crossings. I think someone else brought up that with electrification you could also put traction motors in rail cars like is done often with commuter rail systems. And there is actually no need for the battery to be part of the locomotive either. Think old steam trains with a coal car.

vkou 8y ago

I dearly hope not. A 1 GWh battery stores 1/10th the energy of the Hiroshima nuclear bomb, and will release it incredibly spectacularly should it ever catch fire. I don't want that thing anywhere near a train... Or where I live.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]