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Railway Technology Magazine

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2nd IssueJuly 2005

CONTENTS

3 Editorial

4 En Route with Heidi Express

7 German Innovation Price 2003

8 Making of: MEE-NTSD for Metro Kaohsiung

12 Rolling Computer Systems

14 High Speed in China

17 From Shanghai to Beijing with the Night Train

18 Effective Use of Energy

21 Official Change to a Corporation completed

22 Enjoy Driving without Regret

25 Railway Technology News

26 The City on the Islands

Rail Focus Railway Technology Magazine Publisher: SMA Technologie AGHannoversche Str. 1–534266 NiestetalGermanyPhone +49 561 95 22 - 0Fax +49 561 95 22 - 100

Responsible for contentsDirk [email protected] [email protected]@SMA.de

Rail Focus Railway Technology Magazine will be published biannuallyGerman edition: 1.500International edition: 750All brand and product names used in this magazine are trademarks or registered trademarks of theirrespective holders, although they may not be specifically designated as such. Reprints, including excerpts,are subject to written approval from the publisher. Printed on paper made from chlorine-free bleachedcellulose.© 2005 SMA Technologie AG. All rights reserved.

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The cover picture showsthe Bernina Express /Heidi Express in theMontabello Curve nearMorteratsch. Piz Berninaand the MorteratschGlacier can be seen inthe backgroundsee page 4, En Route withHeidi Express

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ra i l f ocu s | 3www.SMA.de

Dear reader,

Many things have changed since thefirst issue of SMA’s Rail Focus maga-zine: SMA Regelsysteme GmbH hasbecome SMA Technologie AG (see arti-cle on page 21). This was an importantstep in order to recognize the outstand-ing business development of recentyears, which will provide new possibili-ties on the international markets.

We would like to thank you for the largenumber of suggestions and feedback onthe first issue of Rail Focus. As a result,we have set up a “News” page (seepage 25) in order to promptly informyou about innovations and new tech-nologies.

We would also like to refer you to thenew, currently updated internet sitewww.SMA.de/bahn. Due to a changedlayout the search for information onSMA’s latest developments has beensimplified.

In addition, we have prepared differentarticles and reports in order to informyou about our current areas of interest.Last but not least we hope that we canconvey to you how much we enjoy ourwork.

We wish you an informative reading.The Sales Department Railway Technology

EDITORIAL

Joachim BierschenkDirk Wimmer Jennifer Herr

2 nd I s s ue4 | ra i l f ocu s

En Route with

APPLICATION

Travelling by train to Switzerland, Heidi’s home

Switzerland is an important transit country onthe North-South axis of Europe. Due to theconstruction of the Lötschberg and Gotthardbase tunnel, the heavy goods vehicle trafficwill be shifted from road to rail in the future.The travelling times in passenger traffic willbe drastically reduced. In addition to thelarge transverses, Switzerland has manyroutes which lead through fascinating land-scapes. This makes train travel an event thatis more than just getting from A to B quickly,as shown by the Heidi Express of theRhätische Bahn (Raethian Railway – RhB).

by Birgit Wilde

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Two years ago, SMA equipped thenew “Panoramawagen” (observa-tion coaches) designed for the Rhä-tische Bahn by the Stadler Alten-rhein AG with SMA auxiliary pow-er supplies. Since then, the coach-es have successfully been used inthe Bernina Express between Churand Tirano. One of the distinguish-ing features of these coaches aretheir panorama windows which ex-tend up to the roof of the coach al-lowing for an unblocked upwardview and picture-taking. The ridewith the Bernina Express takes ap-proximately four hours. The slopesare overcome without any supportby toothed gearwheel, which is areal challenge on the track sectionbetween St. Moritz and Tirano with

a slope of 70 per mill over adistance of 27 km. The train passesthe Bernina Group with several4,000m peaks and arrives at itshighest point the Ospizio BerninaStation at 2,235m above sea level.

The train must regularly clear itsway through large masses of snowin order to avoid any interruption to

the traffic during winter months. Thespectacular snow clearing by meansof a snow blower is a real highlightfor the many tourists every season.

A trip with the Heidi Express is agreat alternative for those who loveto travel with the Bernina Expressand who would like to experiencesomething new in Graubünden. As

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Top right: Snow blowers (electrically or vapor-driven) areused to clear the Bernina route from fresh fallen snow

Lower right: Often pictured – Church of Davos Frauenkirch

The Heidi Express on the Ospizio Bernina with the Lago Bianco and the Cambrena Glacier to the right

Routing of the Heidi Express

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APPLICATION

of May 2006, the comfortable“Panoramawagen” will be exclu-sively used on this route as well. TheRhätische Bahn ordered another tencoaches equipped with an SMAauxiliary power supply from theStadler Altenrhein AG in order to ex-pand their range.

The Heidi Express starts in Landquartand passes charming alpine mead-ows and serpentines through thehigh valley of the Davos landscapeup to the popular winter sports re-sort and then to Filisur. Themost spec-tacular construction on the Heidi Ex-press route is the Wiesner ViaductBridge with a height of 87m thatwas built between 1906 and 1909.

The Bernina and the Heidi Expresscome together in Filisur and then

have the same traffic routing up toTirano. It’s a special adventure tosee the many constructions betweenBergün and Preda, also referred toas “roller coaster section”: five heli-cal tunnels, two normal tunnels, nineviaducts, and two galleries, can allbe experienced on a line section ofonly 12 kilometers.

There are many tourist attractionsalong the route of the RhätischeBahn, like the coasting slide Preda—Bergün. The train carries the sledsuphill from Bergün to Preda andthen it rapidly goes downhill.

The sophisticated technology locat-ed below the coach guarantees thepower supply for the different con-sumer loads in the train. The wellproven MEE system used consists of

a high voltage unit, a battery char-ger and a three-phase output in-verter that is positioned in an un-derfloor enclosure. Additional tech-nical details can be provided uponrequest.

Coasting slide Preda—Bergün

The interior of the“Panoramawagen”

Facts about the Raethian Railway•397 km route network in meter

gauge•118 tunnels and galleries•566 bridges with a total

length of 12 km•Approx. 1500 vehicles•Approx. 1500 employees•One main workshop and four

additional workshops

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“Beuth” medal awarded to Dr. Matthias Victor

The “Deutsche Maschinen-technische Gesellschaft”(DMG – German Ma-chine-Technical Associa-tion) as a forum for “inno-vative railway systems” pro-motes and awards a prizefor outstanding scientificperformances every year.

by Dirk Wimmer

On 15 October 2004the DMG awarded the“Beuth” medal to Dr.Matthias Victor for hisdissertation “Massear-me Energieversorgung für rTraktionsanwendungen” (Low-mass power supply for traction ap-plications).

Dr. Matthias Victor already dealtwith this topic during his placementat the Technical University in Braun-schweig. Soon after finishing his doc-torate he transferred to SMA in orderto implement the results of the doc-torate in a close-to-production testtrack for the first time together with ateam of committed employees.

This prototype with a power of1.5MW was developed by order

of Alstom and present-ed to the public underthe name of “eTrans-former” in 2003.

Dr. Matthias Victor is 34 years old,married and has one daughter.Since 2004 he is team leader andresponsible for the pre-developmentof grid-coupled solar inverters.

German Innovation Price 2003

BACKGROUND

The President of the Beuth-Committee of DMG Dr. Rainer Schmidbergerpresents the “Beuth” medal to Dr. Matthias Victor

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Presentation of the “eTransformer”

APPLICATION

8 | ra i l f ocu s 2 nd I s s ue

Making of:

January 7, 2004: 264 days to the first articleinspectionThe inspection date is already fixedwhen the system is ordered: Sep-tember 27, 2004. We thereforehave 264 days in order to redevel-op an auxiliary converter includingsoftware and enclosure technologybased on the existing MEE-NT plat-form.

January 21, 2004: still 250 days to goIntensive simulations and calcula-tions on the new auxiliary convert-er have been conducted during thetender phase in order to be able todeliver at short notice in case of anorder. The individual componentshave been developed and calcu-

lated in cooperation with sub-sup-pliers. The results are presented andthe essential decisions referring tothe system realization are made onJanuary 21.

The following weeks and monthsare characterized by the develop-ment of various detailed plans withthe objective to bring forward thereal development work at a terrificrate. The total system is simulta-neously precalculated and the func-tions are simulated at the computer.It is thus possible that the develop-ment of the electronics as well asthe development of the softwareand the design of the enclosurecan be started together with theproduction of the different compo-nents, which is an indispensable

precondition for the processing ofsuch a project.

June 14, 2004: still 105 days to goThe engineering sample is put toservice. All persons involved arewaiting with excitement for this mo-ment. Many months worth of devel-opment work has already beendone. Will everything be completedin due time? Are the interfaces cor-rectly specified? Have all importantpoints been considered?

No problems in commissioningarise. For the first time, hardwareand software are tested together.Everything works at first go, whichis a great success for all personsinvolved.

Manufacturers of rolling stock equip-ment as suppliers to the actual carmanufacturer are used to executingdeliveries in the form of projects. Thismeans that there is enormous pressurewith regards to meeting deadlines forsystem realization, in addition to thetechnical aspects to be considered.The following example for the auxil-iary converter MEE-NTSD for MetroKaohsiung illustrates such a project.

by Dirk Wimmer

Presentation of the concept


for Metro Kaohsiung

July 21, 2004: still 68 days to goAll sheet metal parts for the enclo-sure of the prototype have been de-livered during the holidays in themiddle of summer. All the parts stilllook like a puzzle, but within a fewdays the components will be mount-ed (without welding) to make up acomplete underfloor enclosure.

August 17, 2004: still 41 days to goThe prototype of the complete sys-

tem named “Silver Edition” is put toservice in the test area. Extensivetests are scheduled for the comingweeks. The tension increases: Willthe system achieve the required per-formance data? Nothing should gowrong now, as any delay would in-evitably jeopardize the completionof the first two series-produced de-vices.

The tests are successful. The systemcomplies with all requirements; thisis astonishing nevertheless. Due to

the consistent enhancing of the cool-ing technology, it was also possibleto further reduce the weight and in-crease the thermal reserve.

Ultimately we are short of timethough. Within the last weeks, theteam burns the midnight oil with al-most no interruption to the work –even at the weekends. But every-thing goes as planned: everything iscompleted by September 26 at1 p.m. – 20 hours before the be-ginning of the first article inspection.

Mounting of the enclosure is started

Tests at the engineering sample

For short- and long-distance traffic

“Silver Edition” during commissioning

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September 27, 2004: First article inspectionThe system is presented to the cus-tomer for the first time. The series unitis scrutinized and dismantled on atrial basis. The electric tests are con-ducted on the second series unit.The system functions perfectly andpasses the first article inspection testafter two exhausting days.

Thus, there is no obstacle to com-mencing with the production of theseries. However, the developmenthas not been completed yet. Thelast type tests have to be conduct-ed and the documentation must becompleted as well.

The auxiliary converters were putinto operation at the beginning ofApril 2005. A number of tests havebeen conducted here as well before

the vehicle will be tested in termsof driving dynamics, shipped toTaiwan, and deployed in passengertraffic at the beginning of 2007.

APPLICATION

First article inspection

Input voltage

AC output 1

AC output 2

DC output

Dimensions of underfloor enclosure

Weight

750 V DC

3 x 220 / 380 V, 60 Hz, 135 kVA

1 x110 V, 60 Hz, 2 kVA

110 V DC, up to 137.5 V, 125 A

1,500 x 1,700 x 560 (mm)

approx. 850 kg

Technical Data (Kaohsiung)

Total system in open non-welded underfloor enclosure

Innovative Converter Platformfor Long- and Short-DistanceTraffic

MEE-NT SD for CORADIA LIREX TM Stockholm

For short- and long-distance traffic

SMA Technologie AG

Hannoversche Straße 1–534266 NiestetalGermanyPhone +49 561 9522-0Fax +49 561 9522-100E-mail: [email protected]


APPLICATION

The Communication & Control Divi-sion at SMA Technologie AG hasbeen developing and manufactur-ing embedded computers for morethan 20 years. It should come as nosurprise that these computers can al-so be found in SMA’s railway tech-nology products. Applications for di-agnosis and visualization of our en-ergy supply systems are only a smallpart of what we have to offer.

SMA has gained profound know-how about the manifold require-ments concerning vibration andshock resistance, extended temper-ature ranges, resistance against dustand humidity as well as the specifi-cations of special bus systems likeCAN, LON, MVB, and WBT. That’swhy major coach manufacturers rely

on embedded computer solutionsfrom SMA.

This knowledge is complementedby extensive technical equipment.Besides a staff of 1,000 qualifiedemployees, including 200 engi-neers and technicians, SMA Tech-nologie AG has everything neces-sary for the state-of-the-art develop-ment of industrial computer tech-nology. To start, productdevelopment includes environmen-tal tests and other tests customary inour industry. A shielded EMC cham-ber, which allows for the measure-ment of interfering radiation is also

part of our laboratory. Finally, thequality of our products is put to thetest by a thermal image camera formonitoring operation in various in-stallations, and by a shaker for ac-curately determining shock resist-ance.

At the end of the developmentphase, our on-site manufacturing fa-cility allows us to rapidly proceed tothe next step – that is, production.Having everything under one roofalso enables us to immediatelyrespond to new and newly arisingcustomer requirements. We cantherefore guarantee high quality

Metro Bangkok Transrapid Shanghai

Rail grinding and finishing vehicle, Great Britain

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and lasting functional efficiency ofour products, which exceed theaverage life cycle from units deliv-ered by competitors.

The synergies of the business unitsInnovative Energy Systems andCommunication & Control in com-bination with our long-term experi-ence in the realization of challeng-ing customer requirements in thearea of mobile data systems tech-nology, render SMA an ideal part-ner, regardless of whether the de-mands call for standard solutions orindividually designed, custom-madeproducts or systems.

Rolling Computer SystemsThese are the times when operations are increas-ingly handled electronically and no longer manu-ally. The result is that ever more digital informationis generated, distributed and processed. This trendhas long since found its way into rolling stock aswell: Embedded computers are integrated, for ex-ample, in air-conditioning systems or energy supplysystems. As a network, they monitor smooth oper-ation and report the data to the superior unit. Thinkof your last train ride: Isn’t it true that passengerswant to be entertained and informed, that they surfthe web with their notebooks or receive and sendappointments and jobs via mobile phone – inshort, modern vehicles need to be rolling comput-er systems themselves.

by Wolfgang K. Weber

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Universal control computer forrailway applications with DSP

processor and more than 72digital, analog and pulse

width modulatedinputs/outputs.

BACKGROUND


Trains take on a particular importancein China, as they stand for technicalprogress and economic development.This particularly applies to high-speedtrains. A number of high-speed trainsconstructed in China are evidence ofthe enterprise and skills of Chinese en-gineers.

by Dirk Wimmer

These were projects either managedby the Chinese Ministry of Railways(MoR) or realized by private in-vestors. The trains are classified bytheir maximum speed, the locomo-tives and coaches developed can-not be used in conventional Chinesetrains.

SMA has been successfully involvedwith projects in China since 2000.Despite their different constructiontypes and manufacturers, the high-speed trains described below haveone thing in common: the auxiliaryconverters are developed by SMA.

The project “160 km/h” includes asleeper train with a diesel locomo-tive that was mainly constructed atSiFang in Qingdao. The train is used

as night train between Lanzhou andDunhuang, whereas two respectivetrains travel in opposite directions.The train runs every night almost1,000 km along the Chinese Wall,from the industrial city of Lanzhou inthe narrow valley of the Yellow Riv-er to Dunhuang, the eastern end ofthe Silk Route on the edge of theGobi desert.

In contrast to that the eight trainsfrom the project “200 km/h” havebeen developed for use betweenthe cities of Guangzhou andShenzhen in the economicallybooming Pearl River Delta. The elec-tric trains, also referred to as “BlueArrow”, are composed of a loco-motive, seven trailers and a drivingcoach. Due to express trains com-

High Speed in China

Sleeper train “160 km/h” (Lanzhou—Dunhuang)

Yellow SeaLanzhou

Yinchuan Shijiazhuang

Tianjin

Hohhot

Taiyuan Jinan

Beijing

Xining

Hwangho

South KoChina

DunhuangYumen


muting every 30 minutes the run-ning time between the metropoliseshas been reduced to approx.

one hour. The vehicles have beenprivately financed and rented to therailway company.

The same appliesto the project“210 km/h”. Thetechnically mostspectacular Chi-nese high-speedtrains consist of ninecoaches. The twoend vehicles are de-signed as drivingcoaches. Threecoaches share theauxiliary powersupply and tractionequipment. Com-pared to all otherChinese high-speed

trains no locomotive is used. Thetraction equipment is in fact distrib-uted. This solution is similar to theICE3. Similarities can also be foundin the passenger compartment. Thistrain has been privately financedand designed in Changchun atCRC, just like the “Blue Arrow” train.The two units are designed to beused between the cities of Beijingand Shenyang. However, an ulti-mate decision in terms of the routinghas not yet been taken.

At present the fastest Chinese high-speed train is “270 km/h”. Thistrain, which is equipped with two lo-comotives and eight trailers, is de-signed for use on the new line fromBeijing to the Northeast via Shen-yang to Harbin. The eight trailers

Traction unit of the “Blue Arrow” (Guangzhou—Shenzhen) Prototype “210 km/h” (Beijing—Shenyang)

Yellow Sea

East China Sea

Gulf ofBengal Gulf of

Tonking

Hong Kong

Ürümqi

Lhasa

Lanzhou

Yinchuan

Xi'an

Chengdu Wuhan

Guiyang

Zhengzhou

Shijiazhuang

Tianjin

Hohhot

Taiyuan Jinan

Hefei Nanjing

Shanghai

Hangzhou

Nanchang Changsha

Fuzhou

Guangzhou

Nanning

Kunming

Shenyang

Changchun

Harbin

Haikou

Beijing

Xining

Shenzhen

Angara

Amur

Indus

Ganges

LakeBalchasch

Hwangho

Lake Baikal

Jangtsekiang

Russia

Mongolia

Pak.

India

Nepal

Bhutan

Bangladesh

Myanmar (Burma) Vietnam

Philippines

North Korea

South Korea

Taiwan

Laos

China

DunhuangYumen

0 km 200 400 600 800 1000

Tianjin

Hohhot

Shenyang

Beijing Hwangho

Hong Kong

Guangzhou

Nanning

nming

ShenzhenVietnam

Ta

BACKGROUND


have partially been constructed atSiFang in Qingdao and at CRC inChangchun. The locomotives arefrom Zhuzhou.

The further development of the Chi-nese high-speed traffic currently fo-cuses on the use of Western tech-nology. SiFang as well as CRC to-gether with international system ven-

dors will therefore design motorizedtrains with a speed of 200 km/h. Forthe first time, quantities are being re-alized that will allow for widespreadexpansion of high-speed train traffic.

Prototype “270 km/h” (Beijing—Shenyang—Harbin)

Ürümqi

Tianjin

Hohhot

Shenyang

Changchun

Harbin

Beijing

LakeBalchasch

Hwangho

Mongolia

North Korea

DunhuangY

Interior of “210 km/h”

Service at the auxiliary power supplies of the “Blue Arrow”

Auxiliary power supplies of “210 km/h”


One possibility is to go from Shang-hai to Beijing by night train. Thecomfortable train needs 14 hours fora distance of approx. 1,000 km. Asthere is no time for fuelling the diesellocomotives, they are simplychanged.

The train leaves the station of Shang-hai at around 6 p.m. While the pas-sengers can sit in the dining roomthe train goes along the JangtseRiver upstream. The moment whenthe train crosses the river in Nanjingshould not be missed. The dimen-sions of the river, 300 km far fromthe river mouth, are really impres-sive. Then it’s about time to adjournto the cabin where the slippers areready for you. And of course thereis one TV for every bed. You will ar-

rive at the station of Beijing the nextmorning and will be well rested.Soon after having left the train plat-form you will return to the Chinesebustle.

Trains go in both directions everyday. However, you should have aseat reserved some days before asthe seats are limited.

Yellow Sea

East China S

Lanzhou

Yinchuan

Xi'an

Chengdu Wuhan

Zhengzhou

Shijiazhuang

Tianjin

Hohhot

Taiyuan Jinan

Hefei Nanjing

Shanghai

Hangzhou

Beijing

Xining

Hwangho

kiang

South Korea

Due to large distances and lowcosts many travellers choose theairplane for travelling betweenthe large cities of China, a coun-try that is about 27 times largerthan Germany. This is unfortu-nate as the vastness of China canonly be experienced by travellingby train so many passengers missthe experience of an admittedlylong, but extremely interestingtrain journey.

by Dirk Wimmer

From Shanghai to Beijing with the Night Train

TRAVEL


The major advantage of rail-boundtraffic is basically the high energyefficiency due to the low rollingresistance of the wheel/rail system.However, the costs for the powersupply of 4 – 8 % of the entire railsystem’s costs1 are one of the high-est cost factors for the operation ofrolling stock. In Europe, the averageenergy costs of a tram are approx.€ 25,000.00 and of a metro trainapprox. € 150,000.00 annually.2

It is in the interest of every operatorof rolling stock to keep the energycosts to a minimum. Several modeltests have been conducted on anational and international level totest the different technologicalapproaches in order to increase theenergy efficiency of rolling stock.

The second UIC conference on thissubject took place in Paris on 4 – 5February, 2004. The purpose ofthis conference, where the first prom-ising results of these projects and thecurrent state of the art were report-ed, was to consult with and to sup-port railway system operators interms of the economic use of theirvehicles. Examples are the UIC pro-jects PROSPER (Procedures forRolling Stock with Environmental Re-quirements)3 and EVENT (Evalua-tion of Energy Efficiency Technolo-gies for Rolling Stock and Train Op-eration of Railways)4.

Figure 1 illustrates the losses duringthe operation of rolling stock. Afterthe energy consumption has beenanalyzed, different strategies have

been developed in order to reduceenergy consumption. The reductionof the vehicle’s mass is of major im-portance in addition to the use ofsophisticated traction equipmentwith high efficiency, the reduction ofthe vehicle’s rolling and air resis-tance, or the optimized consumptionin the case of conveniences (e. g. airconditioning). The mass reduction isconsidered as an important step toimprove energy efficiency in rollingstock within the scope of the PROS-PER and EVENT projects as well.

Approx. 40 % of the used energy ofrolling stock is retained in the vehi-cle in the form of kinetic energy.When braking, this kinetic energy iswithdrawn and can possibly be fedback. However, this is not possible

Higher energy efficiency inrolling stock due to MEE-NT

The development of the MEE-NT wasan essential step towards a higher en-ergy efficiency of rolling stock. Due tothe reduction in weight of the power sup-ply system that is in most cases veryhigh, it is possible to greatly reduce theenergy consumption of the vehicles.

by Dirk Wimmer

BACKGROUND

Effective Use of Energy

in the case of diesel vehicles due totheir traction technology, and olderelectrically driven vehicles with trac-tion equipment that is not designedfor regenerative braking. This alsoonly partially applies in the case ofnew electric vehicles. Even the DCgrids commonly used in commuterrailway systems can not normallyabsorb the energy. A large part ofthe kinetic energy is thus wasted bythe braking resistor.

Considering the energy absorptionof rolling stock referring to its mass,at best 60 – 70 % of the energy

used may be recovered. The actualvalue is normally well below this ref-erence value, particularly in thecase of commuter trains.

However, commuter trains in partic-ular have a large number of cycleswith short distances between stopsthat have to be covered at highspeeds resulting in a constantchange between acceleration anddeceleration. At the same time, aconversion of electric into kineticenergy and vice versa results whichalways involves losses. Finally it isthe high energy used for accelerat-


100 % Energy purchase

Energy absorption of the train

Losses in sub-stationand overhead cable

Energy absorption for traction of train

Energy absorption for convenience(e. g. air conditioning)

Mechanical energy of the wheels

Losses in traction equipment

Kinetic energy of the train

Losses due to friction and air resistance

Approx. 40 % of the energy used

Energy for accelerating a mass (100 %)

Losses in sub-stationand overhead cable

Losses in traction equipmentwhen accelerating

Energy for accelerating a mass within a vehicle

At best approx. 60 % ... 70 % of the energy used can be recovered

Kinetic energy of a mass within a vehicle

Losses in traction equipment when braking

ing rolling stock that accounts for thelargest part of the energy costs.

The lower the mass of a vehicle; thelower its kinetic energy at the samespeed. This also implies that a low-er kinetic energy requires less ener-gy for accelerating and decelerat-ing the vehicle. Costs can thus bedrastically reduced. An approxi-mate reference value is about 8.5 %of energy saved in the case wherethe weight of the vehicle is reducedby 10 %1.

Reducing the weight of the vehicleis therefore one of the most impor-tant objectives when designingrolling stock. This does not only ap-ply to vehicles, but also to their dif-ferent components, notably to thepower supply. The power supply re-quirements are normally extremelyhigh because the weight of the pow-er supply unit has to be reduced de-spite of additional comfort (e. g. airconditioning) and increasing powerrequirements.

Every power supply system consistsof a number of components and sub-systems that can be reduced in theirweight. This includes the following:• Transformers for electric

separation• Chokes for the assembly of

filters• Enclosures• Cooling technology

All these points have been scruti-nized and considered by using thecomponents and modules listed be-low when developing the MEE-NTpower supply platform:• Medium frequency transformers

for electric separation• Highly dynamic input current

Figure 1: Example of energy absorption and losses of rolling stock

Figure 2: Example of energy absorption and feedback of rolling stockreferring to their mass


References

1. “Specification and Verification ofEnergy Efficient Rolling Stock”,Markus Meyer, Emkamatik GmbH,presentation shown at the 2nd UICRailway Energy EfficiencyConference, Paris, February 2004

2. “Energy Storage System Based onDouble Layer Capacitor Technology– The Gateway to High EfficientImprovement of Mass Transit PowerSupply”, Christian Godbersen,Siemens, presentation shown at the2nd UIC Railway Energy EfficiencyConference, Paris, February 2004

3. “PROSPER – Procedures for RollingStock with EnvironmentalRequirements”, International Union ofRailways, Berlin, July 2003

4. “EVENT – Evaluation of EnergyEfficiency Technologies for RollingStock and Train Operation ofRailways”, final report, submitted tothe Subcommission Energy Efficiency,International Union of Railways,Berlin, March 2003

5. 2nd UIC Railway Energy EfficiencyConference, Conference Papers,http://www2.uic.asso.fr/d_environ-nement/energyconference/energy-conference_en.html, Paris, February 2004

BACKGROUND

0 30 60 90 120 140 Time in sec.

Accelerating Driving Braking Stopping

Cycle

Velocity

Power consumption (kW)

Accelerating

control for the reduction of thesize of input chokes

• High pulse frequencies for allinverters for the reduction of thesize of all inductive components,specifically sine filter chokes

• Lightweight construction of non-welded underfloor and/or roofenclosures

• Forced ventilation with speciallyoptimized heat sinks

For example, a conventional powersupply system with 50 Hz trans-formers for a metro application at anominal power of 160 kVA has aweight of approx. 1,500 kg. A com-parable MEE-NTSD power supplysystem has a weight of approx.850kg only.

Using such a system for a typicalcommuter train results in a costreduction of up to € 500 annuallydue to lower energy costs alone.Positive side effects, such as lowwear and tear of bogies, axes,brakes or even rails, track switchesor bridges, have not been consid-ered yet.

Figure 3: Simplified cycle of a commuter train

www.SMA.de

An additional factor for the switchwas the on-going strong interna-tional growth of SMA TechnologieAG employing 1,000 employeesworldwide. As compared to a limit-ed liability company, a corporationbetter reflected the size of the SMAbusiness worldwide, explained Rei-ner Wettlaufer, member of the SMAManaging Board and responsiblefor Finance and Controlling. Thus,the company will more readily beable to increase the export quotaachieved in 2004 in the future.

A clear way for employee participationDue to the change of the companyto a corporation, the employeeshad the opportunity to purchaseSMA stocks at a reduced price in

December 2004. The SMA em-ployees were requested to directlyparticipate in the company’s capitalin the form of employee stocks andto become stockholders. About 250employees used this offer, whichwas a main aspect of SMA’s phi-losophy of cooperative manage-ment.

“Technologie” for sophisti-cated high-tech electronicsThe name “Technologie” underlinesSMA’s in-house core-competencesand know-how of more than20 years in the development of so-phisticated high-tech electronics.The new company name reflects thecommon denominator of SMA’sthree business divisions. The com-pany management will remain in

proven hands of the three foundersand previous general managersGünther Cramer, Peter Drews andReiner Wettlaufer.

NEWS

SMA Regelsysteme GmbH nowSMA Technologie AG

With the registration in Kassel’s CommercialRegister, SMA Regelsysteme GmbH (found-ed in 1981) officially changed to SMA Tech-nologie AG in September 2004. The changeof the company to a corporation, which is notlisted on the public stock exchange, came inorder to recognize the employees’ corporatecommitment. The employees had the possi-bility to participate in the company’s economicsuccess in the form of employee stocks.

by Marina Klubescheidt

Official Change to a Corporation completed

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The SMA Managing Board: Peter Drews,Günther Cramer, Reiner Wettlaufer (f. l.)


A hybrid drive – What’s that?Hybrid drives have (at least two) dif-ferent drive types. In addition to theusual combustion engine an addi-tional electric engine supports themain drive in starting and acceler-ating. Furthermore, it is used as astarter and helps to operate thecombustion engine at an effectiveoperating point as often as possible.When braking the electric motor isused in generator mode andcharges the battery. A drastic in-crease in driving dynamics and re-duction of fuel consumption are theresult.

The Toyota PriusToyota is likely to be considered asthe technology leader in the field ofhybrid passenger cars – even by

their competitors. The Toyota Prius,meanwhile available in the secondversion and already placed on theUS market, is now starting to cap-ture the European market as well.

The importance of the Toyota Priusin the USA may be best seenby the fact that stars, such asRobin Williams, Harrison Ford orCameron Diaz, came to last year’sAcademy Award in a Prius – andnot in a limousine. At the end of2004 the Prius was selected as the“European Car of 2005”.

At the beginning of 2004, Toyotaplanned a sales quantity of approx.75,000 units for 2004. However,this quantity was increased to130,000 already in March. But as

the production cannot keep up withthe demand, the delivery time forthe car is currently approx. sixmonths.

The Prius includes a combustion en-gine with 78 hp as well as an elec-tric engine of up to 68 hp. Accord-ing to Toyota’s specifications, theconsumption is 4.3 liters of Super on100km. But due to diverse field re-ports approx. 5 liters are more re-alistic. In spite of these good values,the Prius reaches a maximum speedof more than 170 km/h and accel-erates from 0 to 100 km/h in lessthan 11 seconds.

Test driveThe easiest way to receive an im-pression of the phenomenon

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Modern hybrid vehicles combine com-fortable driving with reduced fuel con-sumption. Something that at first soundslike squaring the circle quickly emergesas a reasonable combination of tech-nologies long available. Abstract com-parisons of concepts in trade publicationsare rather good at putting their fascina-tion down. The best way to gain experi-ence with a hybrid vehicle is a test drive.For some years now, SMA has beendealing with converter technologies fornew drive concepts – you will find a de-tailed report on this topic in our next RailFocus issue.

by Volker Wachenfeld

Enjoy Driving without Regret


“hybrid” is to take a test drive at thecar dealer. With the modern, rathermodest form of the Prius, Toyota hascertainly taken an important steptowards customer acceptance. Theinterior is spacious and its dimen-sions comply with the dimension ofthe medium-class model.

The control and display elementsslightly differ from those of a con-

ventional car. Pressing a buttonstarts the car. If the engine is alreadywarmed up there is no noise – noturning of the starter, no startingprocess of the combustion engine,nothing at all. Engage the gear shiftselector lever, release the brake,press the accelerator pedal and offyou go – but without any noise atall. The operation display confirmsthat the car only runs electrically.

Once the accelerator pedal ispressed a little bit more the com-bustion engine is started as well, butis deactivated as soon as the carstops at the next intersection.

Due to the CVT the driver just needsto accelerate and brake. The car au-tomatically does the rest. Indeed, itis a very complex technology butthe operating sequences are simple:

Specially developed for the Prius: The engine compartment is visually different from the compartment of conventional vehicles

Carrier of technology – in an attractive design


The car almost drives by itself andmakes most of the decisions for thedriver. This is a great advantagespecifically in city traffic because thedriver can pay all his attention to thetraffic.

The chassis and the brakes complywith the current automotive engi-neering standards and the driveruns dynamically and silently – aslong as it is not really challenged.Toyota’s specification data indicatesa torque of more than 400 Nm andoutstanding acceleration values.Due to this data which is typical forlarge turbo-charged diesel vehiclesthe Toyota Hybrid is extremely

speedy – without shocks or unpleas-ant noises.

It is possible to track the current op-erating state of the hybrid vehicleduring the entire drive via a displaypositioned in the middle of the con-sole. The necessity of such a displayis maybe questionable, but in anycase it provides the certainty that thealternative drive technology usedworks perfectly.

ConclusionThe Toyota Prius does not onlyprovide comfortable driving, but isthe best advertisement for environ-ment friendly technology as well.

With respect to the increasing cli-mate problems worldwide, we hopethat the financially sound Europeanautomotive market will attach the im-portance to the Toyota Prius that itdeserves – a milestone in the de-velopment of sophisticated means oflocomotion.

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Clearly arranged: Operating-screen at the car dashboard

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Railway Technology NewsInverter for Add-onAir ConditioningSMA provides prototypes of in-verters, which are integrated in airconditioning units for re-fitting thepassenger compartment and thedriver’s cab with air conditioning,for the commuter trains ET420 ofthe DB AG in the Stuttgart area. In

summer 2005, two prototype trainswill be reconstructed in the Krefeldworks and then tested. A recon-struction of the series would be pos-sible with the upcoming revision ofthe vehicles.

for RandstadRailSMA provides 50 batches of auxil-iary converters for ALSTOM’sRegioCITADIS trains for Rand-stadRail following the order of aux-iliary power supplies for the tram-trains of RegioTram Kassel. Eachbatch consists of two

“Generic”, for the partly redundantAC and DC board supply, and one

“Aircondi” for the inde-pendent supply of the air condi-tioning systems of the vehicle.

IGBT Converters for AKNSMA provides 80 IGBT power unitsfor the VTA vehicles of the Altona-Kaltenkirchen-Neumünster Eisen-bahn AG. These power units will re-place the existing drive convertermodules based on bipolar transis-tors. A module compatible with the

existing power unit will be devel-oped in terms of form and function.All available components, such ascooling, drive control or mountingframe, will remain unchanged.

And the Winner ofthe iPod is ...Mr. Heinz Spachtholz from DB Au-tozug is the winner of the iPod prize

drawn during the exhibition Inno-Trans 2004. Congratulations!

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6000 years ago, only a few small islandsprotruded from the water where todaySweden’s capital city with approx.860,000 inhabitants spreads out over14 islands. On account of land elevation,the Stockholm we know today also grew(the name literally means “stake island”).

by Joachim Bierschenk

The City on the Islands

A city of charmThe Swedish Literature Nobel PrizeWinner Selma Lagerlöff (1858 –1940) described Stockholm as “theswimming city”. And the capital cityof Sweden (860,000 inhabitants) –characterized by its canals, bridgesand parks – is rightly considered asone of the most beautiful metropo-lises of the world.

Improvement of infrastructureIn order to connect the suburbs ofStockholm to each other and to thecenter in a better and faster way, theStockholm Transport Services de-cided to buy a total of 55 CORADIALIREX six part commuter trains fromALSTOM.

The appeal of the vehicle is its mod-ern interior as well as its high-pow-er air conditioning supplied bySMA’s auxiliary power supply sys-tem MEE-NTSD (SD for Short Dis-tance). The power supply systemwithin the vehicle is designed ac-cording to the redundancy concept.All converters of the auxiliary pow-er supply operate in parallel (activeredundancy). In case of a failure on-ly the damaged device is switchedoff and disconnected while all otherdevices continue operation.

Driving comfort is thus very high;and going by these commuter trainsis the best way to experience Stock-holm.

Shopping and sightseeingwith wonderful viewsThe best way to start is by visiting theold city (Gamla Stan), where nicehouses and alleys paved with cob-blestones give a lively impression ofthe old city of Stockholm. The mainstreets, Österlånggatan and Väster-långgatan, are pedestrian areaswhere you can find fashion bou-tiques, arts-and-craft and antiquesshops. The Royal Castle (KungligaSlottet) with the large CeremonialRooms, the Crown Jewels, the State-room, the Royal Orchestra, the Roy-al Armory and the Palace Museumare all located on the side of the har-bor.

The elegant City Hall (Stadshuset)that was inaugurated 70 years ago

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is close to the old city on the banksof the Mälaren Lake. One can get aspectacular view over the city fromthe tip of the 100 m high tower.

Time for museumsWhen you get tired of the busy ac-tivities in the center just go by bus orferry boat to the near Island Djurgår-den where you can visit the VasaMuseum, one of the most famoussights of Stockholm. A 369 yearsold wooden war ship, which wentdown when it was launched in 1628and found in the harbor of Stock-holm in 1961, is particularly im-pressive.

In order to gain an insight into thevariable history of the city and thewhole country as well, Stockholm

with a total of 150 museums has alot to offer.

Eight of these museums can befound in the district of Djurgårdenalone, including the Nordic Mu-seum (Nordiska Museet), the“Waldemarsudde Haus” and the“Liljevalchs Konsthall”. The HistoricMuseum (Historika Museet) exhibitsprehistoric treasures and objects ofarts from the Middle Ages. The mostfamous art collection of Swedencan be found in the National Mu-seum.

The best way to consistently trackthe development of Sweden and itscapital city is to buy a “Stock-holmkortet” (special ticket for Stock-holm). This ticket enables visitors to

go by public transport free ofcharge as well as to obtain free en-try into museums, the Royal Castleand many other sights of Stockholmand its surrounding area.

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Railway Technology Magazine

SMA Technologie AGHannoversche Strasse 1–534266 NiestetalGermanyPhone +49 561 9522 - 0Fax +49 561 9522 - 100E-mail: [email protected]

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