I build cars... so I'm used to engine power ratings in horsepower and in torque.
Now when I look up specs on the engines that power the locomotives, they're generally rated in horsepower and 'tractive effort'...
so, my question is, how does that translate into ft/lbs of torque?
in my experience, diesels make massive torque, while making significantly less horsepower due to their low operating speeds.
When I see an diesel developing 3000+bhp, I can only imagine what kind of torque that's producing.
Could someone possibly elaborate on that?
now, from my basic understanding of these locomotives, the engine itself does not directly drive the locomotive, but simply turns an electric generator, which in turn propels the locomotive?
That's the only explanation I can see as to why torque is not really spoken of in the literature...
side question: how much torque does the electric motor generate? again, from my experience with cars, I know that electric motors generate epic amounts of torque at initial spinover (or what we refer to, perhaps incorrectly, as zero RPM)
Torque is sort of a thing I'm obsessed with when building cars. My own personal car is an Audi S6 with a turbocharger matched for low end torque (and it produced about 375ft lbs of torque and only 350bhp). I also have a friend who builds two stroke diesel busses, and I'm floored by the sheer volume of torque they produce (not to mention how the 2 stroke diesel cycle works)
Now when I look up specs on the engines that power the locomotives, they're generally rated in horsepower and 'tractive effort'...
so, my question is, how does that translate into ft/lbs of torque?
in my experience, diesels make massive torque, while making significantly less horsepower due to their low operating speeds.
When I see an diesel developing 3000+bhp, I can only imagine what kind of torque that's producing.
Could someone possibly elaborate on that?
now, from my basic understanding of these locomotives, the engine itself does not directly drive the locomotive, but simply turns an electric generator, which in turn propels the locomotive?
That's the only explanation I can see as to why torque is not really spoken of in the literature...
side question: how much torque does the electric motor generate? again, from my experience with cars, I know that electric motors generate epic amounts of torque at initial spinover (or what we refer to, perhaps incorrectly, as zero RPM)
Torque is sort of a thing I'm obsessed with when building cars. My own personal car is an Audi S6 with a turbocharger matched for low end torque (and it produced about 375ft lbs of torque and only 350bhp). I also have a friend who builds two stroke diesel busses, and I'm floored by the sheer volume of torque they produce (not to mention how the 2 stroke diesel cycle works)
