Comments on: Caterpillar Builds World's First Hybrid Bulldozer http://gas2.org/2009/09/18/caterpillar-builds-worlds-first-hybrid-bulldozer/ What is the future of fuel? What's new? What's next? Since 2007, Gas 2 has covered a rapidly changing world coming to terms with its oil addiction. Sat, 26 May 2012 14:06:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Paul Gunderson http://gas2.org/2009/09/18/caterpillar-builds-worlds-first-hybrid-bulldozer/#comment-12430 Paul Gunderson Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:14:09 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3549#comment-12430 Diesel locomotives have operated around the world for 7+ decades. Now we have a group with the intelligence to use the torque of the electric motor in one of the most torque involved machines invented, DUH, imagine that. Diesel locomotives have operated around the world for 7+ decades. Now we have a group with the intelligence to use the torque of the electric motor in one of the most torque involved machines invented, DUH, imagine that.

]]> By: Paul Gunderson http://gas2.org/2009/09/18/caterpillar-builds-worlds-first-hybrid-bulldozer/#comment-35708 Paul Gunderson Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:14:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3549#comment-35708 Diesel locomotives have operated around the world for 7+ decades. Now we have a group with the intelligence to use the torque of the electric motor in one of the most torque involved machines invented, DUH, imagine that. Diesel locomotives have operated around the world for 7+ decades. Now we have a group with the intelligence to use the torque of the electric motor in one of the most torque involved machines invented, DUH, imagine that.

]]> By: Kevin http://gas2.org/2009/09/18/caterpillar-builds-worlds-first-hybrid-bulldozer/#comment-12429 Kevin Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:39:55 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3549#comment-12429 R.G. LeTourneau was doing this in 1950. Many large earthmovers are doing this today in very large equipment. Most large railroad (train) powerplants are diesel electric too. Kudos to the marketing folks for mis-informing those who do not know. R.G. LeTourneau was doing this in 1950.

Many large earthmovers are doing this today in very large equipment. Most large railroad (train) powerplants are diesel electric too. Kudos to the marketing folks for mis-informing those who do not know.

]]> By: Kevin http://gas2.org/2009/09/18/caterpillar-builds-worlds-first-hybrid-bulldozer/#comment-35707 Kevin Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:39:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3549#comment-35707 R.G. LeTourneau was doing this in 1950. Many large earthmovers are doing this today in very large equipment. Most large railroad (train) powerplants are diesel electric too. Kudos to the marketing folks for mis-informing those who do not know. R.G. LeTourneau was doing this in 1950.

Many large earthmovers are doing this today in very large equipment. Most large railroad (train) powerplants are diesel electric too. Kudos to the marketing folks for mis-informing those who do not know.

]]> By: Mr. Sinister http://gas2.org/2009/09/18/caterpillar-builds-worlds-first-hybrid-bulldozer/#comment-12428 Mr. Sinister Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:11:38 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3549#comment-12428 It's not really a hybrid ... it's an electric bulldozer that happens to have an on-board diesel generator to supply the electric power. As the article points out, the dozer does not store power. There would be no point, since the battery storage capacity required to move such a machine would be enormous. The advantage of this configuration is that the diesel engine can be shut down when the dozer is not in motion, as opposed to idling, similar to the start/stop technology showing up in automobiles. In addition, the engine can be tuned for greater efficiency when operated in steady-state mode, again similar to the range-extender concept of the Volt. Excellent idea from Catepillar. Far too little attention has been paid to the opportunities for improving efficiency in service vehicles, shipping, and heavy equipment. That's where the low-hanging fruit is ... and these are the sorts of applications that can tolerate the higher up-front costs, whereas hybrid price premiums are a significant barrier in passenger vehicles. It’s not really a hybrid … it’s an electric bulldozer that happens to have an on-board diesel generator to supply the electric power. As the article points out, the dozer does not store power. There would be no point, since the battery storage capacity required to move such a machine would be enormous.

The advantage of this configuration is that the diesel engine can be shut down when the dozer is not in motion, as opposed to idling, similar to the start/stop technology showing up in automobiles. In addition, the engine can be tuned for greater efficiency when operated in steady-state mode, again similar to the range-extender concept of the Volt.

Excellent idea from Catepillar. Far too little attention has been paid to the opportunities for improving efficiency in service vehicles, shipping, and heavy equipment. That’s where the low-hanging fruit is … and these are the sorts of applications that can tolerate the higher up-front costs, whereas hybrid price premiums are a significant barrier in passenger vehicles.

]]> By: Mr. Sinister http://gas2.org/2009/09/18/caterpillar-builds-worlds-first-hybrid-bulldozer/#comment-35706 Mr. Sinister Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:11:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3549#comment-35706 It's not really a hybrid ... it's an electric bulldozer that happens to have an on-board diesel generator to supply the electric power. As the article points out, the dozer does not store power. There would be no point, since the battery storage capacity required to move such a machine would be enormous. The advantage of this configuration is that the diesel engine can be shut down when the dozer is not in motion, as opposed to idling, similar to the start/stop technology showing up in automobiles. In addition, the engine can be tuned for greater efficiency when operated in steady-state mode, again similar to the range-extender concept of the Volt. Excellent idea from Catepillar. Far too little attention has been paid to the opportunities for improving efficiency in service vehicles, shipping, and heavy equipment. That's where the low-hanging fruit is ... and these are the sorts of applications that can tolerate the higher up-front costs, whereas hybrid price premiums are a significant barrier in passenger vehicles. It’s not really a hybrid … it’s an electric bulldozer that happens to have an on-board diesel generator to supply the electric power. As the article points out, the dozer does not store power. There would be no point, since the battery storage capacity required to move such a machine would be enormous.

The advantage of this configuration is that the diesel engine can be shut down when the dozer is not in motion, as opposed to idling, similar to the start/stop technology showing up in automobiles. In addition, the engine can be tuned for greater efficiency when operated in steady-state mode, again similar to the range-extender concept of the Volt.

Excellent idea from Catepillar. Far too little attention has been paid to the opportunities for improving efficiency in service vehicles, shipping, and heavy equipment. That’s where the low-hanging fruit is … and these are the sorts of applications that can tolerate the higher up-front costs, whereas hybrid price premiums are a significant barrier in passenger vehicles.

]]> By: Eric Carter http://gas2.org/2009/09/18/caterpillar-builds-worlds-first-hybrid-bulldozer/#comment-12427 Eric Carter Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:50:44 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3549#comment-12427 This doesn't look like a hybrid at all, just a diesel-eletric drive similar to what many vehicles with the high-torque requirements would use. If it was a hybrid then shouldn't "batteries" be called out on that image? Hybrid implies two sources of power, which this does not. It's closer to a train that a Prius or Volt. Assuming that picture, the power flow appears to be as follows: 1) diesel fuel power engine 2) engine turns generator 3) generator powers electric motors/accessories 4) motors power wheels This doesn’t look like a hybrid at all, just a diesel-eletric drive similar to what many vehicles with the high-torque requirements would use. If it was a hybrid then shouldn’t “batteries” be called out on that image? Hybrid implies two sources of power, which this does not. It’s closer to a train that a Prius or Volt.

Assuming that picture, the power flow appears to be as follows:

1) diesel fuel power engine

2) engine turns generator

3) generator powers electric motors/accessories

4) motors power wheels

]]> By: Eric Carter http://gas2.org/2009/09/18/caterpillar-builds-worlds-first-hybrid-bulldozer/#comment-35705 Eric Carter Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:50:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3549#comment-35705 This doesn't look like a hybrid at all, just a diesel-eletric drive similar to what many vehicles with the high-torque requirements would use. If it was a hybrid then shouldn't "batteries" be called out on that image? Hybrid implies two sources of power, which this does not. It's closer to a train that a Prius or Volt. Assuming that picture, the power flow appears to be as follows: 1) diesel fuel power engine 2) engine turns generator 3) generator powers electric motors/accessories 4) motors power wheels This doesn’t look like a hybrid at all, just a diesel-eletric drive similar to what many vehicles with the high-torque requirements would use. If it was a hybrid then shouldn’t “batteries” be called out on that image? Hybrid implies two sources of power, which this does not. It’s closer to a train that a Prius or Volt.

Assuming that picture, the power flow appears to be as follows:

1) diesel fuel power engine

2) engine turns generator

3) generator powers electric motors/accessories

4) motors power wheels

]]> By: ChuckL http://gas2.org/2009/09/18/caterpillar-builds-worlds-first-hybrid-bulldozer/#comment-12426 ChuckL Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:49:16 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3549#comment-12426 Tim, It is NOT a hybrid. It is a diesel-electric. From the Cat web site: "It uses a Cat C9 engine powered by ACERT® Technology - compliant with Tier 3 regulations for criteria pollutants - and an on-board generator to efficiently convert engine power into AC electrical current that drives the tractor." Tim, It is NOT a hybrid. It is a diesel-electric.

From the Cat web site: “It uses a Cat C9 engine powered by ACERT® Technology – compliant with Tier 3 regulations for criteria pollutants – and an on-board generator to efficiently convert engine power into AC electrical current that drives the tractor.”

]]> By: ChuckL http://gas2.org/2009/09/18/caterpillar-builds-worlds-first-hybrid-bulldozer/#comment-35704 ChuckL Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:49:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3549#comment-35704 Tim, It is NOT a hybrid. It is a diesel-electric. From the Cat web site: "It uses a Cat C9 engine powered by ACERT® Technology - compliant with Tier 3 regulations for criteria pollutants - and an on-board generator to efficiently convert engine power into AC electrical current that drives the tractor." Tim, It is NOT a hybrid. It is a diesel-electric.

From the Cat web site: “It uses a Cat C9 engine powered by ACERT® Technology – compliant with Tier 3 regulations for criteria pollutants – and an on-board generator to efficiently convert engine power into AC electrical current that drives the tractor.”

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