Replacement engines for big rigs, trains, ships and planes?

Question

The replacment engines would of course be designed to be as fuel efficient and least poluting as possible while still maintaining the replaced engines power rating and bolting into the engine compartment of the truck, train, ship or plane being converted with the least amount of customization possible.

Doing this would also conserve fuel resouces and help get us off foriegn oil much more quickly because the old polutting inefficient technology would be converted at the same time new cleaner models are purchased to replace worn out old ones.

This would also make huge progress in reducing global warming causing emissions and polution from four of there largest sources.

And as time goes by new engine technology will always be devolped that will make it benifical to convert big rigs, trains, ships and planes as they age meaning it would create an industry that wouldn't put itself out of bussiness and would always foster new greener cleaner better technology.

Would it be a good idea to get laws passed to get this started quickly and on a massive scale?

Of course the way it would be done would have to be fair and just and within democratic and capitalistic principles.

You'll notice I never mentioned replacing internal combustion engines with hydrogen fuel cells or any other kind of fuel, just engines that are better designed so as to use fuel more efficiently and with less emissions while still making the same power, definently not a pipe dream, however, big rigs, trains, ships, and airplanes do have the room to allow for diffrent kinds of propulsion devices that could use many diffrent kinds of fuels meaning theres lots of possible alternatives and those alternatives can be continueally improved with research and devolpment.

GE actually does some thing like this with trains in the former soviet union and with airplanes, but other companies could get into this and it would drive costs down. I think some kind of incentive, subsidy, or law requiring the conversions would usher in a whole new industry requiring white coller, blue coller, high tech, low tech, manufacutring and mechanical jobs. Seems like this is a win win win win win win win propsition, what do you think? And if you don't agree at least give a good reason why, not just, it wouldn't work, with no other explanation, as that's no explanation at all.

Answer 1

It's just a dream. You only want everything. Why not ask that they burn water?

Answer 2

Actually, the diesel engines in use in all of these (with the exception of planes) are VERY efficient. Of course, the particulate and NOx emissions are still less than desirable, but the current crop of diesels being made are significantly better in that regard.

Frankly, there is no other practical alternative. Internal combustion engines have been around for more than 100 years, and as such they are highly optimized now (jn the developed world atleast). Fuel cell vehicles are just a pipe dream, there isn't enough platinum in the entire earth's crust to make enough fuel cells to power the global vehicle fleet.

Answer 3

I dont know what you are calling replacement engines but as a towboat engineer.trains and ships have basically the same engines they run on diesel.and they run at a slow rpm and is hooked up to a generater and electric motors transfers the power to turn the wheels or props.This is pretty efficient unlike towboats.which have a driveline that turns the props.They use any where from 80 gal an hour to200 gal an hour depending on whether upstream or down and how many barges they are pushing and the engines hardly ever get replaced they just have new components the engines basically have to self destruct before getting replaced

Answer 4

bike, walk, run its cool and eco-friendly. Trains I desire extra. Its extra perfect than buses. automobiles, automobiles, ships and planes. much less site visitors and emissions. in simple terms sit down and relax, study a newspaper.

Answer 5

Do you have a particular engine in mind? If so, you can become quite rich manufacturing it and doing the conversions.