The increasing urbanization and population generate the demand growth triggering a number of major challenges: improved traffic in urban areas, building intelligent transport systems and reducing emissions, all these requiring new concepts on mobility and improvement of transport systems.
Using energy as efficiently as possible and reducing consumption are the key points in building new types of vehicles capable to have a vital contribution in reducing oil dependency and significantly dropping energy consumption.
Generally, energy efficiency is achieved by manufacturing light vehicles and the stress falls on using composite materials, improving the efficiency of traction systems and the architecture of articulated units. Taking for example the materials, if light materials are used for manufacturing the vehicle, then the vehicle will weigh less and, consequently use less energy. According to the representatives of Alstom Transport, reducing the weight and the energy consumption of underground trains and rail trains has a rate of 10-15%. For reducing the energy consumption, Siemens also rely on a wise selection of materials and the uses construction methods based on light materials and propulsion technologies. “Design solutions are efficient not only for the profitability of a rail vehicle and its maintenance cost efficiency, but also for its reliability and energy efficiency”, declared Eng. Martin Steuger, manager of Velaro development platform, within Siemens Mobility Division.
For reducing energy consumption, rolling stock manufacturers are conducting studies aimed at reducing energy losses. They have managed to make progress with traction permitting underground trains to recover energy while braking: braking systems combine a reostatic brake which propagates the energy as heat and a recovery brake. The energy generated by engines during braking phases, and which is not used by the vehicle, can be reintroduced in the energy network. For example, the electronic train management system permits the engine driver to use the right energy volume thus managing to control the energy consumption.
The energy storage systems are extremely important for reducing the energy consumption of underground trains, as well as those of the other rail vehicles. “Using ultracapacitors to capture and store the energy which is not used by the vehicle is the most important step to take for reducing energy consumption”, explain Bombardier’s representatives.
For underground trains, the alternative driver assistance system and driverless operations, combined with conventional operations, guarantee the energy efficiency. The innovating systems available as alternatives to the conventional technology are extremely efficient in reducing the energy consumption by more than 30%.
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