Applications

Conversion of surplus freight railcars to conserve fuel by hauling less dead weight.

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• Generating power with guaranteed wind. Vertical Axis Wind Turbines capture the ‘artificial’ wind created by a moving freight train plus wind from any direction. Airfoils neutralize wind turbine drag. Additional airfoils can be added to compensate for gusts.

 

• If airfoils are used without wind turbines, or if a train is streamlined in excess of wind turbine drag, then fuel consumption decreases.

 

• New solar/wind facilities are often expensive to build due to new transmission line costs. Renewable energy batteries, charged by the Railroad Windfarm or solar/wind facilities and shipped by rail, create a paradigm shift in the way energy is transmitted to communities. A variation would be to have renewable energy batteries partially charged at remote facilities with charging completed by the Railroad Windfarm during delivery. 

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• State of the art reefers are powered by diesel generators. The Railroad Windfarm uses wind, solar panels, and regenerative brakes to power refrigeration and eliminate carbon emissions. Batteries provide backup power. A freight train can ship enough perishables and/or other cargo to replace 300 – 400 trucks, reducing truck traffic and emissions.

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• Offshore wind farms are critically needed to reduce carbon emissions and curb climate change. Fish stocks have been depleted in a number of ways resulting in lower yields. Wind turbines can be with co-located with aquaculture, especially fish hatcheries.  

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      Offshore wind turbines can supply power for aquaculture to revitalize fish stocks. The free range ‘farmed’ fish would then be                        ‘wild caught’. The Railroad Windfarm can ship the rest of the power generated and use zero emission reefers for the seafood.

 

• Installing solar panels on freight railcars and semi trailers are new applications. Installing solar panels on gas/electric franchise roofs is a standard application.    

 

• Adapting regenerative brakes to railcars so they generate power anytime the train slows down. The energy of thousands of tons of train decelerating is first rapidly stored in supercapacitors then is slowly released to power reefers or to charge batteries.  

 

• When at a full stop, power from batteries can turn regenerative brakes into ‘booster’ motors that conserve fuel by helping the train to overcome inertia. When the train gets up to speed the power is cut off and the boosters change back into regenerative brakes.

 

• Regenerative brakes adapted to railcars do the majority of braking. Maintenance costs are reduced for conventional brakes.

 

• EV dealers can guarantee their first charge is from renewable energy by transporting new EVs with battery charging. Eliminating factory battery charging reduces production costs which may lower the cost of EVs. 

 

• EV dealers could offer buyers the option of standard fast charging batteries or the slower charging ones for battery lease/exchange services. Another option is shipping gas powered cars, trucks etc., while charging factory installed batteries.    

 

• Bulk shipping/charging of EV batteries with specially designed semi trailers hauled on flatbeds. Bulk battery charging supports hybrid gas/electric franchise battery lease/exchange programs. A variation is bulk shipping/charging batteries for gas powered cars, trucks etc.

 

• The Railroad Wind Farms’ specially designed semi trailers provide last mile delivery of EV batteries, perishables, or other cargo. The combination of rail transport and trucking is a cost efficient and environmentally sound way to ship goods.

 

• The semi trailers provide EV battery storage after delivery. Their solar panels ensure that EV battery charge is maintained.

 

• The electric motors that drive freight trains are powered by diesel turbines. When the energy generated by the Railroad Windfarm exceeds railcar needs the extra power is diverted to the turbines to lower rpm which conserves fuel while maintaining speed.

 

• The Railroad Windfarm can charge renewable energy batteries in transit between communities. It doesn’t require transmission lines. The mobile wind/solar/kinetic energy power plant can deliver charged batteries and pick up discharged ones.

 

• Charged renewable energy batteries supply consistent power and make emergency reserves available. Communities are made more energy resilient.

 

• Temporary wind farms can capture historic high winds with wind turbines on multiple stationary flatbeds. The wind turbines would supply emergency power or charge batteries. Once winds cease the temporary wind farms can be easily removed.

 

• Renewable energy batteries on railcars can replace hazardous or fire prone transmission lines to avoid emergency and intentional power shutoffs.

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• Modular construction allows the mix and match of railcars to meet the needs of shippers and railroads.

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• The mix and match of railcars doesn’t affect the overall operation of the Railroad Wind farm.

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• Various types and numbers of railcars can be used on a single train or multiple trains regionally, nationally, or globally.

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• The Railroad Windfarm can be deployed on existing railroad tracks anywhere around the world. Many countries could save enormous amounts of money by avoiding the construction of new transmission lines.

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• Over two dozen types of railcars can use the generated power including ones for desalination and electrolysis. Those and many others are listed under More Options.

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The Video of the virtual prototype shows how the technology works. To see a scale model (without airfoils) check out the Photos of the Railroad Windfarm. Technology and Patents have additional info.