|
An atmospheric railway uses differential air pressure to provide power for propulsion of a railway vehicle. A static power source can transmit motive power to the vehicle in this way, avoiding the necessity of carrying mobile power generating equipment. The air pressure, or partial vacuum (i.e. negative relative pressure) can be conveyed to the vehicle in a continuous pipe, where the vehicle carries a piston running in the tube. Some form of re-sealable slot is required to enable the piston to be attached to the vehicle. Alternatively the entire vehicle may act as the piston in a large tube. Several variants of the principle were proposed in the early 19th century, and a number of practical forms were implemented, but all were overcome with unforeseen disadvantages and discontinued within a few years. A modern proprietary system has been developed and is in use for short-distance applications. ==History== In the early days of railways, single vehicles or groups were propelled by human power, or by horses. As mechanical power came to be understood, locomotive engines were developed; the ''iron horse''. These had serious limitations, in particular being much heavier than the wagons in use, they broke the rails; and adhesion at the iron-to-iron wheel-rail interface was a limitation, for example in trials on the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway. Many engineers turned their attention to transmitting power from a static power source, a ''stationary engine'', to a moving train. Such an engine could be more robust and with more available space, potentially more powerful. The solution to transmitting the power, before the days of practical electricity, was either the use of a cable system (outside the scope of this article), or the use of air pressure. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Atmospheric railway」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|