Technology

Features 

•    Railroad-based mobility
•    Vertical Axis Wind Turbines
•    Aerodynamics 
•    Solar power 
•    Regenerative brakes 
•    Zero emission refrigerated railcars aka reefers 
•    EV transports with battery charging
•    Renewable energy batteries 
•    Bulk EV battery charging 
•    Supplemental power 
•    Modular construction 
•    Versatility
•    Scalability
See Features for details.

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Functions

•    Mobile renewable energy power plant 
•    Eliminating long distance transmission lines 
•    Charging renewable energy batteries  
•    Harvesting ‘artificial’ and naturally occurring wind  
•    Neutralizing wind turbine drag with airfoils
•    Generating power with solar panels on freight railcars
•    Maintaining EV battery charge with solar panels on semi trailers
•    Solar panels on hybrid franchise roofs supplying power     
•    Generating electricity with regenerative brakes
•    Conserving fuel with regenerative brakes
•    Reducing maintenance with regenerative brakes   
•    Shipping perishables with zero carbon emission reefers 
•    Supplying backup power for zero carbon emission reefers 
•    Charging factory installed batteries while shipping new EVs
•    Bulk shipping and charging of EV batteries   
•    Charged EV battery last mile delivery, storage, and charge maintenance  
•    Conserving fuel with supplemental power
•    Modular  construction meeting the needs of shippers by mixing and matching the types of railcars used   
•    Scalability allows various sizes of configuration 

See Functions for details.

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Applications

•    Reducing dead weight 
•    Capturing ‘artificial’ plus naturally occurring wind 
•    Airfoils neutralizing wind turbine drag     
•    Eliminating new transmission line permitting and construction  
•    Powering zero carbon emission refrigerator railcars aka reefers 
•    Providing infrastructure for offshore wind farms 
•    Harvesting sunlight   
•    Adapting regenerative brakes to railcars
•    Shipping new EVs with battery charging
•    Bulk shipping/charging of EV batteries
•    Improving shipping by combining rail transport and trucking to provide last mile delivery 
•    Providing storage with  semi trailers 
•    Maintaining EV battery charge with solar panels on semi trailers   
•    When the technology exceeds railcar energy needs the supplemental power is diverted to the turbines to lower rpm, conserving fuel while maintaining speed
•    Charging batteries between communities
•    Increasing community resilience  
•    Capturing  historic high winds with temporary wind farms 
•    Replacing hazardous or fire prone transmission lines
•    Modular construction
•    Scalability
•    Versatility
•    Worldwide  

See Applications for details.

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Benefits 

•    Eliminating transmission line construction lowers permitting and construction costs
•    Reduced land acquisition and zoning issues 
•    Lower land costs for remote renewable energy facilities
•    Increased shipping of solar/wind farm components 
•    Retrofitting railcars creates jobs     
•    Reducing dead weight conserves fuel
•    Makes it possible to close, or avoid building, fossil fueled power plants 
•    Use on any gauge track allows worldwide applications 
•    Community energy resilience is increased  
•    Guaranteed wind speed
•    Temporary wind farms generate power from historic high winds
•    Solar panels harvest sunlight   
•    Regenerative brakes generate power from kinetic energy  
•    Regenerative brakes conserve fuel when they are used as booster motors  
•    Eliminating two diesel generators per reefer lowers carbon emissions  
•    Co-locating aquaculture and off shore wind turbines provides power and seafood 
•    The production cost of EVs is lowered   
•    EV batteries can be guaranteed to be charged by renewable energy 
•    Providing EV battery exchange infrastructure enables battery exchange services 
•    Battery exchange services increase the convenience of EV ownership 
•    EV range anxiety is reduced
•    When railcar needs are met surplus electricity conserves fuel
•    There are multiple financial opportunities  
•    Carbon emissions are reduced from trains, trucks, autos, and power plants 
•    Grants that support reducing carbon emissions are available from numerous public and private sources
•    Over two dozen applications have benefits of their own. See More Options.
•    ‘Green’ investment is encouraged
•    Jobs 

See Benefits for details.

The Technology - As shown in the patent the Railroad Windfarm uses 5 types of railcars in a mix and match fashion. Some applications don’t need all types of railcars. Several other types of railcars can be used. 

For example, the modular design enables desalinization or electrolysis railcars to replace EV battery charging. See More Options for the over two dozen types of railcars that can be incorporated into the Railroad Windfarm.    

Type 1 – Flatbeds with Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

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The motion of a freight train creates wind. Vertical Axis Wind Turbines harvest the train created wind plus any naturally occurring wind. The wind turbines’ operational wind speed is equal to the speed of the train plus any naturally occurring wind.

 

The guaranteed wind makes the VAWTs a primary power source. Wind turbine drag is neutralized by airfoils similar to the semi ‘bubbles’ that save truckers up to 15% on fuel. Streamlining freight railcars without using wind turbines increases mpg and conserves fuel. 

 

The headwinds usually detrimental to train fuel efficiency are not a problem. For example, if 20 mph headwinds are predicted, then more airfoils compensate for the anticipated increased drag. The additional airfoils conserve fuel if the headwinds don’t materialize. 

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Type 2 – Zero Emission Refrigerator Railcars aka Reefers

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Zero emission reefers are a new concept. The big difference is diesel generators are replaced by wind turbines, solar panels, and regenerative brakes, and have battery backup. Perishables are shipped carbon free. More cargo of any kind shipped by rail reduces the number of diesel trucks on the road. 

 

More perishables and other goods shipped by rail means less truck traffic and fewer carbon emissions. Costly wear and tear on roads and bridges is reduced. With better roads, and less traffic congestion, gas powered cars will get higher mpg (lower emissions).  

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Type 3 – EV Transports with Battery Charging
 
EV transports charging factory installed batteries during shipping is a new concept. EV dealers can guarantee factory installed batteries are initially charged with renewable energy. Reduced production costs from eliminating factory battery charging may result in more affordable EVs.

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Using slower charging less costly batteries would give EV dealers the option of offering battery lease/exchange to bring down new EV costs. Another use is charging the batteries of gas powered cars during shipment.  
 
Type 4 – Renewable Energy Battery  

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The fourth type is for renewable energy batteries. Once charged by the Railroad Windfarm or renewable energy facilities, they are discharged into local grids. Transmitting power with batteries by rail eliminates transmission lines.  

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The cost of permitting and building transmission lines is avoided. The paradigm shift extends electrical grids when rail lines are extended. The batteries provide verifiable renewable energy. Communities can build more resilient local grids. 

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The batteries also provide backup power for zero emission reefers. Fossil fueled power plants can be replaced by more renewable energy production and storage. Carbon emissions are reduced as renewable energy facilities take over. 

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The Railroad Windfarm can ship renewable energy batteries, EV batteries, perishables, wind/solar farm parts, and other cargo. With wind, solar, and kinetic energies as charging sources the batteries can supply power to turn the regenerative brakes into ‘booster’ motors. 

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The ‘boosters’ decrease the horsepower the diesel-electric engines need to overcome inertia. Multiple boosters mean less fuel is burned for horsepower. Another power source also conserves fuel by redistributing the load. When the train is up to speed the power is shut off. 

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Hazardous transmission lines can be replaced with renewable energy batteries delivered by rail. Transmitting energy by rail with batteries can save lives, avoid liability, and prevent the loss of income from intentional power shutoffs. 

Unlike the state of the art one gigawatt battery railcars that have to be stationary to charge the Railroad Windfarm charges while it’s in motion, or if stationary, with wind and/or solar power. 

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Type 5 – Semi Trailer(s) on Flatbeds  

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Railroad Windfarm semi trailers hauled on flatbeds are modified with airfoils, solar panels, and bulk EV battery charging capability. Hauling semi trailers on flatbeds has been done for years but bulk charging of EV batteries is a new concept. 

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The patent suggests the novel idea of gas service stations retaining their prime locations by becoming hybrid gas/electric franchises. The hybrid franchises would provide EV battery exchanges, fast battery charging, and have maintenance services available. 

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The Railroad Windfarm uses specially designed semi trailers to provide the gas/electric franchises with last mile delivery of charged EV batteries, storage, and charge maintenance. Prime locations of the hybrid franchises would increase convenience for EV drivers.

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Range anxiety is alleviated by convenient battery exchanges and the increased availability of fast charging services. A battery lease and exchange service could help decrease the cost of new EVs. Depleted EV batteries are returned to the Railroad Windfarm for recharging. 

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The semi trailer airfoils help to neutralize wind turbine drag. They also help get better mpg during last mile delivery. Shipping and charging of EV batteries in bulk creates a new revenue stream. Another application is bulk charging of conventional car batteries.

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Railcars 1-5 – Regenerative Brakes

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Regenerative brakes are like reverse electric motors that use kinetic energy to generate electricity. They are standard equipment on virtually all EVs and hybrid cars. They’ve been used on locomotives for decades. Adapting regenerative brakes to railcars is a new concept. 

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The regenerative brakes work when a train decelerates for hills, curves, population centers, or slows for any reason. The power is quickly stored in supercapacitors then is slowly diverted to batteries. They decrease conventional brake maintenance by doing the majority of braking.     

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Research on commuter trains in the UK showed regenerative brakes increased the lifespan of conventional brake pads from 18 days to 18 months. With fewer stops, regenerative brakes could extend the lifespan of a train’s conventional brake pads much longer. 

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Railcars 2-5 – Solar Panels
   
Solar panel capacity, reliability, and efficiency have improved dramatically over the decades. Solar panels are standard equipment for railcar types 2-5. By recovering the unused space of railcar and semi trailer roofs they form a mobile solar farm.  

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The surface area of the mobile solar farm depends on the number and type of railcars. EV transports have the largest surface area. Solar panels are a secondary source of power. Existing rights of way avoid additional land purchases for new solar farms. 

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The solar panels on the semi trailers keep EV batteries optimally charged after delivery. Solar panels on the gas/electric franchise roofs provide onsite power.    

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Power Assist

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When all railcar power needs are met, surplus electricity is diverted to the diesel turbines. The supplemental power allows trains to maintain their speed with lower turbine rpm which conserves fuel, decreases maintenance, and extends engine life. 

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Monitoring System

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A computer tracks performance metrics. The Railroad Windfarm is monitored for mileage, speed, fuel use, wind speed, wind direction, battery state of charge, regenerative brake generated power, solar panel output, and wind turbine production. 

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Most data is available from the diesel-electric engines and the Railroad Windfarm. Wind speed and direction are obtained from a local weather service. Monitoring can be done with wireless networks if the Railroad Windfarm is not electrically connected to the engine(s).  

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A data display shows performance in real time. A log of operational data is created for each route. The data logs are used to optimize the performance of future Railroad Windfarms.

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Check out the virtual prototype Video to see how the technology works and a significant application. To see a scale model (without airfoils) check out the Photos. See More Options for many additional applications. For more info see Patents.