Can’t see truckers being let loose with nuclear power, a gas turbine might be an option - I believe Ruston gas turbines had a car with one in it back in the 80s.
It’s not something I know much about but I’d imagine you’d struggle to get enough torque out of a turbine to be used in a truck without a turbine that was too big to actually use. I guess carrying enough fuel would also be a problem.
I can see the next thing being purpose-built engines that run on renewable natural gas (methane for example) or alcohol. I’d imagine, to get enough torque, such an engine would need a lot of large diameter cylinders in a “V” configuration or in a ring around the crankshaft like aeroplane engines (the name escapes me).
5years learning to be a mechanic weren’t wasted after all 
remember; you heard it here first 
darkseeker:
Can’t see truckers being let loose with nuclear power, a gas turbine might be an option - I believe Ruston gas turbines had a car with one in it back in the 80s.It’s not something I know much about but I’d imagine you’d struggle to get enough torque out of a turbine to be used in a truck without a turbine that was too big to actually use. I guess carrying enough fuel would also be a problem.
I can see the next thing being purpose-built engines that run on renewable natural gas (methane for example) or alcohol. I’d imagine, to get enough torque, such an engine would need a lot of large diameter cylinders in a “V” configuration or in a ring around the crankshaft like aeroplane engines (the name escapes me).
5years learning to be a mechanic weren’t wasted after all
All it needs is a spark ignition modified head on the existing diesel block and reduce the compression ratio although LPG has got (much) better octane ratings than petrol so it will still accept a reasonable amount of forced induction and specific torque (BMEP) is mainly a function of stroke and boost pressures not bore size.I can just imagine those zb zb’s in the government saying quick put LPG up to £1.50 per liter before everyone starts using LPG powered wagons. 
darkseeker:
Can’t see truckers being let loose with nuclear power, a gas turbine might be an option - I believe Ruston gas turbines had a car with one in it back in the 80s.It’s not something I know much about but I’d imagine you’d struggle to get enough torque out of a turbine to be used in a truck without a turbine that was too big to actually use. I guess carrying enough fuel would also be a problem.
I can see the next thing being purpose-built engines that run on renewable natural gas (methane for example) or alcohol. I’d imagine, to get enough torque, such an engine would need a lot of large diameter cylinders in a “V” configuration or in a ring around the crankshaft like aeroplane engines (the name escapes me).
5years learning to be a mechanic weren’t wasted after all
but it could make Electricity which poweres your Electro Motor
Would make crashes much more interesting have a reactor up front
anyone else notice that the link is to lovelypersons photobucket page 
■■■■■■■ troll
Carryfast, those ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■ in government would wait untill after you had converted to LPG then they would put the price up. Otherwise no one would do it.
darkseeker:
Can’t see truckers being let loose with nuclear power, a gas turbine might be an option - I believe Ruston gas turbines had a car with one in it back in the 80s.
Seem to remember a shiny, stainless steel Leyland tractor unit with a gas turbine. The fuel economy would be horriffic!
a lot of large diameter cylinders in a “V” configuration or in a ring around the crankshaft like aeroplane engines (the name escapes me).
Radial piston engine?
I think you could get the torque with enough gearing. After all gas turbines spin at some stupid rate of rpms, something like 100,000 rpm. Gear it down well enough and there’s plenty of potential there.
cieranc:
darkseeker:
Can’t see truckers being let loose with nuclear power, a gas turbine might be an option - I believe Ruston gas turbines had a car with one in it back in the 80s.Seem to remember a shiny, stainless steel Leyland tractor unit with a gas turbine. The fuel economy would be horriffic!
a lot of large diameter cylinders in a “V” configuration or in a ring around the crankshaft like aeroplane engines (the name escapes me).
Radial piston engine?
I think you could get the torque with enough gearing. After all gas turbines spin at some stupid rate of rpms, something like 200,000 rpm. Gear it down well enough and there’s plenty of potential there.
The problem with turbines is that they are prohibitively expensive to buy,maintain,and in fuel consumption that’s even before getting involved with the fact that it needs to run mostly at a constant speed.This comparison of just a good old fashioned technology petrol V8 used in an aero engine application v turbine gives some idea of how it would compare with a modern truck diesel. 
traceengines.com/trace-advantage
There’s probably no way that a radial would fit in a typical cab over truck and if the idea was any good they’d have used something like the radial engines,that were fitted in the Sherman tank,in a conventional long before now.
Carryfast:
that’s even before getting involved with the fact that it needs to run mostly at a constant speed.
Not sure that’s the case mind, at least the engines I built never did (Rolls Royce RB199’s), they got well worked across the full operating range.
cieranc:
Carryfast:
that’s even before getting involved with the fact that it needs to run mostly at a constant speed.Not sure that’s the case mind, at least the engines I built never did (Rolls Royce RB199’s), they got well worked across the full operating range.
The problem with road apllications isn’t so much one of their operating ‘range’ it’s the time taken to change between the different levels over the range (lag) amongst all the other issues.
Carryfast:
The problem with road apllications isn’t so much one of their operating ‘range’ it’s the time taken to change between the different levels over the range (lag) amongst all the other issues.
I disagree. I don’t know what experience you have of gas turbines, but in my experience, a gas turbine will spool up just as fast, if not faster than a diesel engine. Throttle response is a specific test carried out on the test bed immediately after the engines were built, and again on the tubes once installed in an airframe.
They are totally impractical for truck application though. First bit of fod sucked into the compressor and the engine is wrecked.
cieranc:
Carryfast:
The problem with road apllications isn’t so much one of their operating ‘range’ it’s the time taken to change between the different levels over the range (lag) amongst all the other issues.I disagree. I don’t know what experience you have of gas turbines, but in my experience, a gas turbine will spool up just as fast, if not faster than a diesel engine. Throttle response is a specific test carried out on the test bed immediately after the engines were built, and again on the tubes once installed in an airframe.
They are totally impractical for truck application though. First bit of fod sucked into the compressor and the engine is wrecked.
The only experience I’ve got of turbines is the usual reasons as to why ‘not’ to use them in road vehicle applications. 
automobilemag.com/green/news … index.html
However I did notice that the example you’ve given relates to a jet engine not a shaft/transmission drive type ?.
which might account for the difference in outlook. 
Ironically though it was the V12 diesel in the Challenger that proved to be more difficult to make sand proof for the desert than the turbine in the Abrams.
Carryfast:
The only experience I’ve got of turbines is the usual reasons as to why ‘not’ to use them in road vehicle applications
automobilemag.com/green/news … index.html
I don’t understand your answer. What experience is that, other than what you’ve read on the internet?
However I did notice that the example you’ve given relates to a jet engine not a shaft/transmission drive type ?.
which might account for the difference in outlook.
I’ve worked on jets and props. I believe the RR Gnome (which is a re-badged GE T58) fitted in Wessex heli’s to be just as responsive on the test bed. They’re actually restricted in airframe use, to prevent shock loading the blades. They run around the equivilent of 1380hp, but can make much more on the test bed.
Ironically though it was the V12 diesel in the Challenger that proved to be more difficult to make sand proof for the desert than the turbine in the Abrams.
We could always tell which engines had been low flying in the Gulf, due to the amount of glass found in the combustion chamber!
cieranc:
Carryfast:
The only experience I’ve got of turbines is the usual reasons as to why ‘not’ to use them in road vehicle applications
automobilemag.com/green/news … index.htmlI don’t understand your answer. What experience is that, other than what you’ve read on the internet?
No just based on experience before the internet ever existed.If turbines would have been up to the job that’s what they would have put in trucks instead of zb great big heavy diesel engines and all the reasoning against doing it,that I heard then,seemed to be exactly the same reasons that the internet confirms now.More than just a co incidence I think.
So the trailer load of frozen becomes fast food?
video.google.com/videoplay?docid … 570498593#
Carryfast:
cieranc:
Carryfast:
The only experience I’ve got of turbines is the usual reasons as to why ‘not’ to use them in road vehicle applications
automobilemag.com/green/news … index.htmlI don’t understand your answer. What experience is that, other than what you’ve read on the internet?
No just based on experience before the internet ever existed.If turbines would have been up to the job that’s what they would have put in trucks instead of zb great big heavy diesel engines and all the reasoning against doing it,that I heard then,seemed to be exactly the same reasons that the internet confirms now.More than just a co incidence I think.
You speak in riddles. The question was, what experience do you have with gas turbines?
No just based on experience before the internet ever existed
What experience is this?
Are you saying you have got experience of gas turbines, or you haven’t got experience with gas turbines?
Maybe I’m just thick but I don’t understand what you mean by ‘experience before the internet ever existed’.
cieranc:
Carryfast:
cieranc:
Carryfast:
The only experience I’ve got of turbines is the usual reasons as to why ‘not’ to use them in road vehicle applications
automobilemag.com/green/news … index.htmlI don’t understand your answer. What experience is that, other than what you’ve read on the internet?
No just based on experience before the internet ever existed.If turbines would have been up to the job that’s what they would have put in trucks instead of zb great big heavy diesel engines and all the reasoning against doing it,that I heard then,seemed to be exactly the same reasons that the internet confirms now.More than just a co incidence I think.
You speak in riddles. The question was, what experience do you have with gas turbines?
No just based on experience before the internet ever existed
What experience is this?
Are you saying you have got experience of gas turbines, or you haven’t got experience with gas turbines?
Maybe I’m just thick but I don’t understand what you mean by ‘experience before the internet ever existed’.
You also didn’t seem to understand the bit where I said the ‘only’ ‘experience’ which I have of turbine engines was involvement in truck manufacturing thereby having an understanding of the ‘reasons’,as to why turbines weren’t (and still generally aren’t) used in trucks.Those reasons being based on the experiences of those who had tried the idea.Which probably explains why no truck manufacturers have ever put any turbine powered trucks into large scale production.In this case knowing why and when not to use the wrong power unit for the job is all that matters.In just the same way that an aircraft builder wouldn’t need any experience of diesels or working in a diesel engine factory to know that four truck diesels won’t power a Hercules aircraft.
It was you who said that I’ve based that reasoning on information available on the internet to which I replied that my knowledge of the subject was all gained before the internet ever existed.
Good OP.
But as the thread has taken on a more serious tone:
This looks a good contender for the “Future Truck Engine” and anyone with a well grounded mechanical background will recognise the major benefits.