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MainerZ t1_ixldmtz wrote

Reply to comment by PlayfulParamedic2626 in This mining tractor developed by Caterpillar is completely battery-operated by redhatGizmo

Up a mountain? Are these not primarily used to pull rock out of large holes? They'll be hauling loads out and driving down empty, that doesn't sound like it'll generate a whole lot.

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g1aiz t1_ixlvy90 wrote

The holes can be up mountains too.

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PlayfulParamedic2626 t1_ixm0iq9 wrote

In Electric Truck Hydropower technology, an empty truck moves up the mountain to collect containers filled with water at the charge site, while a truck with a full container goes down the mountain, generating electricity. The water then is unloaded at the discharge site.

https://www.thefabricator.com/stampingjournal/news/electricvehicles/technology-uses-electric-trucks-to-help-generate-hydroelectric-power

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lasdue t1_ixpjuf0 wrote

Is that satire or something, why would you do that instead of a pump and some pipelines?

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PlayfulParamedic2626 t1_ixpy9eb wrote

Because a pipeline isn’t cost effective to build and maintain. There’s already a road on the route. . .

The truck is fast easy cheap. A pipeline takes years and lots of money to build, install, and maintain.

A truck can carry rock. Be used anywhere anytime. A truck can move materials down several different mountains per day.

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lasdue t1_ixq0j5x wrote

Sorry man but moving water up a hill with a vehicle sounds stupid inefficient compared to a pipeline for electricity generation purposes.

On top of the weight of the water there’s also the additional weight of the vehicles that takes extra energy to move.

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PlayfulParamedic2626 t1_ixq1fzc wrote

The water starts at the top of the hill…. The energy is captured through regenerative braking on the trip down the hill….

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lasdue t1_ixq20ke wrote

There are still losses from transferring the energy from regen to the battery and then taking it out from it again. It’s inefficient and pointless.

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PlayfulParamedic2626 t1_ixqdki7 wrote

I’m sure you know more than all the engineers at catapillar

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lasdue t1_ixqh5nx wrote

Caterpillar has absolutely nothing to do with the article/study you linked

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