Electric tractor

[SPYDERLK]

SPYDERLK, I am not going to try to tell anyone about something they know more about than I do, but here is a link to a man who truck gardens with a battery powered G Allis Chalmers tractor that he converted to an electric moter. He can tell you if it has enough power and if it will do actual tillage, and you can look at his website and see pics of him doing it. HTH, later, Nat
Allis Chalmers "G" Electric Cultivating and Seeding Tractor Conversion Project

Thanks for the link. I like the guys style. He has a specific application that works well for him and he describes it pretty well. What is hard to get a handle on from his descriptions is how much energy he is actually using in the tasks he does on a battery charge. This would be how much force he has to apply and thru what distance he must apply it in the task -- a horsepower produces 33,000 ft-lbs of energy per minute. I think his tasks do not require as much energy as they sound like they should. The only place I found a good indication that this might be the case is in the section about the solar charger. He said he debated getting it at all because he was only using $12/yr power from the grid anyway. This is only about 120kW hours per year. Now, at 100% efficiency 746W is a HP and therefore 746W for an hour would be a horsepower hr. With reasonable inefficiency factored in tho it will take more than a kW-hr to equal a horsepower hour. So it seems he uses less than 120Hp hr per year - not much energy. We still dont know how much he uses on a big day tho, but we can make an educated guess on the total amount available from his battery pack. Good car batteries are about 50 Amp hr capacity. 50 volts x 50 amps is 2.5kW. So maybe he can get 2.5 hp hrs back from a full charge. It takes more than that to routinely mow a well maintained 1/3acre lawn. It takes about 10 hp for 20 minutes to drag my 1mi drive with a field drag.
What he has is suitable for what he asks it to do. I have an electric golf cart. It strikes me as quite similar to the limitations he faces. Hes got an advantage for hard pulling tho with the gears. It still wouldnt make a round trip dragging my drive.
larry

 

[SPYDERLK]

Straight battery locos and hybrid locos are being built today. Both are being used to move the source point of pollution away from places such as LA/Long Beach. Also, as the hybrids use the engines only to keep the batteries charged, they can be set to run at their peak power to fuel point.

Cool for the hybrid. Great for starting off or a little help up a short grade. Pure batt powered must have a very special and controlled short range purpose. Solar cells. Level? Places where it runs on electrified rails? Probably uses regen braking too on grades if any and for stopping. Lotsa tech....
larry

 

[mopacman]

I have drove a 200 ton locomotive on the 64 volt starting batteries. when you put the power to the motors the engine will jump to a good walking speed. Their is no speed controller, when you get to the speed you want to go you turn off the power. this is used to move in and around a shop only. Some of the hybrid locos use the same diesel engine that is used in a dodge PU. The engine in these starts its self when the batteries need to be charged and stops when no chargeing is needed. One brand of these engines is called a Green Goat. They are for yard service only.........Larry

 

[FlaDon]

I have drove a 200 ton locomotive on the 64 volt starting batteries. when you put the power to the motors the engine will jump to a good walking speed. Their is no speed controller, when you get to the speed you want to go you turn off the power. this is used to move in and around a shop only. Some of the hybrid locos use the same diesel engine that is used in a dodge PU. The engine in these starts its self when the batteries need to be charged and stops when no chargeing is needed. One brand of these engines is called a Green Goat. They are for yard service only.........Larry

RailPower also makes a loco for road switching use that is a hybrid. Run on batteries till they start going down. Fire up one Diesel engine. Keep drawing high currents and a second engine will fire up. Never had the chance to run one, although I have run regular Diesel-electric locos. For switching service, a hybrid is a good way to cut emissions in the area as when the loco isn't actually working and the batteries are fully charged, the engines shut down. No wasted idling wasting fuel.

 

[keeney]

Two questions:

1. How much do these battery-only or hybrid locomotives cost?

2. How much do they weigh?

I bet both answers may have at least 6 digits...

- Rick

 

[FlaDon]

Two questions:

1. How much do these battery-only or hybrid locomotives cost?

2. How much do they weigh?

I bet both answers may have at least 6 digits...

- Rick

1. Locos of that size are all 6-7 figure cost from the makers. UP bought 10 GGs at $8.2 million.
2.Weight isn't a problem and 6 figure weights are the rule. 125 ton locos aren't anything new. Some were ballasted to add weight for switching use in yards. GGs are 140 ton range locos. Passenger cars weigh in the 40 ton or more range. Freight cars run in the 50 to 70 ton range loaded as a norm.

 

[mopacman]

a old set of starting batteries would weigh about 3 ton now days they weigh about 1 1/2 tons. GE was looking in to building a road hybrid but the batteries would make the loco to heavy for the rails.........Larry