Compared to cars, trains are a relatively small contributor to global warming. But the popularity of hybrid cars, such as Toyota Motor Corp.'s best-selling Prius, is helping to boost interest in hybrid trains. Railway companies around the world, including Amtrak in the United States and Germany's Deutsche Bahn AG, are working on or investigating the technology. Cost remains a major hurdle. The Kiha E200 train, which boosts fuel efficiency by 20 percent and reduces emissions by up to 60 percent, cost nearly $1.7 million, twice as much as a standard train, Kikuchi said. It has a diesel engine, two electric motors under each car and lithium ion batteries on the roof... http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/29/ap3963850.html
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenMachine @ Jul 30 2007, 02:32 PM) [snapback]487560[/snapback]</div> There have been hybrid railway locomotives since the early 20th century (diesel/electric) so what's different about this one? The type of battery?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Oxo @ Jul 30 2007, 02:39 PM) [snapback]487562[/snapback]</div> The difference is that it has a battery. Conventional diesel electric locomotives don't have batteries to store energy but use a series hybrid layout to simplify the drivetrain. Instead of a complicated multigear arrangement they just have simple high-torque electric motors driven by a generator. This also allows the diesel engine to run at a fixed speed allowing it be optimized for better fuel efficiency. This Japanese train isn't the only hybrid out there though. GE has a hybrid locomotive that is used at switching yards. Apparently locomotives at switching yards spend more than 50% of their time idling waiting to move something, so the hybrid is much more efficient.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Oxo @ Jul 30 2007, 02:39 PM) [snapback]487562[/snapback]</div> That and the fact that hybrid cars are a hot topic now, so it's fashionable for journalists to tie this into other fields if possible. Google the Green Goat for one type of hybrid locomotive that's been around for a few years, but I think they went bust recently. There's also talk of hybridizing semi-truck/trailers since they idle for long periods of time to keep the drivers comfortable while sleeping (and to ease the restart of cold diesel engines).
