Benefits

•    The cost of permitting and building new transmission lines is often prohibitive. Eliminating transmission lines reduces public opposition, permitting, and construction. The energy demands of the future are met. 

 

•    Land acquisition is avoided by using railroads’ established rights of way. Future land purchases for building new tracks would likely have governmental support.  

 

•    When land acquisition is required, remote real estate generally doesn't cost as much. 

 

•    The increased shipping of components to remote solar/wind farm locations.  

 

•    Retrofitting railcars eliminates dead weight to conserve fuel. 
 
•    Closing fossil fuel power plants reduces carbon emissions.  

 

•    The technology can be applied to trains on any gauge of existing railroad tracks. Time and money can be saved by avoiding new transmission lines. 

 

•    Community energy resilience is increased with renewable energy batteries supplying energy, and emergency backup power.  

 

•    Improved aerodynamics allow the harvesting of the ‘artificial wind’ created by the movement of a train.    

 

•    Temporary wind farms capture historic high winds with strategically parked wind turbine flatbeds. The temporary wind farms feed into the grid, charge renewable energy batteries, or provide emergency power. When the wind ceases the temporary wind farms are easily removed. 

 

•    Solar panels are installed on freight railcars, semi trailers, and gas/electric car franchises. They convert sunlight to electrical power. The power can be used by zero emission reefers, to charge various batteries, or to supplement the diesel turbines. They maintain EV battery charges, or provide hybrid franchises with onsite power. 

 

•    Kinetic energy isn’t wasted. Regenerative brakes convert kinetic energy into electrical power anytime the train slows. The electrical power is quickly stored in supercapacitors. From there the energy is slowly released to power reefers or to charge batteries. 

 

•    When at a full stop power can be sent to the railcar regenerative brakes to turn them into ‘booster’ motors that help the diesel turbines to overcome inertia. The amount of fuel burned to get thousands of tons moving is reduced.  

 

•    Zero emission reefers eliminate the diesel generators powering refrigeration. Increased shipping by rail is encouraged in order to reduce traffic congestion, slow infrastructure deterioration, and lower truck carbon emissions. 

 

•    Conventional brake maintenance costs are reduced by the regenerative brakes doing the majority of braking. 

 

•    A single freight train can ship enough perishables and/or other cargo to replace 300 – 400 trucks. With less truck traffic, and better roads and bridges, the mpg of gas powered cars is increased. 

 

•    Increased awareness of sustainable shipping practices results in additional cargo. 

 

•    Offshore wind turbines can power aquaculture with the energy they generate. The remaining power can charge batteries onshore. The Railroad Windfarm shipping the batteries to a grid and using zero emission reefers to ship the seafood increases commerce and provides food security. 

 

•    Eliminating factory charging of batteries would lower production costs, possibly resulting in lower EV prices.

 

•    EV dealers can guarantee slow or fast charging batteries are charged with renewable energy. 

 

•    The Railroad Windfarm provides EV battery exchange infrastructure to hybrid gas/electric franchises. Slower charging batteries with a lease /exchange option could lower sticker prices, sell more EVs, and reduce carbon emissions further.  

 

•    Exchange infrastructure includes battery storage, charge maintenance, and recycling. 

 

•    Prime locations of hybrid gas/electric franchises with, battery exchanges, fast charging, and other maintenance services increase convenience for EV drivers. 

 

•    The added convenience of hybrid service stations helps to reduce EV range anxiety.

 

•    After other power needs are met, sending surplus electricity generated by wind turbines, solar panels, and regenerative brakes, to the diesel turbines, lowers rpm and conserves fuel. Freight trains maintain speed with lower diesel fuel use. 
 
•    The Railroad Windfarm presents several financial opportunities while reducing carbon emissions. 

 

•    The technology directly reduces carbon emissions from freight trains, and indirectly reduces emissions from cars, trucks, and fossil fueled power plants. 

 

•    Railroads obtain a new revenue source by hauling renewable energy batteries.

 

•    ‘Green’ investments can be sought. 

 

•    Considering the economic, environmental, and societal benefits, the Railroad Wind farm is a virtual lock to receive governmental grants or funding from private foundations. 
The 5 ways the Railroad Windfarm conserves fuel. 

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•    The patent converts surplus railcars to productive use in order to reduce dead weight. Fuel is conserved by hauling less dead weight.

 

•    Airfoils, similar to semi ‘bubbles’, neutralize wind turbine drag. There is a net zero increase in air resistance. No additional fuel is needed to harvest train generated wind. Streamlining with airfoils, in excess of matching wind turbine drag, or if used without wind turbines, conserves fuel.  

 

•    A freight train at a full stop requires more fuel to start up again. Power from batteries can be diverted to railcar regenerative brakes turning them into booster motors. When the train is up to speed again the power is shut off. The extra energy and distributed load conserve fuel.     

 

•    When the wind turbines, solar panels, and regenerative brakes exceed freight railcar power needs, the supplemental power is diverted to diesel turbines to lower rpm and maintain speed. Overall the power needs are the same but less fuel is used.  

 

•    Zero emission reefers eliminate diesel generators. They conserve 100% of the diesel previously used to power refrigeration.  

New cargos are created. An existing cargo is expanded.  

 

•    Shipping/charging of renewable energy batteries 

 

•    Shipping perishables with zero emission reefers 

 

•    Shipping EVs, or other vehicles, with battery charging 

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•    Shipping/charging of EV, or other, batteries in bulk 

 

•    Increased shipping of solar/wind farm components 

 

•    Each of the over two dozen types of railcars listed under More Options has one or more specific benefits. 

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Check out the Video of a virtual prototype to see how the technology works and a significant application. To see a scale model (without airfoils) check out the Photos. Technology and Patents have more info about the invention.