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Electric Traction
Electric Traction
Electric Traction
A SEMINAR
by
NAGARJUNAREDDY UMMADI
16005A0205
Ⅳ -YEAR
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
in
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………….................................1
TYPES…………………………………………………………………….………………...3
TRACTION MOTORS………………………………………………………………………5
CONCLUSIONS……………………………………………………………………………...6
REFERNCES…………………………………………………………………………………7
1. INTRODUCTION:
The system which use electrical power for traction system i.e. for railways, trams,
trolleys, etc. is called electrical traction. The track electrification refers to the
type of source supply system that is used while powering the electric locomotive
systems. It can be AC or DC or a composite supply.
Selecting the type of electrification depends on several factors like availability of
supply, type of an application area, or on the services like urban, suburban and
main line services, etc.
What is Electric Traction System?
A system which causes the propulsion of vehicle in which tractive or driving
force is obtained from various devices such as diesel engine drives, steam
engine drives, electric motors, etc. is called as traction system.
It can also be defined as the railway vehicle that provides the necessary traction
power to move the train is referred as the traction or locomotive. This traction
power can be diesel, steam or electric power.
The steam engine drive is the best example of a non electric traction system and
it is the first locomotive system used before the invention of actual electric
traction systems.
ADVANTAGES:
In this, electrical motors are used for producing the vehicle movement and are
powered by drawing electricity from utilities or diesel generators or batteries.
Vehicles that receives the power from substation is also referred as a third rail
systems which includes
DC traction system
Single phase AC traction system
Three phase AC traction system
Composite traction system
DC Traction System
In this traction system, electrical motors are operates on DC supply to produce
necessary movement of the vehicle. Mostly DC series motors are used in this
system. For trolley buses and tramways, DC compound motors are used where
regenerative braking is required.
Both these supply voltages are fed from substations which are located 3-5 KM
for suburban services and 40 to 50KMs for main line services. These
substations receive power (typically, 110/132 KV, 3 phase) from electric power
grids.
This three phase high voltage is stepped-down and converted into single phase
low voltage using scott-connected three phase transformers.
This single phase low voltage is then converted into DC voltage using suitable
converters or rectifier such as power electronic converter, rotary converters,
mercury arc converters, etc. The DC supply is then applied to the DC motor via
suitable contact system and additional circuitry.
That’s why this system is preferred only for suburban and road transport
services wherein stops are frequent and also distance between stops is small.
This single phase supply is fed to the locomotive unit via a single overhead line
while track provides the return path.
The high voltages (15-25KV) obtained from overhead conductor are stepped
down to a suitable motor operating range (typically 300-400V range) using
step-down transformer carried by the locomotive unit itself.
Because of this low line voltage drop, it is feasible to locate the substations at
50 to 80kms apart from each other. Therefore, this system is preferred for main
line services where cost of overhead system is not a much important factor and
for suburban services where rapid acceleration and retardation are not required.
Three Phase AC Traction System
In this, three phase induction motors are used for the movement of locomotive.
This system normally works on 3000-3600V AC at a frequency either 16 2/3 or
normal supply frequency.
This system employs two overhead lines for two phases, whereas the track
forms third phase. These conductors are powered from substations which are
rated at higher voltages and they receive power from three-phase transmission
lines.
The high voltages from transmission lines are stepped down to 3.3 KV
(3000-3600 V) by transformers while the frequency is reduced by frequency
converters installed at substations.
The three phase induction motor used in this system has the following
characteristics; simple and robust construction, provision of regenerative
braking without additional equipment and high operating efficiency, better
performance, etc.
However, these motors are suffer with some drawbacks such as high starting
current, low starting torque, complicated overhead structure, especially at
crossings and junctions and not suitable constant speed characteristics of
induction motor traction work.
These systems are adopted where high output power is required and also where
automatic regeneration braking is needed. However, these systems do not found
much favour compared to other systems.
The single phase supply is then converted into three phase supply of the same
frequency using phase converter equipment in the locomotive itself. The three
phase supply is then fed to induction motors to drive the locomotive.
The main advantage of this system is that the overhead two conductor
arrangement of three phase AC system is reduced to a single overhead
conductor and hence more economical.
Single phase to DC system
This traction system is most popular and widely used system everywhere. It
combines the single phase high voltage AC distribution at industrial frequency
with DC series motor traction.
In this, the overhead line carries single phase, 25KV, 50 Hz supply which is
then stepped down to a desired range using step-down transformer located in the
locomotive unit itself.
This single phase supply is then converted into DC using rectifier (in the
locomotive) and then applied to DC series motor.
The advantages of this system include higher starting efficiency, less number of
substations, simple substation design and lower cost of fixed installations.
The various components of this system include overhead contact wire, circuit
breakers, pantograph, transformer, three phase traction motor, rectifier, inverter,
smoothing reactor, etc.
Electric Locomotive
Pantograph
The main function of pantograph is to maintain link between overhead
conductor and power circuit of locomotive at different speeds of the vehicle
under all wind conditions. It collects the current from overhead conductor and
supplies to rest circuit.
Circuit Breaker
It protects the power circuit in the event of any fault by isolating it from the
supply. It also isolates the circuit during maintenance.
Transformer
It receives the high voltage from overhead conductor via pantograph and circuit
breaker and then step-down the voltage to desired level required by the rest
circuit.
Rectifier
It converts a low voltage AC supply from the secondary of transformer to a DC
supply.
DC Link
It connects the rectifier and inverter circuits. It consists of filter arrangement
(capacitor and inductor arrangement) that filters the output from rectifier (by
removing the harmonics form it) and then supplies it to the inverter.
Main Inverter
It converts the DC power to three phase AC power in order to drive three phase
AC motors.
Axle Brush
It acts as a return path for the supply. Once the power is drawn to the
locomotive from overhead system, the current complete its path through axle
brush and one of running tacks.
Auxiliary Inverter
This inverter supplies the power to other parts in the locomotive unit including
fans, motor blowers, compressors, etc.
Battery
It supplies the necessary starting current and also power up the essential circuits
such as emergency lighting.
Compressor
It maintains the cooling/heating requirement in the locomotive unit.
Cooling Fans
These fans maintain the necessary cooling for the power circuits. Modern
locomotive systems use electronically controlled air management systems to
keep the desired temperature.
TRACTION MOTOR :
Direct-current motors with series field windings are the oldest type of traction
motors. These provided a speed-torque characteristic useful for propulsion,
providing high torque at lower speeds for acceleration of the vehicle, and
declining torque as speed increased. By arranging the field winding with
multiple taps, the speed characteristic could be varied, allowing relatively
smooth operator control of acceleration. A further measure of control was
provided by using pairs of motors on a vehicle; for slow operation or heavy
loads, two motors could be run in series off the direct current supply. Where
higher speed was desired, these motors could be operated in parallel, making a
higher voltage available at each and so allowing higher speeds. Parts of a rail
system might use different voltages, with higher voltages in long runs between
stations and lower voltage near stations where only slower operation was
needed.
A variant of the DC system was the AC operated series motor, which is
essentially the same device but operated on alternating current. Since both the
armature and field current reverse at the same time, the behavior of the motor is
similar to that when energized with direct current. To achieve better operating
conditions, AC railways were often supplied with current at a
lower frequency than the commercial supply used for general lighting and
power; special traction current power stations were used, or rotary
converters used to convert 50 or 60 Hz commercial power to the 25 Hz or 16
2/3 Hz frequency used for AC traction motors. The AC system allowed efficient
distribution of power down the length of a rail line, and also permitted speed
control with switchgear on the vehicle.
AC induction motors and synchronous motors are simple and low maintenance,
but are awkward to apply for traction motors because of their fixed speed
characteristic. An AC induction motor only generates useful amounts of power
over a narrow speed range determined by its construction and the frequency of
the AC power supply. The advent of power semiconductors has made it possible
to fit a variable frequency drive on a locomotive; this allows a wide range of
speeds, AC power transmission, and rugged induction motors without wearing
parts like brushes and commutators.
Transportation applications
Road vehicles
Traditionally road vehicles (cars, buses and trucks) have used diesel and petrol
engines with a mechanical or hydraulic transmission system. In the latter part of
the 20th century, vehicles with electrical transmission systems (powered
from internal combustion engines, batteries or fuel cells) began to be
developed—one advantage of using electric machines is that specific types can
regenerate energy (i.e. act as a regenerative brake)—providing deceleration as
well as increasing overall efficiency by charging the battery pack.
Railways
Traditionally, these were series-wound brushed DC motors, usually running on
approximately 600 volts. The availability of high-powered semiconductors
(thyristors and the IGBT) has now made practical the use of much simpler,
higher-reliability AC induction motors known as asynchronous traction
motors. Synchronous AC motors are also occasionally used, as in the
French TGV.
Mounting of motors
Before the mid-20th century, a single large motor was often used to drive
multiple driving wheels through connecting rods that were very similar to those
used on steam locomotives. Examples are the Pennsylvania Railroad
DD1, FF1 and L5 and the various Swiss Crocodiles. It is now standard practice
to provide one traction motor driving each axle through a gear drive.
usually, the traction motor is three-point suspended between the bogie frame
and the driven axle; this is referred to as a "nose-suspended traction motor". The
problem with such an arrangement is that a portion of the motor's weight
is unsprung, increasing unwanted forces on the track. In the case of the famous
Pennsylvania Railroad GG1, two bogie-mounted motors drove each axle
through a quill drive.
Windings
The DC motor was the mainstay of electric traction drives on both electric and
diesel-electric locomotives, street-cars/trams and diesel electric drilling rigs for
many years. It consists of two parts, a rotating armature and fixed field
windings surrounding the rotating armature mounted around a shaft. The fixed
field windings consist of tightly wound coils of wire fitted inside the motor case.
The armature is another set of coils wound round a central shaft and is
connected to the field windings through "brushes" which are spring-loaded
contacts pressing against an extension of the armature called the commutator.
The limited, otherwise the supply could be overloaded or the motor and its
cabling could be damaged. At best, the torque would exceed the adhesion and
the driving wheels would slip. Traditionally, resistors were used to limit the
initial current.
Power control
As the DC motor starts to turn, interaction of the magnetic fields inside causes it
to generate a voltage internally. This back EMF (electromotive force) opposes
the applied voltage and the current that flows is governed by the difference
between the two. As the motor speeds up, the internally generated voltage rises,
the resultant EMF falls, less current passes through the motor and the torque
drops. The motor naturally stops accelerating when the drag of the train matches
the torque produced by the motors. To continue accelerating the train, series
resistors are switched out step by step, each step increasing the effective voltage
and thus the current and torque for a little bit longer until the motor catches up.
Dynamic braking
If the train starts to descend a grade, the speed increases because the (reduced)
drag is less than the torque. With increased speed, the internally generated
back-EMF voltage rises, reducing the torque until the torque again balances the
drag. Because the field current is reduced by the back-EMF in a series wound
motor, there is no speed at which the back-EMF will exceed the supply voltage,
and therefore a single series wound DC traction motor alone cannot provide
dynamic or regenerative braking.
There are, however various schemes applied to provide a retarding force using
the traction motors. The energy generated may be returned to the supply
(regenerative braking), or dissipated by on board resistors (dynamic braking).
Such a system can bring the load to a low speed, requiring relatively little
friction braking to bring the load to a full stop.
Automatic acceleration
On an electric train, the train driver originally had to control the cutting out of
resistance manually, but by 1914, automatic acceleration was being used. This
was achieved by an accelerating relay (often called a "notching relay") in the
motor circuit which monitored the fall of current as each step of resistance was
cut out. All the driver had to do was select low, medium or full speed (called
"series", "parallel" and "shunt" from the way the motors were connected in the
resistance circuit) and the automatic equipment would do the rest
REFERENCES: