Why Won't Diesel Locomotives Be Phased Out?
1 Answers
Compared to electric locomotives, the greatest advantage of diesel locomotives is their strong environmental adaptability—they can run as long as the railway is in good condition. Therefore, diesel locomotives can serve as an emergency reserve. In cases of severe weather like freezing rain or snow, where the power system fails and electric locomotives cannot operate, diesel locomotives are needed to step in. Relevant information about diesel locomotives is as follows: 1. Introduction: A diesel locomotive is a type of locomotive that uses an internal combustion engine as its primary power source, driving the wheels through a transmission device. Based on the type of fuel used in the engine, the vast majority of diesel locomotives used on railways in China are equipped with diesel engines. 2. Working Principle: Fuel (diesel) is burned within the cylinders, converting thermal energy into mechanical energy output by the diesel crankshaft. However, this energy is not used to directly drive the wheels. Instead, it is converted through a transmission device into mechanical energy suitable for the traction characteristics required by the locomotive, which then drives the locomotive's wheels to rotate on the tracks via the running gear.