heavy weight part 2
We continue the interrupted presentation of heavy vehicles. We will start the second part with an object coveted by many, especially young people, an object known from many excellent films of an American tractor, often shining from afar with chrome-plated chrome.
american truck
Great truck tractorс powerful engine ahead, gleaming chrome in the sun and piercing the sky with vertical exhaust pipes - such an image, shaped by pop culture, mainly cinematography, will certainly appear before our eyes when we think about the American counterparts of trucks. In general, it will be a real vision, although there are other types of trucks in America.
Where exactly does the different style and design come from - there is no unambiguous answer to this question, but several conclusions can be drawn. Americans generally love big carsso this is also reflected truck, routes in America are often very long and drivers drive thousands of miles at a time, often in wastelands, and the engine in the front gives more room for the driver's cab, which can be equipped with anything decent Camper.
1. The future of American trucks - Peterbilt 579EV and Kenworth T680 with fuel cells at the entrance to the famous Pikes Peak
Legal limits on truck size are much less restrictive than in Europe, for example, so American trucks can be larger and more spacious. One of the most important differences is achieved speed, in the US, drivers can drive faster because they are not restricted electronic muzzles, in Europe, limits are usually set at around 82-85 km / h. Though tachograph are currently required in both Europe and the US, but abroad they are mainly used to control the working time of the driver, and on the Old Continent also for compliance with the speed limit, and the new smart devices, which have been in operation for two years, have received an additional function, thanks to which it is also possible to automatically fix the position of the vehicle.
But the “nose” trucks are not superior to European trucks in everything, the latter, as a rule, are better equipped, have more modern solutions, and, as few people know, the standard power of their engines (about 500 KM) is greater than in Trucks Peterbilt or Freightliner (approx. 450 hp). And what is even more amazing is that they usually do the same. large fuel tanks.
2. Interior of the driver's sleeping area in the Freightliner Cascadia
125 years ago
This is the time that has passed since Gottlieb Daimler built what is today considered the first truck. The car was built at the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft plant in Cannstat near Stuttgart.
Actually it was horse-drawn boxcar, in the form of a low-sided platform, to which the German designer added a 1,06-liter two-cylinder engine behind the rear axle and a “staggering” maximum power of 4 hp. This engine, called the "phoenix", could run on gasoline, coke oven gas or kerosene. Daimler connected it to the rear axle using a belt drive.
At that time, the Daimler truck was very well sprung - the front axle was amortized by a transverse elliptical resourcesand behind with steel springs. They also used coil springsto prevent transmission of shocks to a sensitive engine. It must be remembered that the vehicle rolled on hard iron wheels, and the condition of the roads at that time left much to be desired. Though Innovative Daimler trucks were greeted with interest, the first buyer was found only in England, where they had to compete with the market-dominating steam designs.
3. The first Gotlieb Daimler truck in 1896.
Daimler continued to improve its truckby creating new versions and models. Two years later, in 1898 truck it acquired an appearance that for the first time clearly distinguished it from the then passenger cars and at the same time had a positive effect on its load capacity - the engine was placed in front of the front axle. Daimler and his trucks, and later similar vehicles from other automotive pioneers, were ideally suited for the right period of history - the industrial revolution was gaining momentum and mass-produced goods were entering the market that needed to be distributed quickly and on a large scale. . And to this day, nothing has changed in this regard.
Tirem to the future
From the past let's jump into the future now because trucks i freight marketas well as in general modern automotive industryis entering a period of major change. The biggest problem is, of course, ecology and the mass introduction of new ones, preferably with zero emissions, on a massive scale. However, it seems that due to the specifics of this market and the design of trucks, even their weight and higher energy intensity, these changes will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. However, this does not mean that work on new drives is no longer being carried out and systematically put into operation.
4. 10,6-liter 3-cylinder six-piston diesel engine from Achates Power.
Many experts from transport industry and manufacturers predict that even within the next five years, the dominance of diesel cars will be undeniable. There are other ideas for improving this drive, for example, the latest invention of the American company Achates Power - three-cylinder diesel with six pistons, which is expected to burn 8 percent less fuel and emit about 90 percent. less toxic oxides of nitrogen. This engine must be extremely efficient due to the combination of two opposing cylinders in the pistons. Together they form one combustion chamber and mutually absorb each other's energy, translating it into motion.
The next stage of development, of course, electrification, and in the long run, most of the world's trucks are likely to be in use. According to Eurostat statistics, 45 percent. of all goods transported by road in Europe cover a distance of less than 300 km. This means that almost half of all trucks in the EU could already be electrified. Electric trucks are starting to be used in low-range urban areas, while more efficient hydrogen vehicles will find use in domestic and international transportation.
5. Volvo electric trucks
6. Transport of the future according to Daimler: Mercedes-Benz eActros, Mercedes-Benz eActros LongHaul and Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck.
To illustrate global trends, let's use the examples of one of the largest truck manufacturers - Daimler and Volvo, which, moreover, recently created a joint venture called Cellcentricwhose purpose is hydrogen engine development. Daimler will soon start production of the first serial heavy-duty vehicle driven exclusively by battery electric drive - Mercedes-Benz and Actros, which is expected to have a range of more than 200 km, the company also announced an electric long-haul truck, the Mercedes-Benz eActros LongHaul. Its power reserve after one battery charge will be about 500 km.
On the other hand Volvo Trucks just launched three new heavy electric vehicles: FM, FMX and FH. They have a power of 490 kW and a maximum torque of 2400 Nm. reaches 540 kWh, which should provide a power reserve of about 300 km. Volvo has announced that by 2030, half of the brand's trucks sold in Europe will be powered by an electric motor or hydrogen fuel cells. However, from 2040, both companies only want to sell cars with zero-emission engines.
7. Trucks Kenworth T680 FCEV refuel with hydrogen at the station Port of Los Angeles.
in respect of fuel cells and a breakthrough is expected before the end of the decade. The aforementioned Cellcentric plans to start production in 2025. hydrogen fuel cells Scale. The first Daimler truck to use this technology. Truck Mercedes-Benz GenH2By using liquid hydrogen, which has a much higher energy density than gaseous hydrogen, it should match the performance of a conventional diesel-powered truck and have a range in excess of 1000 km. GenH2 Truck is also a good indication of where the styling of the tractor cabs will go - they will be slightly longer, more streamlined and aerodynamic, which is very important in the case of green drives.
Development of ecological transport this will affect not only the vehicles themselves, but also the roads they travel on. A good example is the experimental electrified motorway sections recently opened for use in Germany and Sweden.
hybrid trucks they have pantographs installed, and a contact network is stretched over the road on supports. As soon as the system is connected to the system, the internal combustion engine is turned off and the truck runs entirely on electricity. Driving in electric mode is possible for several kilometers after leaving the line thanks to the energy stored in the batteries. However, the meaning of building such roads causes a lot of controversy, especially in the context of the announced hydrogen revolution.
8. Scania R 450 with pantograph on an electrified track
Another key change that awaits us in the future, gradual replacement of traditional trucks by autonomous vehicles. Perhaps in a slightly more distant future they will become the standard trucks without cabsbecause they are mostly used by drivers and they won't be needed anymore. One way or another, the first such machine has already been created, it Swedish truck Einride T-Pod. Interestingly, it cannot be bought, the only option is rent.
The first large autonomous trucks They have also been subjected to extensive testing for some time, so far mostly in closed logistics facilities where safety procedures are easy to implement, but they have also recently been approved for driving on some roads in the US.
The next stage in the development of autonomous transport will be Hub-2hub transport, that is, transport along expressways between logistics centers. At first, trucks will still be driven by people, who, however, will gradually be limited to general observation of the situation, entrusting the control of the vehicle to the autopilot, as has long been the case in air transport. Ultimately, travel between hubs should be fully autonomous, and live drivers may be needed to distribute deliveries to local small trucks.
10. Test autonomous American truck Peterbilt 579
11. Vera - autonomous tractor Volvo with a container
Basically, autonomous transport must be more economical (reducing the cost of operating vehicles and remuneration of drivers), Faster (no need for rest stops for the driver, which increases the driving time of the truck from the current 29% to 78%), more environmentally friendly (great smoothness) profitable (more trips = more orders) i safer (elimination of the most unreliable human factor).
