I hope OpenTTD devs consider adding gravity-based electric transportation of heavy loads as an option
this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2024
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No one commenting on the fact that the first paragraph says it doesn't even CONSUME energy????
I think it's clear they are sensationalizing it due to the unique nature of the energy used, which is external potential energy that needed to get down the hill whether it's a gas or electric truck.
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Very interesting use case but kind of dependant on this very specific setup? I feel like an even more efficient and low maintenance method would be like... a ramp.
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Does it discharge extra energy into anything else? Does it burn off extra energy as heat to maintain regenerative braking?
Great question.
That is definitely one of the big caveats of BEVs over diesels. A battery on an EV can only take in so much energy. Once you hit that ceiling, the battery won't take in any more current. Fun fact, having a super charged battery in a BEV causes all sorts of headache and can cost you performance.
You either have to switch back to service brakes or, as you mentioned, burn off energy as heat. Not sure how they're doing it with this truck, but on other BEV loaders which I've worked on, we add a hydraulic valve whose only purpose is to create flow, pressure, and subsequently heat. It basically just adds a dummy load. I suspect they tapped into the dump hydraulics and added such a valve for this truck.
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Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae.
Oh cool they're using the same principle the guys at Edison are using for their logging trucks on a much larger scale
I'm no phycisist but I'd bet that the claim "it consumes no energy" is almost certainly false. I get what they mean but this isn't exactly a honest way to describe it.
~~energy is converted and never destroyed so it's true~~
I think it means that the net energy consumption is zero. It can use energy, but it generates enough to offset it.
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Esisyphus
Stupid title. It recharges every trip.
It is very obvious they meant it draws no power from the grid. And it doesn't, indeed, acting fully autonomously.
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This is very fucking cool.