India's diesel-powered train network has a new kid on the block. The gas-guzzling Indian Railway system has just debuted its first solar-powered train, called the Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU). It will operate in the city of New Delhi.
Placement of the solar panels on the train car was challenging. Sandeep Gupta, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Jakson Engineers Limited (the company that produced and installed the solar panels) told Business Standard, "It is not an easy task to fit solar panels on the roof of train coaches that run at a speed of 80 km per hour." The panels feed into an onboard battery that can store surplus power.
The train will still be pulled by a diesel locomotive; the solar panels will only power passenger comfort systems, such as lights, information displays and fans. Even so, Indian Railways estimates that just one train with six solar-panel equipped cars will save 21,000 liters (5,547 gallons) of diesel fuel per year, at a cost savings around Rs12 lakh (almost $20,000).
Source: Engadget
[Editors note: per the articles, the train is diesel powered, not solar powered, only the electrics in the cars are solar powered. However, they still hope to save $6B in fuel costs in the coming years]
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday July 18 2017, @07:16PM (11 children)
Just google "India train".
Those panels may not get much sun.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 18 2017, @07:21PM (10 children)
Not only that but 60,000 Indians hang on top of each car. But forget that.
The title OTFA: India's First Solar-Powered Train Makes its Debut is crap when the trains are still being pulled by diesel.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 18 2017, @07:25PM
Give the street-shitters a break. At least they're not fueling the train with human shit anymore.
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 18 2017, @07:34PM (8 children)
It is sad seeing racism flowering right in front of your eyes. Speaking of elitist types
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 18 2017, @07:49PM (6 children)
It's not racism when their race really is inferior.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Tuesday July 18 2017, @08:17PM (4 children)
... that which we hate the most in ourselves.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 18 2017, @10:14PM (3 children)
I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind
There was something so pleasant about that place.
Even your emotions had an echo
In so much space
And when you're out there
Without care,
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
I just knew too much
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Possibly [radio version]
probably [album version]
And I hope that you are having the time of your life
But think twice, that's my only advice
Come on now, who do you, who do you, who do you, who do you think you are,
Ha ha ha bless your soul
You really think you're in control
Well, I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
Just like me
(Score: 3, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday July 19 2017, @12:11AM (2 children)
the visions I had early on were quite beautiful.
When the visions didn't turn up in the prints, I bought some books on professional photography and learned to develop and print my own film in the Caltech student darkroom.
That was 33 years ago, yet the visions still haven't turned up in the prints.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1) by vux984 on Wednesday July 19 2017, @11:15PM (1 child)
Heh, Your post about photographing visions reminded me of something.
I had a (painless) ocular migraine a few weeks ago. Scared the crap out of me at the time as I had no idea what it was. My eye doc diagnosed it, and afterward while trying to explain it to others I looked it up online; where people have created images and videos to try to describe it. But it doesn't quite... there is a visceral quality that can't be captured... in the pictures and the videos you can look at the effect, but when living it... you can't; it sits in your peripheral vision, in sight but perpetually just out of focus, and it slides away if you look at it.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Thursday July 20 2017, @04:39AM
One of them made me totally blind for about an hour.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 18 2017, @08:36PM
Which is why it is completely justified to hate white people, because they are so inferior that they are racists!
(Score: 2) by Nuke on Tuesday July 18 2017, @10:00PM
It is not racism to say there are 60,000 Indians on the roof of every car, it's exageration. The real number is more like 30, and not on every train :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzgabAhzDYM [youtube.com]
You get fewer on lines with overhead catenary though :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDp5ad-LQ8o [youtube.com]
(Score: 2) by fnj on Tuesday July 18 2017, @07:23PM (4 children)
Stupid retarded lying headline. It is NOT a solar-powered train. If you think you could power a train (or a car) from on-board solar power, you are an IDIOT.
(Score: 3, Touché) by bob_super on Tuesday July 18 2017, @07:36PM (2 children)
Sure can: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Solar_Challenge [wikipedia.org]
How fast do you want to go, and how much load?
(Score: 2) by fnj on Tuesday July 18 2017, @08:30PM (1 child)
Pretending that those things are cars is stupid.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday July 18 2017, @08:53PM
Getting multiple people from point A to point B, at average speeds which had to be limited by the rules so the chaser ICEs could legally follow? That's indeed a pretty dumb definition for a car.
With less rolling friction on rails, very light trains could work equally well on flat routes.
(Score: 2) by deimtee on Wednesday July 19 2017, @04:08PM
Google says an average electric locomotive engine is about 4.5 Mw.
Solar cells are up around 30% efficient, and insolation is about 1Kw. Assuming your train is 2m wide, it would need to be 45000000/(2*.3*1000) = 7500 m long = about 5 miles..
Yep, not going to be able to operate continuously, but if it had some batteries and was a km long you might get a couple of hours a day of running.
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 18 2017, @07:53PM (2 children)
Software licenses are coming up for renewal. Licensee puts out a press release about switching to open source. Vendor offers a discount. Licensee renews. It's nothing but a bluff.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 18 2017, @08:23PM (1 child)
Disregard, I commented to the wrong story.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 18 2017, @10:17PM
YES BUT DO YOU SUCK COCKS
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 19 2017, @02:53AM
Keep on putting up BS posts like this, and funding won't be your problem because you won't be around.
(Score: 4, Funny) by radu on Wednesday July 19 2017, @06:46AM
First wait for the train to stop; then fit the panels on the roof.