Understand why locomotives use electric drive: It requires incredible starting torque to get a train moving. Piston steam engines have maximum torque at zero rpm, so they didn't need transmissions. But diesel engines have NO torque at zero rpm, and need to get close to normal operating speed to generate significant torque. It's impractical to build a mechanical transmission with the amount of speed reduction required by a locomotive, although you can get close with a torque convertor. But an electric drive can have very high starting torque, and it is simple and efficient.
Another advantage of electric drive over diesel is in packaging. An electric drive eliminates the need for drive shafts and offers a lot more flexibility in where powertrain components are located. Other than the motors themselves, the engines and generators can be located almost anywhere. That's useful when designing almost any sort of equipment, but it's particularly important in submarines where space is limited and the hull design dictates where things can go.
For farm tractors, there's just not the compelling need for electric drive. Hydrostatic and mechanical transmissions provide sufficient speed reduction, and packaging isn't a big problem. But electric drive IS used for big construction equipment, such as rock haulers. All the major heavy equipment manufacturers, such as Caterpillar and Komatsu, offer such machines.
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Today's Featured Article - Earthmaster Project Progress Just a little update on my Earthmaster......it's back from the dead! I pulled the head, and soaked the stuck valves with mystery oil overnight, re-installed the head, and bingo, the compression returned. But alas, my carb foiled me again, it would fire a second then flood out. After numerous dead ends for a replacement carb, I went to work fixing mine.I soldered new floats on the float arm, they came from an old motorcycle carb, replaced the packing on the throttle shaft with o-rings, cut new ga
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