Truck or tram? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Zucca
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 10, 2018, 01:19:43 pm
content: I almost fell off the chair, it'swill be a test on an italian highway...wow... so if the driver turn too much on the left... power off?

author: schmitt trigger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2018, 01:24:48 pm
content: You have to give them credit for thinking out of the box.Whether it is actually feasible or not, that is what road tests are for.I would assume that the truck has a backup power system, either batteries or a small engine, which would provide power in case the pantograph becomes disconnected.

author: Gromitt
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2018, 01:41:31 pm
content: Quote from: zucca on September 10, 2018, 01:19:43 pmThat picture is from Sweden, not Italy. There has been a test road in Sweden since 2016.

author: Zucca
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 10, 2018, 01:47:17 pm
content: Sorry and thanksGromitt, I misread the italian newspaper.

author: dave j
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2018, 01:49:01 pm
content: Trolleytruck.They seem quite popular in Russian and Ukraine and more widely for use in mines.

author: HwAoRrDk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2018, 03:13:43 pm
content: See also trolleybuses. They've been around for a hundred years. Although they seem to have fallen out of favour in the latter parts of the 20th century, I suspect due to the ugliness of overhead catenary crowding city streets, the expense of maintaining it, and the inflexibility of vehicle routing.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2018, 03:46:35 pm
content: They are currently building a longer test track in Germany near Frankfurt. Perhaps it can be used for regular cars as well at some point. It would eliminate the need for large batteries in electric cars.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2018, 05:24:08 pm
content: Actually this gave me an idea, why don't they have transports that also have rail wheels, they could have them go in regular train tracks for long distances, and automate the drive, and it would be electric through the rail or overhead system like seen here. Being on a rail would make it easier to automate so drivers could sleep during long hauls or at least don't have to be fully attentive and can rest. When they get to destination city they then go off the track and drive normally. Of course there would need to be some self driving tech in use here to make sure that nobody collides into each other, and a set of tracks for both direction, and various transfer stations etc. But even transfer stations would not be a huge deal, as worse case it would be a manual process to just get off a track and drive over another.Heck could even extend this system to passenger vehicles for long drives if your car supports it. Could be a standard they design into vehicles.

author: HwAoRrDk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2018, 05:53:07 pm
content: No need for rails when you can just have a guided trackway, like they do for buses in Adelaide, Australia:https://youtu.be/r4u1tL1MmoA?t=32s

author: station240
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 10, 2018, 06:19:45 pm
content: Quote from: HwAoRrDk on September 10, 2018, 05:53:07 pmThe busway is a technology long since abandoned by Mercedes-Benz and Germany where it was invented.It's only a matter of time before it's demolished in Adelaide, as the concrete track is heavily worn, and the current buses aren't as sturdy as the originals.The only reason the busway wasn't a tram, is a change of government, and the new government (Liberal) were hell bent on not having trams in the inner city.To ensure the long life of the busway, said government also made all the road bridges over the track too low to fit trams under.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2018, 01:39:39 am
content: There are "hybrid" trolleybuses which have a diesel generator on-board, and can work like diesel-electric trains when not driving under wires or at high speed, and regular trolleybuses when overheads are available.On a related note, I've actually had a chance to drive a trolleybus before. The acceleration can be scary if you've driven similarly large diesel vehicles before, and are used to mashing the pedal to the floor all the time to get any decent speed.