Bibliography and Links: The Germane and Useful
The Germane
Single unit self-propelled freight cars and short multi-units
- International Union of Railways (UIC) – A cursory evaluation (circa ~2007) of a hypothetical railway consisting of independent self-propelled freight cars.
http://www.railway-energy.org/static/Self_propelled_freight_cars_84.php - Japan Freight Railway – A flat car, with a motor and cab at one end, is intended for small package forwarding. A freight container can be accommodated as well as a second motor at the other end. Both motors are served through a catenary line. Essentially a truck on rails, it can tow several unpowered trailers. Manufactured by Nippon Sharyo, Kawasaki, and Toshiba.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M250_series - A German-built, diesel-powered freight multiple unit designed to transport freight or equipment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CargoSprinter - Chicago, Aurora and Elgin Railroad third-rail electric for freight and commuter service.
https://drloihjournal.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-history-of-chicago-aurora-elgin.html - Budd Company independently-powered diesel railcar.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budd_Rail_Diesel_Car
Electrification
- Burch, Edward P., Electric Traction for Railway Trains, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1911.
- International Railway Journal - Pros and cons of various AC vs DC and third rail vs overhead catenary power transmission systems. https://www.railjournal.com/in_depth/traction-choices-overhead-ac-vs-third-rail-dc
- Wikipedia descriptions of railway electrification.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_kV_AC_railway_electrification
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overhead_line#Overhead_conductor_rails
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_rail
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_kV_AC_railway_electrification
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground-level_power_supply#Stud_contact
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak%27s_25_Hz_traction_power_system
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_railway_electrification_systems
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroad_electrification_in_the_United_States
Electrified bogies
- MTU Hybrid Power Pack utilizes diesel and/or battery operation and regenerative electric charging.
https://www.mtu-solutions.com/na/en/applications/rail/railcar-powerpacks.html
The Useful
Electric power plant alternatives
- NuScale - 60 MW, factory-manufactured, passively-cooled nuclear power plants.
https://www.nuscalepower.com/ - NuScale in the news.
- https://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/gallery-nuscale-tour/collection_f89e4b1b-cb81-50df-98c9-0bff8cb4f7e1.html
- https://www.gazettetimes.com/business/local/nuscale-s-big-gamble-banking-on-nrc-approval-company-gears/article_1eace0f2-23c6-56a2-9719-f00da170d7dc.html
- https://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/nuscale-hopes-to-change-the-conversation-on-nuclear-power/article_1446fa62-7054-5857-bdeb-fc6f5e59f187.html
- https://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/nuscale-receives-final-ok-for-small-reactors/article_b595cbc7-74a5-5f89-a8c6-fa9b0ab687ba.html?ocid=uxbndlbing
Experimental plant uses Allam cycle thermodynamics to generate electrical power from fossil fuels with carbon-capture technologies. https://www.netpower.com/
Batteries & fuel cells
- Lithium ion batteries explained. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-ion_battery
- Graphene-Nanotube Combo Exceeds Benchmarks for Hydrogen Storage in Fuel Cells.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/graphenenanotube-combo-exceeds-benchmarks-for-hydrogen-storage-in-fuel-cells - Tesla acquires Maxwell. Maxwell is perfecting a dry battery technology that is 15 to 100 percent better in terms of energy density than Tesla’s current technology.
https://electrek.co/2019/05/16/tesla-completes-maxwell-acquisition-battery-technology/
Progress and problems in electrified and automated transportation applications: trains
- Cost-benefit analysis of catenary-free trams.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337478683_Catenary-Free_Tramway_Systems_Functional_and_Cost-Benefit_Analysis_for_a_Metropolitan_Area - Alstom builds an electrified commuter railroad throughout the world.
https://www.alstom.com/our-solutions/infrastructure/aps-service-proven-catenary-free-tramway-operation(PDF)Catenary-Free Tramway Systems: Functional and Cost–Benefit Analysis for a Metropolitan Area (researchgate.net) - Alstom builds a street-level third-rail tram in Dubai. Sweeney, Steve, “Streetcar Named High Tech”, Trains, vol. 75, pp. 32-37, Aug. 2015.
- BNSF builds and tests a battery-operated locomotive.
https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news//2019/09/12/bnsf-wabtec-battery-locomotive.html?ana=yahoo&yptr=yahoo - New York Air Brake tests an autonomous train at AAR’s Transportation Technology Center.
https://fortune.com/2019/07/29/autonomous-trains-challenges/ - Rio Tinto rolls out Australia’s first heavy-haul, fully-autonomous train in July 2018 and now claims several million miles of accident-free operation.
https://www.railwayage.com/freight/rio-tinto-operates-first-driverless-freight-train/ - Doubts regarding the future of autonomous freight train operation are expressed.
https://www.railwayage.com/cs/push-the-envelope-with-autonomous-freight-trains/ - Many problems are yet to be addressed, but autonomous train research and trials are progressing.
https://www.railjournal.com/opinion/rail-autonomous-trains - Building more roads actually can make traffic worse.
https://www.wired.com/2014/06/wuwt-traffic-induced-demand/ - European Rail Advisory Research Council (ERRAC). ERRAC’s primary objective is to articulate a common railway vision of needed research and innovation to the European Union in order to obtain funding for projects and joint undertakings that will result in sustainable, competitive, and customer friendly railways.
https://errac.org/ - Strategic Rail Research Agenda 2020 (SRRA). A vision and plan, written in 2007, for European railroad R & D to achieve specific rail-related goals by 2020.
https://errac.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/SRRA-2007.pdf - Outline of European railroad research priorities for 2020 – 2030. https://errac.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/errac_rail_2030_research_and_innovation_priorities.pdf
- The backbone of an intermodal system: What European railroads should look like in 2050.
https://errac.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/122017_ERRAC-RAIL-2050.pdf
Progress in other electrified and automated applications: planes, trucks, autos, tractors, scooters
- Electric airplane takes flight on 12/13/19.
https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/interviews/all-electric-plane-takes-flight
Coast-to-coast autonomous trucks are here – almost -- and are built by a 24-year-old prodigy.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2018/11/29/this-23-year-old-robotics-prodigy-has-47m-to-build-a-fleet-of-autonomous-trucks/#24484b457c89 - Here’s what an autonomous Class-8 truck looks like. Force yourself to think of the possibilities.
https://embarktrucks.com/ - Truck platooning – what is it, what are its benefits, and how feasible is it.
https://enterpriseiotinsights.com/20180517/connected-cars-2/what-truck-platooning-why-important-tag23-tag99 and https://www.fullbay.com/blog/truck-platooning-benefits/ - European Road Transport Research Advisory Council’s (ERTRAC) plan to bring together road transport stakeholders to develop a common vision for road transport research in Europe.
https://www.ertrac.org/uploads/documentsearch/id56/ERTRAC-Long-duty-Freight-Transport-Roadmap-2019.pdf - List of modern EVs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_modern_production_plug-in_electric_vehicles - Autonomous farm equipment hits fields.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-15/robots-take-the-wheel-as-autonomous-farm-machines-hit-the-field - Electric tractors projected to be on farms as soon as 2020.
https://www.fwi.co.uk/machinery/electric-tractors-on-uk-farms-as-early-as-2020 - Electric scooters make use of battery swapping technology.
https://electrek.co/2019/09/26/gogoro-launches-viva-electric-scooter-global-expansion/
A wakeup call for RRs?
- Autonomous trucks are here. Several (mostly) private companies have perfected self-driving, Class 8 trucks and are testing them on America’s highways. Self-driving trucks can operate day or night and through heavy downpours. Operating in snow is next. Most trips have been done with an observer who can take over if needed. However, Starsky Robotics successfully accomplished the first test without an observer on a Florida highway in June of 2019. At least one company expects to market self-driving trucks in 2021. What will the consequences be for intermodal shipping on America’s railroads? There’s this, on 60 Minutes on 3/16/2020.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/driverless-trucks-could-disrupt-the-trucking-industry-as-soon-as-2021-60-minutes-2020-03-15/
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