"77002" wrote in message
...
Often wondered if there is an application for a streetcar/tram or
electric/trolly bus that runs under wires where practical, but
utilizes batteries for stretches where wires are not practical, or
unsightly.


Route number 3 in Gent is a trolley bus. I've seen them run short stretches
away from the wires when going to or from the depot so they must have
batteries.

John

On 19/09/2011 08:43, John C wrote:


"77002" wrote in message
...
Often wondered if there is an application for a streetcar/tram or
electric/trolly bus that runs under wires where practical, but
utilizes batteries for stretches where wires are not practical, or
unsightly.


Route number 3 in Gent is a trolley bus. I've seen them run short
stretches away from the wires when going to or from the depot so they
must have batteries.

John

The Silver Line services in Boston are operated by dual mode vehicles -
they run as trolley buses through the in-town tunnels, but then use a
diesel engine to drive a generator that powers the motors when above
ground. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Line_%28MBTA%29

HTH

Kevin

On 17/09/2011 16:14, Andy Breen wrote:

The real question is - is charge cycle efficiency enough of a restrictive
factor. It's not like the alternatives don't have serious issues of their
own. Inductive charging or power supply is lossy, H2 is /really/ good at
leaking out of storage (and producing the stuff and compressing or
liquifying it are all monsterously lossy processes).

I went on a tour of Diamond a couple of weeks ago, and they were talking
about recent work to zap their small particles at some molecular
structures which Nottingham university is developing to store hydrogen.
My brain was at risk of starting to hurt, but it sounded convincing at
the time.

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

On Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:07:13 +0100, Arthur Figgis wrote:

On 17/09/2011 16:14, Andy Breen wrote:

The real question is - is charge cycle efficiency enough of a
restrictive factor. It's not like the alternatives don't have serious
issues of their own. Inductive charging or power supply is lossy, H2 is
/really/ good at leaking out of storage (and producing the stuff and
compressing or liquifying it are all monsterously lossy processes).

I went on a tour of Diamond a couple of weeks ago, and they were talking
about recent work to zap their small particles at some molecular
structures which Nottingham university is developing to store hydrogen.
My brain was at risk of starting to hurt, but it sounded convincing at
the time.

Interesting..
I've got some colleagues who use Diamond. I must remember to ask them if
they've heard anything about this.

Ta for that.



--
Speaking for myself, and no-one but myself

Richard J.:
Alstom have an alternative technology for 'heritage' streets which they
use in Bordeaux and elsewhere. This is APS ('alimentation par le sol'
or 'ground-supply') which is effectively a third rail set into the road
surface. It is made up of short sections, each of which is only
energised when the tram is over it.

This is the "stud" system that was tried in London and a number of
other places about 100 years ago. And the reason you've probably
never heard of it is that all too often the studs remained live when
the tram had moved on. One hopes that things are more reliable now.
--
Mark Brader "I like to think of [this] as self-explanatory."
Toronto "I hope *I* think of [it] that way."
-- Donald Westlake: "Trust Me On This"

My text in this article is in the public domain.

In article ,
Arthur Figgis wrote:

On 17/09/2011 16:14, Andy Breen wrote:

The real question is - is charge cycle efficiency enough of a restrictive
factor. It's not like the alternatives don't have serious issues of their
own. Inductive charging or power supply is lossy, H2 is /really/ good at
leaking out of storage (and producing the stuff and compressing or
liquifying it are all monsterously lossy processes).

I went on a tour of Diamond a couple of weeks ago, and they were talking
about recent work to zap their small particles at some molecular
structures which Nottingham university is developing to store hydrogen.
My brain was at risk of starting to hurt, but it sounded convincing at
the time.

People have been talking about that for years. ISTR (but it was a long
time ago so I could be very, very wrong) reading of tests where bullets
were fired through hydrogen adsorption tanks, the kind that were
intended for motor vehicle use, to prove that they wouldn't explode.

Try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal-organic_framework.

Sam

On 20/09/2011 17:22, Sam Wilson wrote:
In ,
Arthur wrote:

On 17/09/2011 16:14, Andy Breen wrote:

The real question is - is charge cycle efficiency enough of a restrictive
factor. It's not like the alternatives don't have serious issues of their
own. Inductive charging or power supply is lossy, H2 is /really/ good at
leaking out of storage (and producing the stuff and compressing or
liquifying it are all monsterously lossy processes).

I went on a tour of Diamond a couple of weeks ago, and they were talking
about recent work to zap their small particles at some molecular
structures which Nottingham university is developing to store hydrogen.
My brain was at risk of starting to hurt, but it sounded convincing at
the time.

People have been talking about that for years. ISTR (but it was a long
time ago so I could be very, very wrong) reading of tests where bullets
were fired through hydrogen adsorption tanks, the kind that were
intended for motor vehicle use, to prove that they wouldn't explode.

I remember seeing film of just such a test on Tomorrow's World about 40
years ago. What they don't show is that you can do the same through a
petrol tank.


Tryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal-organic_framework.

Sam


--
Graeme Wall
This account not read, substitute trains for rail.
Railway Miscellany at www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail

In article ,
Graeme Wall wrote:

On 20/09/2011 17:22, Sam Wilson wrote:
... ISTR (but it was a long
time ago so I could be very, very wrong) reading of tests where bullets
were fired through hydrogen adsorption tanks, the kind that were
intended for motor vehicle use, to prove that they wouldn't explode.

I remember seeing film of just such a test on Tomorrow's World about 40
years ago. What they don't show is that you can do the same through a
petrol tank.

Don't be silly! Everyone knows that if you fire a gun in the rough
direction of a car it will explode in a huge cloud of flame and black
smoke. I've seen it on TV. And at the cinema. Same thing happens if
you fire a shotgun at a domestic gas tank, even though there's nothing
that burns with smoke in one of those. That was in The Bourne Identity
and that's gritty and realistic so that must be true as well.

Sam

On 20/09/2011 18:07, Sam Wilson wrote:
In ,
Graeme wrote:

On 20/09/2011 17:22, Sam Wilson wrote:
... ISTR (but it was a long
time ago so I could be very, very wrong) reading of tests where bullets
were fired through hydrogen adsorption tanks, the kind that were
intended for motor vehicle use, to prove that they wouldn't explode.

I remember seeing film of just such a test on Tomorrow's World about 40
years ago. What they don't show is that you can do the same through a
petrol tank.

Don't be silly! Everyone knows that if you fire a gun in the rough
direction of a car it will explode in a huge cloud of flame and black
smoke. I've seen it on TV. And at the cinema. Same thing happens if
you fire a shotgun at a domestic gas tank, even though there's nothing
that burns with smoke in one of those. That was in The Bourne Identity
and that's gritty and realistic so that must be true as well.


Ah well, must be true then :-)


--
Graeme Wall
This account not read, substitute trains for rail.
Railway Miscellany at www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail

On Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:02:56 +0100, Graeme Wall
wrote:

On 19/09/2011 07:42, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 16:23:49 on
Sat, 17 Sep 2011, Nobody remarked:
There is clearly something to be said for Electric/trolley buses.
They are still very much in use in Boston, MA and San Francisco, CA.

And Seattle, WA and Metro Vancouver, BC.

And much of Eastern Europe.

And Mendoza in Argentina. May be unique in Southern South America.

With (at least some of their fleet) about 80 recycled Flyers from
Vancouver, BC.

They were shipped to a port in Chile, then over the Trans-Andean
Highway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolleybuses_in_Mendoza