Re: Fate of 85/86 class

[mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)]

In article <389F5055.4CA642CD@mail.usyd.edu.au> Greg Rudd <grudd@mail.usyd.edu.au> writes:
>From: Greg Rudd <grudd@mail.usyd.edu.au>
>Subject: Re: Fate of 85/86 class
>Date: Tue, 08 Feb 2000 10:08:05 +1100



>"The Railway Rasputin II." wrote:

>> > I seem to recall that in the original analysis for the Blue Mountains
>> > electrification that it was stated by the various branches of the railways that
>> > electrification was by far the cheaper alternative than dieselisation of the
>> > route in running costs.  With the added advantage been that Australia has
>> > basically an almost endless supply of coal vs a finite supply of oil.
>>
>> Back then yes but apparantly technology has made diesel power more
>> efficient, so the "experts" say.
>>
>> rgds

>Remember that a high voltage Ac ie 25kv/50kv electrification is far more efficient
>than a 1500v dc electrification both in terms of infrastructure and in electricity
>consumption.  Thus a modern electrification should be still more efficent than diesel
>system.  Another point that should be made is that the Netherlands is rebuilding its
>1500v dc system to 25kv 50hz  over a period of aprox 20years.  I am sure that these
>arguments would have been put forward to them. Because if what these experts say is
>correct, they would be starting to tear down their 1500v system and replacing them
>with either dmu for passenger work and EMD/GE diesel locomotives for freight work.

>In the period concered electric locomotive technology has also improved as well.
>Remember, three phase Ac drive has been around in the electric locomotive world since
>the late 1970's with the units that BBC built for DB.   The real improvements in
>diesel technology have been the introduction of electronic fuel injection and
>computerized management systems coupled with more efficent turbocharger design.

>See ya

>-greg


Theres only so much energy in a litre of diesel fuel.
Digging back thru some old referance books I discovered that a litre of diesel
fuel releases 38.6 Mj when burnt,so if we had a 100% efficient diesel engine 
with no losses in the alternator / rectifiers / traction motors we could 
assume that the whole 38.6 Mj was available for traction.
Converting 38.6 Mj into more reasonable units we get 10.722 Kw/H.
Now I pay at home 8c per Kw/H so 10.722 Kw/H would cost 85.7 cents.
Realistically though a diesel engine / transmission isnt 100% efficient but 
more around the 50 - 60 % (anyone know exactly) ,so that a more realistic 
answer would be 6,4 kw/H costing 51 cents.
Now its fairly likely that a large electricity consumer like a electric 
railway would be able to get electricity at a much lower price,lets use off 
peak domestic rates of 4 c per Kw/H .
This gives 6.4 Kw/H costs 25 cents.
How does this compare with the cost of a litre of diesel fuel without tax.
Of course one must factor in the electricity transmission costs and the extra
maintenance costs of the overhead.
It could be that diesel is cheaper.

Is the VFT going to be electric.?

MD