Ecological and economic problems come at the beginning of the deterioration of our world in many aspects, especially in the environment. Especially with the development of technology, climate problems are increasing. For this reason, scientists are working on improvements that will minimize or even destroy the damage to the environment in line with technological developments.
Of course, studies are also being carried out in line with these improvements on transportation vehicles that harm the environment and occupy an important place economically in the world. As a result of these studies, electric cars have increased considerably today. Electric working systems, which are seen to both reduce the damage to the environment and have less economic liability in automobiles, are tried to be applied to other transportation vehicles together with battery systems.
May become more economical by 2023
A group of researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, in line with their research, stated that battery-powered trains could become more economical by 2023. According to the researchers’ article published in the journal Nature Energy, advanced batteries and battery technology can compete with diesel fuel due to its cheapness and renewableness.
Federico Zenith, who has published an article on the reasons why the working principle of trains is provided by battery power and the research of the team working on this subject, said that about 40 percent of intercity loads are carried by trains in the USA, since it is cheaper to transport goods by train than by other vehicles. Stating that most of the freight trains in the USA run on diesel fuel and that it accounts for about 0.6 percent of the total carbon emissions in the USA, Zenith stated that these emissions can be prevented with the transition to battery technology.
Additional wagon carrying batteries instead of diesel generator
Claiming that a locomotive equipped with a 14-megawatt battery would be enough to make a diesel-powered train less harmful and economical, the researchers said that this converted locomotive could carry a train for 240 kilometers. If the battery is charged using a renewable source, the carbon footprint of the train can be reduced to zero.
According to the new system, envisioned by the researchers, who stated that the existing locomotives are actually powered by electricity and that they use diesel to power the on-board generators, it will be enough to add a special freight car that can carry a large battery behind the trains. At certain stops, this battery can be charged.
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