Ac Vs Dc Traction Locomotives Essay
While the free essays can give you inspiration for writing, they cannot be used 'as is' because they will not meet your assignment's requirements. If you are in a time crunch, then you need a custom written term paper on your subject (ac vs dc traction locomotives)
Here you can hire an independent writer/researcher to custom write you an authentic essay to your specifications that will pass any plagiarism test (e.g. Turnitin). Waste no more time!
Topic: AC traction vs. DC traction locomotives
Terms of organization:
1- Power and reliability
2- Cost
Method of organization: Alternative
Tone: Serious, informative, specific
Note: Created for the general public and other railroading admirers taken into consideration.
Capable of pulling thousands of metric tons of cargo, the diesel locomotives are the monsters of transportation in our world today. From freight to passenger, from station to yards, whether it s hauling coal or mail, diesel locomotives have been servicing mankind s needs to displace unimaginable quantities of cargo. The basic schematic of a diesel locomotive is the prime mover (engine itself) which powers an alternator that supplies electric current to axle mounted electric traction motors. Nevertheless there are two types of electric motors which locomotive companies have to choose from: motors that run on direct current (DC) where electricity flows from a negative borne to a positive one and motors that run on alternating current (AC) where an electric current reverses direction in a circuit at regular intervals. To find out which one of them will best suit a company, they will have to be contrasted in terms of power and reliability , and cost .
The reliability of a motor depends on the level of maintenance it requires, it s performance in all weather conditions. Mechanically, AC traction motors are more simply designed, more robust and are very reliable. AC motors are substantially immune to humidity (as in snow or rain) and in displeasing weather conditions due to its sturdy & airtight casings. In addition, the locomotive is less likely to slip on the tracks due to the computerized traction control system. These computerized beasts are nearly exempt from stalling damage and may travel for millions of miles between overhauls. The biggest advantage is the extreme thermal load that it can withhold when pulling a heavy freight- it does not overheat easily! A ruthlessly efficient machine, it lacks steel brushes and commutators that removes the potential for short circuits, flashovers and ground relays. DC traction motors on the other hand, are very sensitive to humidity and can stall more easily. Even the best performing DC motors can only achieve 500 000 miles at the most between each overhaul. The interior of the motor is equipped with large amounts of steel brushes and commutators which eliminates maintenance issues and ground relays to which DC locomotives are prone. Unlike AC diesels, DC engines have been known to stall in the middle of steep grades due to overheating traction motors. The power and reliability of an engine is undoubtedly important, but it only covers one aspect of the engine. Yet, cost is another aspect that one must study before purchasing a locomotive.
Cost, as will be seen, is as much an issue than power and reliability. Although AC locomotives are more reliable, have more power and can create unit reduction, not everyone is sold on the AC advantage. ...
MLA Style
. EssayMania.com. Retrieved on 22 May, 2012 from
<http://essaymania.com/117224/ac-vs-dc-traction-locomotives>
More College Papers
Nostoc Information essay
Nostoc Information
Scientific name - Kingdom- Monera, Phylum- Cyanobacteria, Class- N\A, Order- nostocaler, Family- Nostocaceae, Genus- Nostoc, Species- caeruleum
Description- Nostoc is a one celled autotrophic organism that performs photosynthesis with out chloroplasts. Instead it uses photosynth
Newton's Three Laws Of Motion essay
Newton's Three Laws of Motion
Isaac Newton was born on Christmas day in 1642, in Lincolnshire, England. Newton attended Trinity College in 1661 and had both his Bachelor of Arts and his Master of Arts by 1669. That same year he became the associate of the French Academy of Sciences. He was elected
New Eye Tracking Techniques Improve Realism Of Aircraft Simulators essay
New Eye Tracking Techniques Improve Realism Of Aircraft Simulators
A simulated flight environment for pilot training may soon be made more realistic through the use of eye-tracking technology developed by researchers at the University of Toronto s Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IMBE).
Many s