Q:I know a train runs on an electric engine powered by a diesel generator. Would something like this be feasible for cars?

running a small engine to power an electric motor? yeah, that'd be feasible. not sure how effective it would be. i'd need to do some research before i could even guess

Q:I am interested in what are the inherient differences and what are the different sets used for?

if the energy is forced through a resistance and back to the generator it is dcif the electrons move back and forth it is alternating current

Q:I'm after a small generator (no more than 2kw)I'd like the tank to last at least 3 hours on one fill and if it were diesel and silent that would be even better.If it could also have a built in inverter (for home use) that would also be good. It's for UK power so a 3pin socket would be preferable and 230v power is a must.

You need to START by learning the BASICS about generators. It WON'T have an inverter, because the output is AC from the start. In addition, at 230 volts, 2 kw is LESS that 10 amps. If they make generators that SMALL, they are not worth having.

Q:I may soon have to relocate to a place where the electricity is infrequent but my livelihood depends on the internet. my plan is to access the internet through the telephone and run the computer on a diesel generator and also an inverter. is it possible, what precautions should i take to make this work. will this plan work.

Yes you can run a computer on a generator. I would recommend that you use a stabilizer and a ups together with it to safeguard against any fluctuation in voltage and not lose your work if at any time it fails. Wish you all the best.

Q:i know that steam powers the turbine. And depending on the type of plant, i know how the steam is made. But once the turbine is spinning and generating electricity, i get lost. I know it all has something to do with electrons and metal coils and magnetic fields, but can you help me understand it all?

Electrical power plants powered by geothermal energy are common in areas of high crustal heat flow, such as in Iceland, New Zealand, and the western US, including Beowawe, Nevada, and The Geysers, California. The basic principle is to drill a hole deep enough to tap into a water reservoir which is hotter than 100°C, ie, higher than the boiling point. The water is hotter than the boiling point due to the confining pressure, and the water is piped into a turbine where it is allowed to flash (boil) to drive the turbne. The steam is collected, condensed, and re-injected into the reservoir to keep the cycle going. The turbine spins a generator, which converts mechanical energy from the spinning turbine into electrical energy through electromagnetic conduction as the desired output. It doesn't matter that the generator is connected to a geothermal steam turbine, a water wheel, a jet engine, a diesel engine, or a hamster wheel. A generator does not actually ‘create’ electrical energy. Instead, it uses the mechanical energy from the spinning turbine to force the movement of electric charges present in the wire of its windings through an external electric circuit. This flow of electric charges constitutes the output electric current supplied by the generator. This mechanism can be compared to a water pump, which causes the flow of water but does not actually ‘create’ the water flowing through it. A generator works on the principle of electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday in 1831-32. He discovered that the flow of electric charges could be induced by moving an electrical conductor, such as a wire that contains electric charges, in a magnetic field. This movement creates a voltage difference between the two ends of the wire or electrical conductor, which in turn causes the electrons to flow, thus generating the desired electric current. Hope that helps!

Q:I know that various types of locomotive's produce different amount of horse power. Here's the question: A single locomotive (any type) about what would be the average speed it could gain in 0 to 4 seconds on take off. Any smart A** answer will be reported for abuse, Thank you.

That's an interesting question. They vary so much, dont know if there is an average speed that would be of any relevance. I cant really improve on what has been said except to add a few comments. as you might have guessed acceleration, all you can possibly get is very important at times. Newer locomotives have taken most of the fun out of switching, too much computer controls. With the older ones, that is what made the difference between just an engineer and a hoghead. 8 throttle (all you got) full independent brakes, relaese the brakes and close the generator field switch all at once was about the quickest move, not sure the speed you would get in 4 seconds but it would be too fast for a switchman to get on. When I started on the Milwaukee in the early 70's, we still had the old electrics. If a switchman started getting cocky an engineer would make him a bet, he would say you stand right here at the front of the engine and i will take off, if you can catch the rear footboard I'll give you $10.00. With a light engine he couldnt do it, those things took off like a rocket, they didnt have to build up any amperage waiting for the deisel engine to rev , the full line voltage was immediatly available overhead. P.S., this has been very difficult for me not to be at least a tiny little bit of a smarta**, takes a lot of self control. LOL

Q:I have been trying to research the specifics of utilidor functionality for nearly two weeks and have come up with hardly any information. What I'm wanting to know is, at certain access points of utilidors in artic areas, is there something above ground that powers the tunneling below like possibly a transformer or a generator? I know it seems unfeasible to have either one out in the open to be exposed to the elements but I still want to know. And also even if this isn't the case now, was it so when the tunnel systems were first made?

I had not heard about Arctic underground tunnel systems, nor Utilidors. Is that a brand name for utility doors? A back up battery and a crank to manually open the doors seems like a good safety measure.

Q:i could only find a weight on one website and it said around 8,000 lbs. This one is rusted out and were planning on taking it in for scrap normally we would cut it up and take it in but this thing is a monster im thinking about renting a flatbed if it is 8,000 it would be worth it. The cooling coil and somekind of box with all the controls has been removed but they probobly werent any more then 500 lbs

That weight should be very close minus loss to rust. I would call a scrapyard first to get an idea of what they are paying, especially because part of it is a diesel engine and there are guidelines with some yards how they will accept machinery, such as clear of any fluids. The copper or aluminum wires and generator cores will probably be most valuable parts and might be worth removing and forgetting the rest depending on what the scrap yard says about the engine and rusted steel shell is worth. It will be a hard move, even for a flatbed truck because the little winch will have to pull that generator which is super heavy and dead weight. Final thing to look into is whether there is any value in any part of it. This is a very popular size generator and is still produced today except with Cummins diesel engine, maybe someone has an older one with same engine and their block is cracked!?

Q:Details of the equipment and plant capacity are as under:Power generation plant having 02 gas generators and 01 diesel generator ( general maintenance outsourced)HVAC plant (general maintenance outsourced)Fire tube boilers one operational and one stand-by (maintenance by plant personnel)Automatic Lubricants Blending system (maintained by plant personnel)Blow molding machines (maintained by plant personnel)Injection molding machines (maintained by plant personnel)Screw Air compressors - 04 Nos (maintained by plant personnel)Fire Fighting Network including fire hydrants and monitors (maintained by plant personnel)General maintenance of 02 PE buildings and 01 RCC Office BlockAutomatic Filling machines (for small cans) (operated and maintained by plant personnel)Gear Pumps and motorsLubricants oil tank in tank farm areaMotor vehicles including 03 tank lorriesOverall maintenance of plant that is not included in above

I assume (maintained by plant personnel) means the maintenance staff doesn't do that job. Start with one person half time. Keep adding hours and personnel until the level of maintenance reaches the plateau you desire. Or go in one night and sweep the entire plant and dump the trash cans yourself and multiply the time it took you by three. Keep adding hours and personnel until the level of maintenance reaches the plateau you desire. If you want the bathrooms to sparkle and all the paint to be recent and fresh, it will take more hours than good enough.

Q:First of all let us get down to the corruption of all of this hoax created by Al Gore which is nothing but a scheme to put the public in fear. This will stop all of the money going out to create bogus programs. Next, let is realize that hybrid automobiles mpg results have been overinflated by the corrupt EPA. Since they have been caught, now they are doing real world tests. Now, let us look at what Europe is doing with automobiles. CLEAN DIESEL. These clean diesels consume far less fuel than gasoline motors of the same size. They are getting quieter, no longer smoke, and are as fast as gasoline cars in some cases. Mrs. Speaker, I challenge you to drive one of these cars and you will be surprised. However, I think the public should decide on whether Global Warming is true or not. I do not want you and a hand full of others control our lives when we vote you in there to work for us.

I'm not going to comment about hydrogen fuel cells, except to say that I think they'll be out of reach (unless and until they solve the platinum problem) but I've owned both a 2003 honda civic hybrid and a 2006 peugeot diesel (1.6 Litre HDi -- not sold in the USA). The diesel got 60 mpg. The hybrid started out at 55 and dropped to 46, even with careful driving. For hilly areas, hybrids are good on the downhill, annoying on the uphill. Diesels on the other hand, are very zippy. Until recently I thought that diesel was go, and that the only problem was that US wasn't mandating for the use of ultra low-sulphur the way that Europe is (see the wikipedia article below) But then I found the Union of Concerned Scientists report, which contains the following information Diesel vehicles can help a car travel 30 to more than 40 percent farther on a gallon of diesel fuel. However, this advantage is only partly due to the higher efficiency of diesel engines, which offer a 15 to 25 percent improvement over gasoline. The remaining increase is due to the fact that diesel fuel contains 13 percent more energy than a gallon of gasoline. so, unless we mandate that ALL new cars be super efficient (whether hybrid-gasoline, hybrid-diesel, plug-in electric, or veggie oil) , the cost factors are going to be very high. I think that, if the priority for ALL new car manufacturers was efficiency, then the economy of scale rule would mean that the retooling costs would be lower, and we could afford to have more highly processed fuel, or different types of engines. Lots to think about!