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Diesel–electric powertrain
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Diesel–electric powertrain
A diesel–electric transmission, or diesel–electric powertrain, is a transmission system powered by diesel engines which generate electricity to power electric motors on vehicles in road, rail, and marine transport. Diesel–electric transmission is similar to petrol–electric transmission, which are powered by petrol engines.
Diesel–electric transmission is used on railways by diesel–electric locomotives and diesel–electric multiple units, as electric motors are able to supply full torque from 0 RPM. Diesel–electric systems are also used in marine transport, including submarines, and on some other land vehicles.
A major advantage of diesel–electric transmission is that it avoids the need for a gearbox, by converting the mechanical force of the diesel engine into electrical energy (through an alternator), and using the electrical energy to drive traction motors, which propel the vehicle mechanically. The traction motors may be powered directly or via rechargeable batteries, making the vehicle a type of hybrid electric vehicle. Similar arrangements with other sources of power are petrol–electric transmission (powered by petrol/gasoline engine), and turbine–electric powertrain, used with gas turbines.
The gearbox required for a powerful diesel engine directly driving more than one output (e.g., multiple axles) can be very complex and potentially a point of failure; diesel–electric transmission does away with the need for a gearbox. The absence of a gearbox also eliminates the need for gear changes, and avoids uneven acceleration caused by the disengagement of a clutch. With auxiliary batteries the motors can be driven without the engine running constantly, for example in a clean-air zone where use of an internal-combustion engine is restricted.
The first diesel motorship was also the first diesel–electric ship, the Russian tanker Vandal from Branobel, which was launched in 1903. Steam turbine–electric propulsion has been in use since the 1920s (Tennessee-class battleships), using diesel–electric powerplants in surface ships has increased lately. The Finnish coastal defence ships Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen laid down in 1928–1929, were among the first surface ships to use diesel–electric transmission. Later, the technology was used in diesel powered icebreakers.[citation needed]
In World War II, the United States Navy built diesel–electric surface warships. Due to machinery shortages destroyer escorts of the Evarts and Cannon classes were diesel–electric, with half their designed power (The Buckley and Rudderow classes were full-power steam turbine–electric). The Wind-class icebreakers, on the other hand, were designed for diesel–electric propulsion because of its flexibility and resistance to damage.
Some modern diesel–electric ships, including cruise ships and icebreakers, use electric motors in pods called azimuth thrusters underneath to allow for 360° rotation, making the ships far more maneuverable. An example of this is Symphony of the Seas, the largest passenger ship as of 2019.
Gas turbines are also used for electrical power generation and some ships use a combination: Queen Mary 2 has a set of diesel engines in the bottom of the ship plus two gas turbines mounted near the main funnel; all are used for generating electrical power, including those used to drive the propellers. This provides a relatively simple way to use the high-speed, low-torque output of a turbine to drive a low-speed propeller, without the need for excessive reduction gearing.[citation needed]
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Diesel–electric powertrain
A diesel–electric transmission, or diesel–electric powertrain, is a transmission system powered by diesel engines which generate electricity to power electric motors on vehicles in road, rail, and marine transport. Diesel–electric transmission is similar to petrol–electric transmission, which are powered by petrol engines.
Diesel–electric transmission is used on railways by diesel–electric locomotives and diesel–electric multiple units, as electric motors are able to supply full torque from 0 RPM. Diesel–electric systems are also used in marine transport, including submarines, and on some other land vehicles.
A major advantage of diesel–electric transmission is that it avoids the need for a gearbox, by converting the mechanical force of the diesel engine into electrical energy (through an alternator), and using the electrical energy to drive traction motors, which propel the vehicle mechanically. The traction motors may be powered directly or via rechargeable batteries, making the vehicle a type of hybrid electric vehicle. Similar arrangements with other sources of power are petrol–electric transmission (powered by petrol/gasoline engine), and turbine–electric powertrain, used with gas turbines.
The gearbox required for a powerful diesel engine directly driving more than one output (e.g., multiple axles) can be very complex and potentially a point of failure; diesel–electric transmission does away with the need for a gearbox. The absence of a gearbox also eliminates the need for gear changes, and avoids uneven acceleration caused by the disengagement of a clutch. With auxiliary batteries the motors can be driven without the engine running constantly, for example in a clean-air zone where use of an internal-combustion engine is restricted.
The first diesel motorship was also the first diesel–electric ship, the Russian tanker Vandal from Branobel, which was launched in 1903. Steam turbine–electric propulsion has been in use since the 1920s (Tennessee-class battleships), using diesel–electric powerplants in surface ships has increased lately. The Finnish coastal defence ships Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen laid down in 1928–1929, were among the first surface ships to use diesel–electric transmission. Later, the technology was used in diesel powered icebreakers.[citation needed]
In World War II, the United States Navy built diesel–electric surface warships. Due to machinery shortages destroyer escorts of the Evarts and Cannon classes were diesel–electric, with half their designed power (The Buckley and Rudderow classes were full-power steam turbine–electric). The Wind-class icebreakers, on the other hand, were designed for diesel–electric propulsion because of its flexibility and resistance to damage.
Some modern diesel–electric ships, including cruise ships and icebreakers, use electric motors in pods called azimuth thrusters underneath to allow for 360° rotation, making the ships far more maneuverable. An example of this is Symphony of the Seas, the largest passenger ship as of 2019.
Gas turbines are also used for electrical power generation and some ships use a combination: Queen Mary 2 has a set of diesel engines in the bottom of the ship plus two gas turbines mounted near the main funnel; all are used for generating electrical power, including those used to drive the propellers. This provides a relatively simple way to use the high-speed, low-torque output of a turbine to drive a low-speed propeller, without the need for excessive reduction gearing.[citation needed]
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