|
Take the Plane Over the Train
High-speed train enthusiasts accept as an article of faith that trains are more efficient than airplanes. It isn’t true, according to Airbus vp for research and technology Dieter Schmitt. As a professor at Munich’s Technical University, Schmitt led a team that compared trains and aircraft. Trains used less energy until they hit 135 mph — after that, says Schmitt, “dynamic pressure takes over and aerodynamics rule everything,” because the power required to ram the train through sea-level air increases with the square of the speed. Conclusion: Most high-speed trains use more energy than aircraft, and that includes Germany’s ICE and France’s TGV. “The results were clear,” says Schmitt, “but nobody wanted to hear it.”
back
to ShowNews home
|
