What is the difference between China's railway transportation using electricity and the United States using mostly internal combustion engines?

Tech 2023-07-10 05:13:24 Source: Network

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China's railway construction has achieved astonishing results in the world, especially China's high-speed rail, which has become a resounding brand in China.

As of 2022, there is still a certain gap in the total mileage of China's railways compared to the United States. However, from the overall composition of railways, China's 155000 kilometers of railway mileage includes a portion of high-speed railways.

At present, the main driving force of high-speed railway is electricity, while Internal combustion locomotive is mostly used by American trains. What is the difference between the two? Which is more advanced?

Differences in Power Systems between Chinese and American Passing Vehicles

Friends who have seen the train diagrams of China and other countries will find significant differences between them. American trains are empty, while Chinese trains often carry dense power grids. This actually involves the issue of train power between the two countries. At present, the main power source of trains in the United States is the internal combustion engine.

And China's power mainly includes two major modes: internal combustion engine and electric power, with all high-speed trains using electric drive.

The reason why the two countries made different choices in train power systems is closely related to the railway construction process in both countries. Before exploring this issue, let's first understand the difference between internal combustion engines and electricity.

It should be noted that many people believe that the way in which internal combustion engines drive vehicles is using the fuel "oil". But the internal combustion engine of trains in the United States is not directly driven by "oil". It needs to undergo the process of transforming mechanical energy into electrical energy, which determines that it is different from China's direct source of power.

In modern society, internal combustion engines are not uncommon, such as those used by cars running on the streets. However, the size of a train cannot be compared to ordinary cars, so its internal combustion engine also needs to be improved and adjusted to some extent.

The internal combustion engine of a car converts the Chemical energy generated by fuel combustion directly into kinetic energy, and then through the transmission device, the car can obtain forward power. But the internal combustion engine of a train is not like this, it is essentially an electrical system.

It has a diesel engine, but its purpose is to use the diesel engine to convert fuel into electrical energy, and then let the generated electrical energy push the locomotive forward. From this perspective, both China and the United States choose electric power as their driving force. However, the ways in which the two countries obtain electricity are different.

A typical example is the GP7 Diesel locomotive in the United States, which uses a 16 cylinder 16-567B two-stroke diesel engine with a horsepower of 1500. At the same time, a D12B DC generator can support four D27B DC Traction motor to make the train move forward.

From here, we can see that there is nothing special about American trains. It is essentially using electricity, but it is a power device assembled through a series of equipment such as a diesel engine and generator, and an electric motor. There are not many other differences. These seemingly insignificant differences directly lead to the advantages and disadvantages of trams and Internal combustion locomotive.

First, the overall structure of Internal combustion locomotive is relatively simple. Imagine that if electricity needs to be connected to the power grid, a complex upper power grid system needs to be added on top of the original laying of railway tracks. In terms of maintenance, the railway needs regular maintenance, and the power grid system also needs regular maintenance and adjustment to ensure the normal transportation of electricity.

On the other hand, Internal combustion locomotive does not need to consider these issues. It only needs to ensure that the outgoing locomotive internal combustion engine can output power stably to support the train electric system. When a malfunction occurs, it can be inspected in an individual form, which reduces the relative difficulty of troubleshooting. When a complex power grid experiences a sudden malfunction, it may also be necessary to check if a problem has occurred at a certain point in a certain area in order to troubleshoot the problem in a targeted manner.

The above is only for general trains. If it is for high-speed trains, due to their faster speed and stronger power, they also require more sufficient electricity. The transmission network also needs to be upgraded to a higher level on the basis of the existing railway, with higher maintenance costs.

But does Internal combustion locomotive really have no shortcomings? Not so. The Internal combustion locomotive moves the power supply system to the train as a whole, so it needs to load the weight brought by its equipment. However, the space of the train is limited, and the power of the generator is also limited. Under such two-phase constraints, it is almost impossible for them to achieve high speeds.

On the other hand, trams do not have this challenge. Their power system is external, which not only frees up some space for trains but also makes electricity more stable. As long as China Unicom is connected, enough electricity can be obtained, making it easier to accelerate and achieve high-speed. In terms of speed, the tram can be said to be a complete victory.

Not only that, we all know that internal combustion engines inevitably make some noise during the process of doing work. For a train diesel engine, the power required to pull such a massive train is definitely not small. Therefore, the diesel engine of Internal combustion locomotive needs to do more work and make more noise.

If it is suitable for freight transportation, and if such trains are to be put into passenger use, even in the carriage where the diesel engine is located, they will still be affected by noise and have a poor experience.

Overall, both have their own advantages and disadvantages in terms of performance, and there is not much technical barrier between them. After all, modern trains, whether electric cars or Internal combustion locomotive, are the products of the last industrial revolution. No one is more advanced than others.

The United States is one of the old capitalist countries, catching up with the previous industrial revolution, and technology is naturally not a problem. As an emerging developing country, China is also striving for excellence in its technological level, and is already familiar with the achievements brought about by the Second Industrial Revolution. Therefore, there is no basis to say that the difference in train power between the two countries is due to technological capabilities.

Why does the United States still use Internal combustion locomotive today?

For the answer to this question, we need to explore it from multiple perspectives such as history and economy.

Firstly, there are historical factors. We all know that in the Second Industrial Revolution, the United States can be said to have taken the lead. As the representative of the second industrial revolution, Internal combustion locomotive is one of its cradles in the United States. The American EMD Internal combustion locomotive Company, which we are familiar with today, was founded in that period.

EMD Internal combustion locomotive company in the United States is one of the most famous Internal combustion locomotive manufacturing companies in the world. Since its establishment in 1922, the company has developed more than 60000 Internal combustion locomotive using EMD power system for more than 70 countries and regions in the world. This has greatly promoted the development of contemporary railway transportation and made significant contributions to cross regional commerce.

EMD Internal combustion locomotive company, which has been recognized by dozens of countries and has the largest output of Internal combustion locomotive in, naturally stands the test of quality and its technology is quite mature.

In the long river of time, the United States has gradually built a complex and mature railway system with the support of a number of Internal combustion locomotive enterprises.

The relationship of mutual benefit makes it reasonable for the United States to choose Internal combustion locomotive as the main railway transportation tool. After all, with the existing railway system, there is no need to go all the way to install any power grid, support a group of tram production companies, and replace the railway network.

Secondly, the transportation pressure of railways varies. From the perspective of territorial scope, the United States and China have a significant difference in area. But when it comes to population, the total population of the United States is only about 1/4 that of China.

The total population, which is almost halved and then halved, even with frequent business exchanges, is destined that the United States does not need to face the same level of transportation pressure as China. Therefore, the market for passenger trains is also relatively small.

Unlike general freight transportation, passenger transportation emphasizes speed, as most people expect to arrive at their destination faster when traveling. Compared to the United States, cities in our eastern and southern regions are more densely populated, resulting in a greater demand for travel. In such an environmental context, developing transportation vehicles with short travel times such as high-speed rail has become a necessary option.

Thirdly, there are differences in the choice of public transportation. Compared to railways, the highway and aviation systems in the United States are more developed, and people often choose to travel by plane or by car.

The above two also share the pressure of railway transportation, so in the United States, train transportation is the only choice for long-distance transportation of bulk goods, and its experience and speed are not important. On the basis of basically meeting the requirements of goods, Internal combustion locomotive has the characteristics of low cost and high reliability, which is very consistent with the national conditions of the United States.

On the contrary, in China, the majority of the Chinese population choose to travel by train during long-distance travel, so China's railway transportation needs to bear a certain amount of pressure.

Therefore, in the context of passenger transportation, China has certain requirements for railway travel such as speed and comfort. Vigorously developing railways and using electricity as a driving force are also in line with China's national conditions. However, this does not mean that all trains in China are driven by electricity. For example, Internal combustion locomotive are used on trains in some regions.

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