Always wondered why it doesn’t make sense to use diesel/electric in large trucks. Assumed it’s because cost/complexity doesn’t out weight benefits, but not sure why. Thanks.
In: 6
Diesel electric drivelines in a locomotive are the simplest way to get mechanical energy from the diesel engine to each one of the drive axles. A typical loco will have 2 trucks with 6 drive axles in total with an electric motor on each axle. The two truck assemblies pivot. It’s far easier to convert the diesel’s power into electricity and then run it through flexible wires instead of making some type of hopelessly complicated transmission.
A truck on the other hand has a simple driveline by comparison. The engine power runs through a tranny and then a driveshaft to either one axle or two. It’s not very complicated.
I don’t think the question is so much about efficiency as it is about difficult or easy mechanical design.
Latest Answers