London Banter - View Single Post

Roland Perry · December 20th 11, 12:01 PM posted to uk.transport.london,uk.transport.buses

In message , at 11:15:10 on Tue, 20 Dec
2011, d remarked:
I suspect like most hybrids the battery on its own can't power the vehicle for
more than a few miles so I can't believe that the system can't power the
vehicle on the generator alone. I suspect a fault.

It seems it's the other way round. The generator isn't capable of
powering the bus if the bus is motoring 100% of the time. It's in effect
a generator topping up the battery, which is also receives regen braking
charge. So the battery [alone] is powering the bus, but the whole system
will gradually run out of 'steam' if used too intensively.

These are the compromises required to get the outstanding mpg.

180hp is enough to power a double decker albeit slowly.

And the bus in question was driving fast up the motorway, therefore a
net drain on the battery.

And since its unlikely that the battery could be charged faster than
any charge would be taken from it then any power the generator is
creating will be going to the motors - with losses via the battery -
anyway. So even if after all that only say 100hp makes it to the motors
it still shouldn't grind to a halt at the side of the road.

But it's run out of diesel, dear Liza, dear Liza.
--
Roland Perry