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Page 1: Fresh Air€¦ · Rail Solutions Asia 2007 September 19—21, 2007 8th Exhibition and Conference for Railway Professionals in the Asia Pacific Region Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention

Railway Technology Magazine

>> MEE-NT: Safe ChoicePage 8

>> Battery Management: Build-in IntelligencePage 10

>> Europe: High-Speed Travel Page 18

5th IssueApril 2007

Metro Athens:

Fresh AirPage 6

Page 2: Fresh Air€¦ · Rail Solutions Asia 2007 September 19—21, 2007 8th Exhibition and Conference for Railway Professionals in the Asia Pacific Region Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention

CONTENTS

3 Editorial

4 News and Dates

6 Refreshing Air Conditioning in Athens Metro

8 The Safe Choice with MEE-NT

10 Intelligent Battery Management

12 Eurofima equipped with

14 You´ll Find Help Here!

16 Great Air Conditioning in the Dutch ICM

18 High-Speed Travel through Europe

Rail Focus

Railway Technology Magazine

Publisher: SMA Technologie AG

Hannoversche Str. 1–5

34266 Niestetal

Germany

Phone +49 561 9522 - 0

Fax +49 561 9522 - 100

Responsible for contents

Dirk Wimmer

[email protected]

Coordination

Jennifer Herr

[email protected]

Contact

[email protected]

Rail Focus Railway Technology Magazine is published twice a year

German edition: 1,500

International edition: 1,500

All brand and product names used in this magazine are trademarks or registered trademarks of their

respective holders, although they may not be specifically designated as such. Reprints, including excerpts,

are subject to written approval from the publisher. Printed on paper made from chlorine-free bleached

cellulose.

© 2007 SMA Technologie AG. All rights reserved.

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Front cover:Taking the

Athens metro

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Page 3: Fresh Air€¦ · Rail Solutions Asia 2007 September 19—21, 2007 8th Exhibition and Conference for Railway Professionals in the Asia Pacific Region Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention

rail focus | 3www.SMA.de

EDITORIAL

Dear Readers,

We have been developing and engineering auxil-iary power supplies for more than 20 years now.What once began as a small endeavor involving battery chargers for the Deutsche Bahn, has now become a global business. Since then, passenger services across the globe have relied on more than 3,000 SMA auxiliary power supplies.

The year 2006 in particular has proven to be extremely success-ful for the Railway Technology division, with revenues surpassing EUR 18 million. Therefore, this division is and shall remain a key component for the success behind SMA Technologie AG. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of our customers for placing their trust in us.

In order to ensure our continued success over the coming years, we have decided to expand our sales team. In November of last year, Mr. Matthias Lenz began working for us as a product man-ager for our Air Conditioner Converter. Shortly thereafter we took a crucial step forwards by landing a major contract involving the delivery of converters to retrofit the ISAP vehicles in Athens.

I hope that you will have as much enjoyment reading this issue as we have had writing it. Again, we look forward to receiving your suggestions and critique. Please do not hesitate to get in touch should you have any questions regarding individual projects or technical aspects.

We wish you an informative read. Sincerely,

Dirk Wimmer

Page 4: Fresh Air€¦ · Rail Solutions Asia 2007 September 19—21, 2007 8th Exhibition and Conference for Railway Professionals in the Asia Pacific Region Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention

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NEWS

Due to the difficulty in obtaining spare parts and exorbitant mainte-nance costs, Deutsche Bahn AG decided to replace all the heat reg-ulators in the Bvmz-coaches with new and improved SMA heat reg-ulators. These are used to regulate the temperature inside the coach and to control the different heater mats. The new heat regulators can be installed in the existing switch cabinets of the Bvmz-coaches with-out mechanical adjustments.

In September 2006, SMA was awarded the contract by the VIS Halberstadt company to deliver a total of 17 single and multi-voltage MEE-NT power supply systems. The systems are used solely for provid-ing electricity to the air condition-ing systems in the Arriva railway

coaches. After VIS Halberstadt has concluded the comprehensive ren-ovation and integration of an air conditioning system, the Vogtland-bahn railway coaches will be ready to serve passengers for both nation-al and international travel begin-ning in 2007.

Heat Regulators for Bvmz-Coaches

The new metro trains for Line 9 in Shanghai will also utilize battery chargers from SMA. They are based on the proven chargers already in revenue service in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen and will be manufactured by Changzhou SMA Electronics Co., Ltd. locally in China. A total of 102 battery chargers will be produced for 51 Bombardier Movia metro trains. Delivery is scheduled to take place between late 2007 and 2009.

Battery Chargers for Shanghai Line 9

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Single- and Multi-voltage Air Conditioning Converters for the Vogtlandbahn

Page 5: Fresh Air€¦ · Rail Solutions Asia 2007 September 19—21, 2007 8th Exhibition and Conference for Railway Professionals in the Asia Pacific Region Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention

rail focus | 5www.SMA.de/railtech

UPCOMING DATES

Korea Railways Fair 2007May 16—19, 2007

3rd International Railway Industry Ex-

hibition

Busan Exhibition & Convention

Center (BEXCO), German Pavilion,

Booth S-8,

Busan, South Korea

SIFER 2007June 12—14, 2007

5th International Railway Industry

Exhibition

Lille Grand Palais Exhibition Center,

Hall Paris, Booth 1/470,

Lille, France

Rail Solutions Asia 2007September 19—21, 2007

8th Exhibition and Conference

for Railway Professionals in the Asia

Pacific Region

Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention

Centre, Rolling Stock Area, Booth 20,

Hong Kong, P.R. of China

suissetransport ’07November 07—10, 2007

3rd International Trade Fair for Trans-

port, Vehicles, Equipment and Main-

tenance

Exhibition Center BEA bern expo,

Bern, Switzerland

Three lucky winners, one in the USA, one in Thailand and one in Switzerland each won a “Mur-der on the Orient-Express” DVD in the raffle conducted in the last issue of Rail Focus. In our raffle, which was part of the InnoTrans, the prizes were awarded to par-

ticipants in Switzerland and Ger-many. Winners received a hot air balloon ride, a sailing trip and a gliding excursion. We were very pleased with the excellent response. ... Oh, by the way, the answer was 850 kg, since the SMA converter shown weighed the same amount.

Since November 2006, Matthias Lenz has been working as product manager in the Railway Technolo-gy Sales Department. Mr. Lenz will provide technical and commercial support for all projects involving air conditioning converters. Contact Phone: +49 561 9522-127 Fax: +49 561 9522-3304 E-mail: [email protected]

Sales Strengthened!

Once the development and delivery of a total of 7 air conditioning con-verters was concluded for the Trans-rapid TR09, ThyssenKrupp Trans-rapid ordered an additional 60 air conditioning converters. These con-verters are to be used in the new Transrapid vehicles that are sched-uled to provide service on the ex-panded stretch of track running from Shanghai to Hangzhou.

Additional Air Conditioning Converters

Raffle²

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APPLICATION

Nevertheless, in the beginning, the journey took 18 minutes without in-termediate stops. Although the rail-way was initially driven by steam engines, the process of converting the line to electricity began as ear-ly as 1904. This saw the implemen-tation of electric railcars with wooden carriage frames, without a locomotive attached at the front. The rail link between Piraeus and Athens is one of the world‘s very first metros.

The traffic routing was extended and altered many times over the years. Already in 1957, it covered a length of 26 km, stopped at 24 stations, and had its terminus in Kiff-isia. To this day, Line 1 is the lon-gest metro line in Athens. Today it

is operated by ISAP (Piraeus Ath-ens Electric Railways), which came into being in 1976 as a result of the nationalization of Greek railways.

Passengers on Line 1 in Athens pass many lovingly restored railway sta-tions, which bear visible evidence of the long history of this railway.

VehiclesToday, Line 1 uses primarily older 5-carriage trains (24 in total) and newer 6-carriage trains (20 in to-tal) built between 1984 and 2003. All vehicles have one thing in com-mon: no air conditioning.

Due to the long-enduring hot peri-ods in Athens, air conditioning in the metro is a necessary comfort

feature. Plans for retrofitting have been in place for a long time. Im-plementation began recently with the introduction of the first proto-type train.

At the end of 2006, due to the thor-oughly positive feedback from pas-sengers, the air conditioning sys-tems manufacturer Thermo King, part of Ingersoll Rand, was as-signed the contract to retrofit air conditioning. They in turn selected SMA Technologie AG as the sup-plier of necessary power supply units.

Air Conditioning Converters Each carriage is to be fitted with its

Refreshing Air Conditioning

A view of Athens from the Acropolis

SMA provides power supplies for one of the world‘s first underground railways

Already in 1835, the first plans were in place for a rail link between the centers of Piraeus and Athens, which at that time were still not connected. But not until 1867 did the English businessman Edward Pick-ering receive the contract to construct an 8 km long railway between the port of Piraeus and the center of Athens. This original line ended where Thissio‘s cen-tral railway station is today.

[email protected]

Page 7: Fresh Air€¦ · Rail Solutions Asia 2007 September 19—21, 2007 8th Exhibition and Conference for Railway Professionals in the Asia Pacific Region Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention

rail focus | 7www.SMA.de/railtech

in the Athens Metro

own air conditioning system with a dedicated air conditioning convert-er. This device has the task of pro-ducing a suitable 3-phase AC volt-age from the 750 V DC overhead supply voltage.

The tight schedule presents a par-ticular challenge for both Thermo King (Ingersoll Rand) and for SMA: one air conditioning system and corresponding converter is to be built and delivered on each workday over the course of one year.

The Acropolis in AthensAn ISAP train en route

Technical Data Input voltage

AC output voltage

Dimensions

Weight

750 V DC

3 x 400 V, 60 Hz, 35 kVA

appr. 580 x 540 x 550 (mm)

appr. 95 kg

SMA air conditioning converter for the Athens metro

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Page 8: Fresh Air€¦ · Rail Solutions Asia 2007 September 19—21, 2007 8th Exhibition and Conference for Railway Professionals in the Asia Pacific Region Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention

APPLICATION

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Each route is inspected three times a year by DB Systemtechnik in Minden and Munich using a measur-ing train that travels along the re-spective route sections at high speed. During the inspection, nu-

merous measuring data are ac-quired and analyzed. The require-ments for such a measuring train are high: not only must it cover the full speed range up to at least 330 m/h; it must also reach this speed very quickly to avoid long approaches.

High SpeedThe present measuring train con-sists of a multiple-unit ICE train that travels with a single trailer between both traction units. In relation to the weight, the extremely high drive power enables it to accelerate to 300 km/h in just 6 kilometers. A standard ICE 3 requires approxi-mately 20 km to achieve this. The gear ratio of both traction units taken from the ICE 2 series was

modified so that 400 km/h could be reached, instead of 280 km/h. The highest actual speed recorded so far stands at 393 km/h.

ConversionThe trailer in which the measuring equipment is mounted was a stan-dard ICE trailer until the beginning of 2006. Only the seats were removed to make room for the measuring stations. Once this trailer returned to operational service, a more cost-effective alternative was found in an existing trailer of the “ICE-S” research train that was dis-continued after the ICE 3 compo-nents were tested.

This coach required extensive mod-ifications before it could be used. It

The Safe Choice with MEE-NTSMA auxiliary power supplies for the regular inspection of the German ICE network

The Deutsche Bahn AG operates a con-tinuously expanding and extensive high-speed network. This includes routes that are approved for speeds exceeding 220 km/h. In order to obtain authoriza-tion to operate such railway lines, regu-lar inspection of the rails and overhead-contact system are necessary.

[email protected]

High-speed DB AG measuring train with the nose

hatch open

For short- and long-distance traffic

An input converter module

Page 9: Fresh Air€¦ · Rail Solutions Asia 2007 September 19—21, 2007 8th Exhibition and Conference for Railway Professionals in the Asia Pacific Region Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention

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is also referred to as the ICE-R (R stands for reference vehicle), as a high-speed measuring coach. The selected coach contained a trac-tion equipment system that occu-pied most of the available space. However, it was lacking a power supply system for lighting, an air conditioning system and measuring equipment, since all on-board pow-er sources had been supplied centrally by another coach in the ICE-S.

Project PlanningThe project planning of the conver-sion posed a major challenge. To even conceive the current state, the diagrams of three different series of ICE (ICE 1, ICE 2 and ICE-S) had to be studied. The coach body,

equipped with heating, lighting, toi-lets and a braking system came from the ICE 2 series. The switch cabinets of the high-voltage de-vices and the air conditioning sys-tem to be installed were taken from an ICE 1 coach. The switch cabinet is a special version designed for the ICE-S, and the power supply sys-tem to be retrofitted was produced by SMA and used in an ICE for the very first time.

Auxiliary Power SupplyA solution tailored to the vehicle was created using the modular MEE-NT system. This solution con-sists of a high-voltage input convert-er with 53 kW of power, a DC pow-er supply unit for the newly built 110 V battery network and 2 three-

phase AC inverters for powering the air conditioning system, the measuring equipment and the small kitchen in the vehicle.

This conversion, which was carried out at the DB ICE maintenance shop in Nuremberg, has provided DB Systemtechnik with its own per-manent vehicle. SMA wishes the measurement team a good trip on all routes and at all speeds.

A look into the measuring train at the InnoTrans 2006 power supply system in the 810 101-6

measuring coach

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BACKGROUND Intelligent Battery Management

In most cases, extensive service and maintenance work is per-formed to ensure the operational availability of the battery. Today, test systems at the depot are often used to determine the state of charge of the battery, as well as its condition. To do so, the batteries must generally be disconnected from the on-board power supply. Using the testing equipment, they then are subjected systematically to a specific discharge current for a short period of time. The charge state is determined and the aging of the battery is diagnosed using the self-adjusting terminal voltage. This is often laborious and must be repeated in regular, usually short, intervals. This can result in high costs for the operator.

Charge State DetectionModern battery chargers are al-ready equipped with all the cur-rent, voltage and temperature sen-sors required for gentle battery charging. These sensors also allow a sufficiently precise assessment of the battery condition and charge state. In the first step towards this end, an ampere-hour balance of the charge vs. discharge currents is established over time.

The conversion of electrical into chemical energy, or vice versa, in-volves losses. Loss monitoring takes these into account, along with the inaccuracy of the readings, when determining the balance mentioned above.

In this case, the accuracy require-ments for ampere-hour balancing are quite minor compared with oth-er applications. In most cases, the battery on a railway vehicle is charged for a long period of time and at regular intervals and dis-charged only briefly. Thus, with a well-designed system, the fully charged state is reached consistent-ly and frequently, and can then be used to recalibrate the system.

Therefore, the battery charger can provide a sufficiently precise as-sessment of the battery charge state. Using an interface, this infor-mation can be forwarded to the ve-hicle controls as a warning mes-sage, for example, if the charge state falls below a defined charge

Energy-supply technology for grid-remote areas as a model for railway vehicles

Today, batteries are essential for the continu-ous supply of electrical loads in virtually all railway vehicles. Their operational availabil-ity in general and sufficient state of charge are both fundamental, especially when it comes to starting up the vehicles or power-ing safety equipment.

[email protected]

Standard battery charger of the series

Page 11: Fresh Air€¦ · Rail Solutions Asia 2007 September 19—21, 2007 8th Exhibition and Conference for Railway Professionals in the Asia Pacific Region Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention

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state, and can be taken into ac-count in the energy management system. On the other hand, assess-ing such information using only the terminal voltage is often not enough.

Battery DiagnosticsThe battery capacity generally drops in the latter stages of the bat-tery’s service life. Under certain cir-cumstances, if the battery capacity drops below a specific value, the supply of the loads and the starting up of the vehicle are no longer en-sured. In such cases, the battery must undergo maintenance or be replaced.

Only a modern battery charger with integrated ampere-hour bal-

ancing, loss monitoring and rec-alibration can detect a decreas-ing battery capacity. This allows specific assessments on both the battery state and on its supply re-liability. In addition, such a bat-tery charger detects maintenance needs, which can also be forward-ed to the vehicle controls using an interface.

Up until now, rail operators have exercized great restraint in using the procedure described above for charge state detection and bat-tery diagnostics in railway vehi-cles, even though it would yield an additional savings potential. By contrast, the use of battery power converters for the supply of grid-remote areas constitutes an appli-

cation of state-of-the-art technol-ogy. The Sunny Island battery in-verters, developed and manufac-tured by SMA, have been using such procedures for several years. In this case, batteries used in these systems reach their fully charged state considerably less frequently. The requirements for loss monitor-ing and recalibration are thus dis-proportionately higher. One can only hope that this innovative tech-nology will also soon achieve wide-spread usage in railway vehicles.

Stand-alone system consisting of Sunny Island battery inverters and batteries on Mount Athos in Greece

Page 12: Fresh Air€¦ · Rail Solutions Asia 2007 September 19—21, 2007 8th Exhibition and Conference for Railway Professionals in the Asia Pacific Region Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention

APPLICATION

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What‘s EUROFIMA?The name Eurofima is derived from the abbreviation of the European Company for the Financing of Rail-road Rolling Stock (Europäische Gesellschaft für die Finanzierung von Eisenbahnmaterial). The goal of this corporation is the purchas-ing of standardized vehicles with identical properties under favor-able conditions. The coaches are still used today for daily passenger services by numerous European railways, for example, the French National Railway SNCF, Deutsche Bahn DB and the Italian Railway Trenitalia.

The vehicles are technically sophis-ticated and extremely reliable. They were manufactured at various

locations in Germany, France, Bel-gium and Italy. According to the equal opportunity policy stipulated by the European railway industry, all required components were pro-cured following prescribed quotas. However, this had the consequence that the anticipated price reduction was not reached fully. Therefore, only a first series was acquired and the production series then followed in the individual countries.

Technically, these vehicles have set new standards. Correspondingly, they are equipped as fully as pos-sible with air-conditioning systems and a multi-voltage auxiliary pow-er supply, required for internation-al use. After extensive authoriza-tion trials, the technical parameters

of this auxiliary power supply were defined and still constitute the ba-sis for numerous international stan-dards today.

After having been used for up to 20 years in passenger service, the Eu-rofima coaches need to be modern-ized. This affects, among other things, the auxiliary power supply. At the beginning of 2007, the DB AG decided to use SMA‘s thor-oughly proven multi-volt-age auxiliary power supply in the Eurofima coaches for the first time.

Adjustments RequiredElectrical energy is conveyed by the locomotive using a trainline. In Europe, this trainline is rated for a total of 4 different nominal volt-

Eurofima equipped

The new Berlin central station

For the first time, the Eurofima coaches of Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) are being equipped with a multi-voltage auxiliary power supply from SMA

Eurofima is the name of a comfortable coach series designed for international tourist travel that was purchased back in the 70s by several European state rail-ways. The vehicles from the first series, which totaled 500 coaches, have stand-ardized technical parameters. Individu-alized production series based on this model followed in the different countries.

[email protected]

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ages. Therefore, a multi-voltage auxiliary power supply with a very broad input voltage range between 700 V AC and 5,000 V DC is required. It ensures, for example, that the batteries in the vehicle are charged and that a 3-phase inverter powers the air-conditioning system.

Incidentally, the heating of the re-furbished Eurofima coaches is also powered by the multi-volt-age auxiliary power supply. Thus, the voltage dial plate and the me-chanical rearrangement of the wear-prone heat register are no longer required. In addition, the heating elements‘ galvanically-sep-arated power supply has the ad-vantage that these elements and

the required contac-tors need not be designed for high-volt-age use, but rather only for low-voltage applications. This re-duces system costs.

Still to come in 2007, the Deutsche Bahn AG‘s first 6 Eurofima coaches will be equipped with SMA‘s

multi-voltage supply at the Neumün-ster plant.

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Eurofima coaches of DB AG at the ICE train station in Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe (Germany)

Technical Data Eurofima Input voltage

AC output voltage

DC output

Dimensions underfloor encl.

Weight

4 UIC, 700 V AC ... 5,000 V DC

3 x 230 / 400 V, 50 Hz, 35 kVA

24 V DC (30 V max.), 220 A max.

2 x appr. 2,500 x 960 x 580 (mm)

appr. 1,200 kg

SMA power supply system for Eurofima

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APPLICATION

www.solar-is-future.deUnder the motto “Think into the Fu-ture and Plan with the Sun”, inter-ested solar power customers can obtain comprehensive information on renewable energy sources, pho-tovoltaics and current promotional models at the new SMA info portal at www.solar-is-future.de.

Both the different options for using solar energy for our power supply as well as the operating principles behind a solar power system are shown. An especially impressive feature is the animation used to show how the system operator be-comes a supplier of environmental-ly-friendly power, and that, aside from this, nothing about his power supply changes. Furthermore, you

can also obtain information on the operating principles of a solar mod-ule by clicking a mouse. In addi-tion, you learn about the advan-tages provided by modern system monitoring and experience why the Sunny Boy is described – and right-ly so – as the heart of a solar pow-er system.

Expertise from the Technology Leader“In the course of our development from pioneers to leaders in photo-voltaic inverter technology we have covered the topic of photovoltaics exhaustively for the past 25 years. We would like to pass on this knowl-edge in an understandable way,” explains Wolfgang Weber, Market-ing Director of SMA.

The new SMA info portal provides comprehensive infor-mation on solar power systems

What advantages does pro-ducing electricity from sunlight actually offer? And, does it even pay off? The non-technician who would like to become a PV sys-tem operator has many ques-tions and is often unsure when selecting a qualified specialist.

[email protected]

You’ll Find Help Here!

How a solar power system works

The Sunny Boy 3800

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“The goal is to provide everything – from extensive consultation to a forum allowing an intensive ex-change of experience between in-terested solar power customers – that could endow potential system operators with the necessary deci-sion-making confidence.“

Online Consultation This includes an advisor on technol-ogy and subsidies who produces an approximate profit calculation in three steps for each case, allow-ing an assessment of the financial framework necessary for invest-ment in a solar power system. Since the installation of such a system be-longs in the care of a qualified spe-cialized company, there is a tool at www.solar-is-future.de that imme-

diately finds your nearest SMA partner company after you enter your zip code. These are the best of circumstances to venture beyond genuine interest and begin plan-ning for your own solar system – the subsidy conditions have never been as favorable as today.

Solar is the Future The release of the new SMA Inter-net portal www.solar-is-future.de has landed on fertile soil: accord-ing to a representative opinion poll conducted by the Forsa research in-stitute, 85 % of the German popu-lation approves the use of renew-able energy sources to produce electric power in the future. That is a high approval rating that also reflects a pronounced interest for

this comparatively young and yet to be fully understood technology. www.solar-is-future.de provides all the information that you require to fulfill your desire to achieve both an environmentally-friendly as well as a sustainable power supply.

Here, you will find the specialized company in your areaQualified consultation, now also online

Page 16: Fresh Air€¦ · Rail Solutions Asia 2007 September 19—21, 2007 8th Exhibition and Conference for Railway Professionals in the Asia Pacific Region Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention

Great Air Conditioningin the Dutch ICM

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After almost 20 years of operation, the entire ICM fleet will be com-pletely refurbished. In addition to renovating the toilets, doors, win-dows and seats, the special high-light will be equipping the ICM with an air conditioning system for the first time.

This will require the entire auxiliary power supply being adjusted to the increased power demand. The aux-iliary power supply was announced across Europe in 2005. Finally, the decision was made for an es-pecially compact and light-weight

system from SMA.

Try-out TrainThe first ICM was completely re-worked and tested as a try-out train

back in 2006. At that time, there was already a special focus placed on the air conditioning system and the modified power demand.

After the initial SMA sample was accepted, the first auxil-iary power supply from SMA was delivered to the NedTrain compa-ny in Haarlem in the summer of 2006. It has now been installed in the ICM since July 2006. To ac-complish this, extensive work was required and countless details needed to be worked out. The stat-ic commissioning then followed. Since the functioned with-out any problems or complications from the very beginning, the initial test drives were possible shortly thereafter.

Air Conditioning TestsAfter the ICM traveled to Vienna, where Europe’s largest air condi-tioning test center is located, the first test in November 2006 was conducted under real conditions. Air conditioning tests are primarily intended to thoroughly check the proper functioning of the air condi-tioning system installed in the vehi-cle. However, they also constitute the first real practical test for the auxiliary power supply. In the end, the limits of the system are probed during the test, for example, the full power supply output at maximum ambient temperatures. Additional-ly, the system‘s performance in ex-treme cold, ice cover or snow drift was also tested.

APPLICATION

SMA delivers auxiliary power supplies for the refurbish-ment of the ICM

In the Rail Focus 3 of November 2005, we reported on the am-bitious refurbishment plans of the Netherlands Railways for the ICM InterCity trains – they are now be-ing implemented.

[email protected]

Air conditioning test at very high temperatures

For short- and long-distance traffic

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Start of Production 2007After successfully completing the tests, the vehicle was then driven back to the Netherlands. There, in close cooperation with NedTrain, the system approval was carried out using an active impedance con-trol.

The series will be converted start-ing in the spring of 2007. Approxi-mately 20 trains are to be renovat-ed each year.

Try-out train at the Amsterdam Centraal train station

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Technical Data Input voltage

AC output

DC output

Dimensions underfloor encl.

Weight

1,500 V DC

3 x 230 / 400 V, 50 Hz, 140 kVA

1 x 110 V DC, 125 A

appr. 1,500 x 1,700 x 560 (mm)

appr. 900 kg

SMA power supply system for ICM

SMA static converter during the ice test

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SMA battery chargers for the new speed record of the TGV

SMA battery chargers have been used in the traction units of the TGV for a long time now. Two battery chargers are mounted under the floor in each traction unit. The TGV POS, designed for 3 input voltages and meant for service to Germany, was the first to use these battery chargers. They will also be used in the new TGV DUPLEX starting in 2008.

[email protected]

High-Speed Travel through Europe

High-Speed Travel in FranceFrance already has a well-devel-oped high-speed network with its center in Paris. The 4 most impor-tant connections start here: the LGV Est Européen high-speed line to Metz and Nancy with the extension to Frankfurt and Stuttgart; the LGV Nord line to Lille with the final des-tinations London, Amsterdam, Brus-sels or Cologne; the LGV Atlantique to the west up to Rennes, Nantes, La Rochelle or Bordeaux; and final-ly, the LGV Sud Est line via Lyon to Italy or the Mediterranean Sea.

The high-speed lines are running near capacity, especially to Lyon and on further to the Mediterra-nean Sea. Here the double-deck TGV DUPLEX trains are the pre-

ferred choice in order to adequate-ly meet the increasing number of passengers.

TGVs en route to GermanyStarting in 2008, the time will come for the first TGV POS to make the journey from Paris to Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Deutsche Bahn will also provide service to Paris along this route with its ICE 3. This high speed line is vital in closing a railway gap in the European high-speed network. In the past, if you want-ed to travel from Frankfurt to Paris, for example, you had to embark on a considerable detour through Cologne and Brussels. This route is no longer necessary and the trav-el time is reduced to approximate-ly 4 hours. This will render high-

speed trains a genuine alternative to airplanes.

Both the TGV POS as well as the ICE 3 must each be approved in the other countries. That was a tedious process that required extensive test drives. During these test drives, the TGV POS sets were also tested on the high-speed routes in Northern Germany.

World Record Ride with the TGV POSBut before the TGV POS starts op-erating in Germany, a completely new challenge lies in store for it: This train is scheduled to set a new world speed record in April. The previous record still stands at more than 500 km/h and is also held by

APPLICATION

TGV POS during the test drives in Germany

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The TGV DUPLEX

a TGV. This time around, the TGV POS will attempt speeds exceeding 550 km/h.

The TGV POS traction units and on-ly a few trailers will be used for this world record journey. This would not only prove that SMA builds the most reliable battery chargers, but most likely also the fastest battery chargers on rails.

The route network of the TGV

Technical Data Input voltage

DC output

Dimensions

Weight

530 V DC

1 x 72 V, 90 A

appr. 430 x 600 x 750 (mm)

appr. 72 kg

Battery charger for TGV POS

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Railway Technology Magazine

SMA Technologie AGHannoversche Strasse 1–534266 NiestetalGermanyPhone +49 561 9522-0Fax +49 561 9522-100E-mail: [email protected]

www.SMA.de/railtech

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SMA exhibitions:

16th May – 19th May 2007 Busan, South Korea

Korea Railways Fair 2007 3rd International Railway Industry Exhibition Busan Exhibition & Convention Center (BEXCO), German Pavilion, Booth S-8

12th June – 14th June 2007 Lille, France

SIFER 2007 5th International Railway Industry Exhibition Lille Grand Palais Exhibition Center, Hall Paris, Booth 1/470

19th September – 21st September 2007 Hong Kong, P.R. of China

Rail Solutions Asia 2007 8th Exhibition and Conference for Railway Professionals in the Asia Pacific Region Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Centre, Rolling Stock Area, Booth 20

7th November – 10th November 2007 Bern, Switzerland

suissetransport ’07

3rd International Trade Fair for Transport, Vehicles, Equipment and Maintenance Exhibition Center BEA bern expo

KoreaRailways Fair

2007

RailAsiaSolutions