SPECIAL FOCUS THE RAIL INDUSTRY
ON TRACK TO IMPROVE the performance of electric trains
The electrification of more of the UK rail network promises significant benefits for passengers, but creates challenges for railway engineers.
Phil Burge, country communication manager at SKF, looks at some of the innovations the industry uses to keep electric trains rolling
A
multi billion pound programme is underway to electrify more than
2,000 extra miles of Britain’s railway. Major projects planned or in construction include: the Great Western between London and Swansea; the Midland Main Line from Bedford to Sheffield; and key routes between Manchester, Preston and Blackpool. By the early 2020s, more than half the UK rail network, and three quarters of its rail traffic, will be electric. There are many benefits to this. Electric trains have more seats than
comparable diesel trains and they can accelerate faster, which increases the capacity of busy lines. They also run more quietly and produce 20 to 35% lower CO2
emissions than their diesel
counterparts. In addition, their lighter weight also reduces wear and tear on the rails. Electric trains also offer higher reliability and a reduced need for routine maintenance. Modern electric locomotives may, in fact, run for as much as 1.5million km between major overhauls.
IMPROVING PERFORMANCE Achieving, and continually improving, those levels of performance and reliability is a significant challenge for the designers and manufacturers of electric locomotives and their components. The traction systems used on electric trains have to be powerful, environmentally friendly and cost-effective. However, the
operating conditions for traction motor components are very different from those normally encountered in electric motors in other industries: they must cope with a high level of contamination and humidity, as well as variations in speed, temperature,
load, vibration and shocks. To meet those demanding requirements, the industry has developed some highly sophisticated and specialised solutions. The AC traction motors
used in modern locomotives, for example, provide superior efficiency and control, but the high speed electronic switching devices used to control them can create stray electric currents in bearings and other components. Left unchecked, these currents can damage lubricants and bearing surfaces, significantly shortening their life.
To prevent these issues, SKF has developed electrically insulated
SKF’s Traction Motor Bearing Unit – TMBU – is a compact, sealed and prelubricated bearing unit
Enclosures from the smallest to the largest.
ENCLOSURES POWER DISTRIBUTION CLIMATE CONTROL
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