batatatchugen t1_jd2nxhs wrote
If only those panels could be placed in a more suitable location, where they are not only safe from debris falling and cracking them, but also grin all the vibration of the tracks that would cause micro cracks on them, or all the dust and dirt that would inevitably accumulate over them, or if only they could be placed on a better suited angle.
It's not like this system isn't orders of magnitude more complex, for no good reason, than simply putting the panels overhead, or besides the tracks where there's available space, or in many many other better suited places...
First we had solar roadways, and now it's solar railways, and it's not any less dumb.
Nuker-79 t1_jd2ugke wrote
These will not work too well in my opinion, if only for the fact that I know how filthy the tracks get from the oils/dirt that is deposited on the tracks. I live adjacent to a railway and they are filthy all the time.
It would take a lot of maintenance to keep them clean.
rkhbusa t1_jdehkag wrote
Hear me out put them on the cars, it can be a little rough up there as well but no where near as hazardous to the panels as in between the things like auto carriers tanks and a variety of hoppers you get like 200sqft per car just on the top empty a car is 30-40 ton so adding another 2% for panels and energy storage isn’t a big deal the extra operating cost to the train is minimal on flats trains run like 1.0-1.6 HPT (horsepower per ton) to maintain 60 mph, the engines are already diesel electric just spend the payout through the engine and the added wind will help keep the panels free of debris.
I reckon you could top and side the cars and guarantee solar production from top and one side at a time 100 cars on a double set train x400sq ft top and one side =40,000 sq feet of solar panel x 20 watts =800,000 watts / 750 watts per hp it’s a bonus 1000+hp in the sunlight pretty good considering 100loaded cars can be pulled by 8800hp.
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