ROLLING STOCK
HOPPECKE explain how to keep rolling stock rolling with the most reliable batteries on the market. W
hatever the kind of rolling stock used and whatever traction options
are involved, efficiency and reliability are key to running a rail transport system that combines maximum ‘uptime’ with mini- mum risk of failure and true cost effective- ness.
And the one item that delivers all of the above is the humble battery.
Because batteries provide essential back- up power and are critical to a train’s safety system, they must be reliable and offer the longest possible length of service.
Every rail operator wants to reduce the life- time costs of batteries and extend their life. The average lifespan of a passenger train is around 36 years and the batteries under each carriage can easily last up to 18 years – and beyond if they are NiCd, maintained well and serviced properly.
Special Power Batteries from HOPPECKE Industrial Batteries have an exceptionally long cycle life compared with other battery technologies. Needing less maintenance than other NiCd cells, the Fibre Nickel Cadmium (FNC®
) batteries can have ser-
vice intervals of up to two years. And HOPPECKE provides all cleaning, repairs, reprocessing and capacity testing, even for batteries from other manufacturers.
One leading transport company that has recognised the quality and value of bat- teries supplied by HOPPECKE is Siemens Transportation Systems, which builds and maintains the Heathrow Express high- speed trains.
Primarily aimed at executives, the Heath- row Express is capable of travelling at 100 miles per hour. Reliability is vital in such a service, so although the trains were built just 12 years ago, it was decided to replace all 14 batteries and Siemens turned to HOPPECKE for a solution.
In terms of design, the 75 cells that make up each battery supplied by HOPPECKE needed to fit into the original battery rafts used with the previous batteries. So HOPPECKE created a design to accom- modate the size of the original rafts which involved the careful fitting of spacers to en-
212 | rail technology magazine Apr/May 11
sure the secure fit of the cells into each raft. The batteries supplied are the FNC®
type,
which provide excellent performance and are significantly lighter that a lead-based battery.
Gary Bachelor, project manager at Siemens Transportation
Systems, commented:
“When looking to replace the batteries it became apparent that battery technology had moved on since the originals had been designed and they had also changed in size. In order to make the new batteries fit into the original rafts we needed a specialist de- sign.”
He added: “HOPPECKE Industrial Batter- ies offered us a solution and were preferred supplier due to their flexibility in design.
Paul Butchart, special power manager at HOPPECKE, explained: “The HOPPECKE batteries are made from top of the range materials to ensure that they meet V0 fire standards, which is essential when used on a train due to the hazard of fire in tunnels.
“The batteries are also supplied with a cen- tral topping up system which means they can be topped up by the use of a simple pump trolley in a quick and efficient way to reduce time and maintenance.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
T: 01782 667305 E:
paulbutchart@hoppecke.co.uk W:
www.hoppecke.co.uk
Essentially they gave us a bespoke service at a competitive price.”
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