ElectricTraction

Traction
Electric
PresentedBy:
By:
Presented
PiyushKumar
Kumar
Piyush
10EEE023
10EEE023

Contents

What
Whats it allis electric traction?
about?

Electric traction is meant for locomotion in which the

driving (tractive) force is obtained from electric motors
(called as traction motors).
It involves utilization of electric power for traction systems
i.e., for railways, trams, trolleys etc.
For traction purposes mostly 3-Phase Induction motors and
d.c series motors are used and both have high starting
torque, prevailing requirement for the high speed

A Brief History To Electric

Traction
The year 1881 saw the birth of the first electric Railway
run by a German Engineer Werner Van Siemens using both
the rails to carry the current. Finding this a little too
dangerous, Siemens soon adopted the overhead electric
wires.
Electric traction was introduced on Indian Railways in
year 1925 on
1.5 KV DC and the first electric train
ran between Bombay's Victoria Terminus and Kurla along
the Harbour Line of CR, on February 3, 1925, a distance of
9.5 miles, flagged off the then Governor of Bombay Sir
Leslie Orme Wilson.
The first actual train run (apart from trial runs) using 25kV
AC was on December 15, 1959, on the KendposiRajkharswan section (SER).
In the year 1957, Indian Railways decided to adopt 25 kV
50 Hz AC traction based on French Railway (SNCF)
technology.
The Mumbai region is the last bastion of 1500V DC

First AC
Locomotive

Italian Railways were the first in the world to introduce

the electric traction.
The world's first AC locomotive in Valtelina, northern Italy
(18981902).
Power supply: 3-phase 15 Hz AC, 3000V (AC motor
70km/h).
It was designed by a
Hungary company.
The 106km Valtellina
line was opened on
4 September 1902.

Voltages Used For Electric Traction

In India

Typical Voltages used for electric Traction are 1.5kV DC

and 25kV AC for mainline trains.
Calcutta had an overhead 3kV DC system until the '60s.
The Calcutta Metro uses 750V DC traction with a thirdrail mechanism for delivering the electricity to the
EMUs (Electric Multiple Units).
The Calcutta trams use 550V DC with an overhead line
(catenary) system with underground return conductors.
The catenary is at a negative potential.
The Delhi Metro uses 25kV AC overhead traction with a
catenary system on the ground-level and elevated
routes, and uses a rather unusual 'rigid catenary' or
overhead power rail in the underground tunnel sections.
Railway authorities purchases the power from the
supply authorities
and they give voltage supply of 132/110 KV at
substation.

Types of Electric Traction

Systems

DC Traction
DC traction units use direct current drawn from either a
conductor rail or an overhead line.
The most popular line voltages for overhead wire supply
systems 1500V DC and 3000V DC.
600V DC750V DC volt range used for third rail
systems (a means of providing electric power to
a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid
conductor placed alongside or between the rails of
a railway track and that additional rail is
called conductor rail)
Disadvantages- expensive substations are required
at frequent intervals and the overhead wire or
third rail must be relatively large and heavy.
The low-voltage, series-wound, direct-current
motor is well suited to railroad traction, being
simple to construct and easy to control.

AC Traction
AC Traction units draw alternating current from an overhead
line.
Typical Voltages Used are: 15 kV AC, 16Hz (16.7 Hz)
25 kV AC, 50 Hz
25 kV AC, 60 Hz

Fewer substations are required

and the lighter overhead current
supply wire can be used
Reduced weight of support
structure
Reduced capital cost of
electrification

WAG-9
Rated Power-5000 HP
Traction System- 25KV AC
Speed- 140 Km/hr
Traction Motor- DC Motor

Multi
Systems

Because of the variety of railway electrification

systems, which can vary even within a country, trains
often have to pass from one system to another. One
way to accomplish this is by changing locomotives at
the switching stations.
These stations have overhead wires that can be
switched from one voltage to another and so the train
arrives with one locomotive and then departs with
another.
Often, this is inconvenient and time-consuming Another
way is to use multi-system locomotives that can
operate under several different voltages and current
types.
In Europe, it is common to use four-system
locomotives (1.5kVDC, 3kVDC, 15kV 16HzAC,
25kV, 50HzAC)

Advantages of AC Traction
Systems

High power-to-weight ratio than forms of traction such as diesel

or steam that generate power requiring on board prime mover.
higher power-to-weight ratio, resulting in
Fewer locomotives
Faster acceleration
Higher practical limit of power
Higher limit of speed
Higher hauling capability
No exhaust fumes or carbon emissions
Less noise pollution (quieter operation)
The maintenance cost of an electric locomotive is nearly 50%
of that for a steam locomotive. Moreover, the maintenance
time is also much less.
An electric locomotive can be started at a moments notice
whereas a steam locomotive requires two hours to heat up.
The motors used in electric traction have a very high starting
torque. Hence, it is possible to achieve higher acceleration of
1.5 to 2.5 km/h/s as against 0.6 to 0.8 km/h/s in steam traction.

Advantages of AC Traction
Systems
It is possible to use regenerative braking in electric traction
system. It leads to the following advantages.
About 80% of the energy taken from the supply during
ascent is returned to it during descent. And presently
this returned energy is not sent back to public network
but made available for other vehicles within the network
Goods traffic on gradient become safer and speedier.
Since height of an electric locomotive is much less than
that of a steam locomotive, its centre of gravity is
comparatively low. This fact enables an electric locomotive
to negotiate curves at higher speeds quite safely.
electric trains may be powered from a number of different
sources of energy (e.g. hydroelectricity, nuclear, natural
gas, wind generation etc.) as opposed to diesel trains that
are reliant on oil.
electric trains do not have to carry around the weight of
their fuel unlike diesel traction.
A fully electrified railway has no need to switch between

Disadvantages of AC Traction
Systems

Significant capital cost of electrification

Increased maintenance cost of the lines
Overhead wires further limit the clearance in tunnels
Upgrading brings significant cost,
especially where tunnels and bridges and other
obstructions have
to be altered
for clearance
Railway Traction needs immune power, with no cuts,
warranting duplication of Transmission and Distribution
systems, which obviously comes at a Premium Price.

System of Track Electrification

Trolley wire or contact wire suspended with minimum
of sag so that contact between the trolley wire and
current collector can be maintained at higher speeds.
This wire is supported by another wire known as
catenary.
Two different types of Catenary construction can be
used
Single Catenary
Trolle

Compound Catenary
y
Wire

System of Track Electrification

Single Catenary
Construction

Compound Catenary
Construction

Provided for speeds upto

120kmph
Span of catenary wire 45-90
m
and sag of 1-2m.
Relatively Cheaper
Less Maintenance
Suitable where traffic density
and operating speeds are
low.

Provided for speeds ranges

190-224kmph
Additional wire called
intermediate wire is used to
increase current carrying
capacity i.e., to have
increased traffic density.

Single Catenary
Construction

System of Track Electrification

Current Collector- Current from the overhead wire is
collected with the help of sliding contact collector
mounted on the roof of the vehicle.
Three types of Current collector Trolley Collector
Bow Collector
Pantograph Collector Curren

t
Trolley Collector- Used for
Tramways and trolley Collect
or
buses, held in contact with overhead
Wire by spring.
Suitable for low speeds
upto 32kmph

System of Track Electrification

Bow Collector- It uses a light metal strip or bow about 1
m long for current collection.
Not suitable for railway work
requiring speed of 120kmph and higher.
Requires reversing arrangement of the bow
Pantograph Collector- Main function is to
maintain the link between overhead
contact wire and power circuit of the
Pa
locomotive at varying speeds in different
n
climate and wind conditions
This can be lowered or raised from cabin by
air cylinders.

Traction Motors
D.C Series Motors- Develops high torque at low speeds
and low torque at high speed, exact requirement of the
traction units.
Torque is independent of the line voltage and thus
unaffected by the variations in the line voltage.
Single phase A.C Series Motors- Starting torque is lower
than dc series motor due to poor power factor at starting
This motor has surpassed the d.c series motor in terms
of size, weight cost for the same rating.
Maximum operating voltage is limited to 400 Volts.
Three Phase Induction Motors- Provides constant speed
operation, developing low starting torque drawing high
starting current and complicated control networks makes
it unsuitable for electric traction work.
Automatic regeneration is the main advantage in
electric traction with this motor.

Train Lightning/Air
Conditioning(TL/AC)

Individual coaches are powered by axle-driven generators

which charge storage batteries that power lights, fans
and other electrical fittings.
Older coaches use banks of 24V batteries while 110V in
newer coaches.
For powering air-conditioning equipment, an inverter was
used to convert the DC output of a set of batteries to
415V AC. For some time now, however, groups of 110V
alternators delivering 18-22kW each have been used to
power air-conditioning equipment (the voltage is stepped
up to 415V).
In Many air-conditioned coaches, a 'mid-on generator'
(MOG) is used; this is a 415V 3-phase alternator (either in
one of the coaches or in a separate 'power-car'), the
output from which is used both for the air-conditioning,
and (stepped down to 110V) for the lights and fans.

Leading Traction System

Now a days magnetic traction is being used in bullet
trains (also called as Shinkansen- high speed network
of railway lines) operated by four Japan Railways Group
Companies, comprising over 2400 km of lines with max.
speeds of 240-300km/h.
Test runs have reached 443km/h (275mph) for
conventional rail in 1996, and up to a world record
581km/h (361mph) for maglev trainsets in 2003.
Uses a 25,000 V AC overhead power supply.
Annual Passenger traffic of over 300 million per year with
an economic impact of 500 billion per year.
Shinkansen's average arrival time was within six seconds
of the scheduled time including all natural and human
accidents and errors.
Shinkansen trains are electric multiple unit style, offering
high acceleration and deceleration.
The Shinkansen employs an ATC (Automatic Train
Control) system, manages all train operations, and all

A Glimpse on Indian Railways

4th largest network in the world, with 16 Zones, transporting
over 10billion passengers and over 1050 milliontonnes of
freight annually.
IR employs about 1.6 million people, making itself the
second largest commercial or utility employer in the world.
With a view to reduce dependence on petroleum
based
Electrifie
Country Railway
d Length
energy IR has switched over electric traction.Length
This
(Km)
(Km)
also enables haulage of heavier loads
1 United
226,427
<1,000
at higher speeds, thus increasing States
throughput. It is a pollution free 2 Russia
128,000
50,000
system and with the use of modern
3 China
98,000
48,000
high horse power locos having 4 India
65,000
22,224
regenerative braking, it becomes
5 Canada
46,552
129
vastly energy efficient.
6 Australia
38,445
2,715
India consumes 2% of Worlds oil,7 Germany
37,679
20,497
8 Argentina
35,897
136
while Indian Railway uses only 1.7%
9 South
of India s Oil. This Fact shows that
31,000
24,800
Africa
how diesel traction is not very much
Source: International Union of
10

France

29,901

15,140

Thank
You!
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION