Turbo-electric transmission
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Turbo-electric drives are used in some locomotives (gas turbines, e.g. with the first TGV) and ships (steam and sometimes gas turbines). The advantage of the turbo-electric transmission is that it allows the adaptation of high-speed turning turbines to the slow turning propellers or wheels without the need of a heavy and complex gearbox. It also has the second advantage of being able to provide electricity for the ship or train's other electrical systems, such as lighting, computers, radar, and communications equipment.
A disadvantage shared with the more common diesel-electric powertrain is that because of the double conversion of mechanical energy to electricity and back more energy gets lost than with a mechanical transmission. Gas turbines are much more energy efficient than equally sized diesel engines. Efficiency usually ranges from 30% to 38% for Diesel engines and from 40% to 60% in a gas turbine engine.
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