As the transit industry moves toward reducing its
impact on the environment,development in traction oves ent, rail networks see continued
motor systems.
By Maile Bucher
R AILWAY TRACTION CONtinues
to develop as transit
moves toward more environmentally
friendly and
progressive networks. As
sector to special Sitras products
the number of electrifi ed
rail lines increase, companies
have advanced the
development of systems — including
voltage, breaking and frequency.
With the implementation of a
traction system, it needs to be taken
into consideration that the trains
need access to the power supply at
all times. Th is calls into consideration
the idea for agencies to consider
both the environmental and
developmental impact. Choosing
between direct current (DC) or
alternating current (AC) is another
consideration that comes into call
when determining how long the
rail line is and the available funds.
Improving lifespan
Siemens offers providing solutions,
systems, and products for
traction power supply, contact
lines and network control technology
for agencies across the
globe. It has decades of experience
in the construction and
commissioning of individual
systems, and provides most services
from a single source, thus
generating valuable synergies and
unique savings potential.
Andreas Th on, vice president
of Siemens Turnkey Projects and
Electrifi cation business in the U.S.,
said, “With public transportation
and light rail becoming more popular
than ever, agencies are looking
for technologies that will ensure
smooth and reliable deployment.
Most of today’s transportation
infrastructure still needs to rely
on mission-critical electrifi cation
technologies, and while these technologies
may not be always be noticeable
to a rider, their impact is
very real. A good traction power
system increases the lifespan of
vehicles and improves the rider
experience with smoother, more
consistent and reliable rides.”
• Siemens off ers traction power
supply systems under the Sitras
brand, including substations for
DC and AC, autotransformer
stations, frequency converters,
reactive power compensators
and active balancers. Th e program
covers the most common
DC voltages and various
AC voltages and frequencies.
Th e six systems together represent
about 95 percent of the
global market. Th ey consist
of tried-and-tested standard
products from the power supply
64 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018
which ensure high availability
and have low lifecycle costs. Th e
Sitras products feature protection
controllers that can reduce
high voltage and protect units:
• Th e Sitras PRO combined DC
protective unit and controller is
used in the power supply for DC
railways in mass transit and mainline
systems up to 3,000v DC.
• Th e Sitras SCD-C reduces
excessively high voltages by
reliably short-circuiting the return
circuit and structure earth
temporarily. Furthermore, the
formation of stray currents is
minimized by automatic opening
of the short-circuiting device.
• Sitras SCD reduces excessively
high voltages by reliably
short-circuiting the return
circuit and structure earth
temporarily. Furthermore, the
formation of stray currents is
minimized by automatic opening
of the short-circuiting device.
“Importantly, today’s agencies
are looking to ensure utmost
effi ciencies with their existing
electrifi cation systems — both for
optimum operations and reduced
environmental impact. We’ve also
noticed many agencies interested
in how traction power provides
further effi ciencies by supporting
exciting new technologies like
regenerative braking — such
as what we’ve helped do in Portland
with TriMet,” said Th on.
MassTransitmag.com/12428250
Innovations in
Traction Power
M f d ’ i
hi h hi h il bili INCREASING
THE lifespan
of rail vehicles
through the
utalization of rail
traction systems
contributes to a
lower cost and
improved efficeny
for agencies’
assets.
AS AGENCIES
continue to lean
toward decreasing
enviromental
impact, the
private sector
continues to
further the
development of
their technologies.
Siemens Mobility
Siemens Mobility
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