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Diesel / Electric Locomotive Technology

2634 Views 75 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  SeattleTrainGuy, 
J
I wish to follow the technology of the diesel / electric locomotive, as I have a 1983 Isuzu P/U with a 58hp, 4 cyl diesel engine, that I would like to have power one of my 10kw generator heads, with a 120v or 240v electric motor powering my rear axle.

My intention is to remove the 5-speed manual transmission and put one of my 10kw generator heads in its place, then idle the engine at the RPM necessary to achieve 60Hz, and direct-wire the A/C 120 or 240V drive motor to the generator head to supply power to the motor.

It doesn't make sense to me to spends thousands of dollars on batteries, along with adding the extra weight, then having to recharge the batteries, when I already have a complete power source.

If anyone knows where I should be searching, please point me in that direction? Thanks!
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S
I can't argue with @remy_martian 's first post but still..

when speeds were much lower and bodies likely quite lighter altogether there actually used to be just a few unusual buses in the northeast usa which were basically a genset engine under the hood paired to trolleys-borrowed (not surprising given the similar axle sizes) traction motor .. somewhere around the 1910-1930's timespan that is

I unforuantely can't find any examples right now due to the way the web is (even an exact search for 'diesel-electric bus 1920' still dumps a lot of modern non-electric bus photos all over, oh well) but I do know at least two different ones had made their appearance in station-related photos in the usa 'classic trains' magazines for one thing tho
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to @brian_ and others I somehow managed to run into one very good example on the web finally..

The Alton Transportation Company Mega Bus | The Old Motor

An entertaining & informative vintage automobile internet magazine.
theoldmotor.com theoldmotor.com
(and if you click on the url for coackbuilt it definitively backs that up with "The front-mounted power plant could be removed as a unit and replaced with a new one in less than an hour, as were the 2 sets of trucks that held the electric motors.")

still I imagine it was just modest in the acceleration department and did not have quite a big top speed (compared to 55-90mph for modern highways from what i've seen in trucker comments elsewhere) for a so-so total efficiency out of a 100hp genset drive
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@428RC sorry to be offtopic but that 'microturbine because of its low weight' reminded me of finding out about that particular truck some time ago .. wasn't difficult to find some tidbits for it again for you and others here so here..

18wheelbeauties.blogspot.com

TBT - Turbine-powered Kenworth-Boeing - 1950

In true social media style, I figure Thursdays should be about #tbt trucks. I love pics of old trucks, what better opportunity than to join ...
18wheelbeauties.blogspot.com 18wheelbeauties.blogspot.com

the fact that the turbine barely even was visible through the conventional with-sides-off hood is amusing but mm yeah
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