How power is supplied to electric train?

Power is supplied to moving trains with a (nearly) continuous conductor running along the track that usually takes one of two forms: an overhead line, suspended from poles or towers along the track or from structure or tunnel ceilings, or a third rail mounted at track level and contacted by a sliding pickup shoe.



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Most overhead railway cables carry a voltage of 25,000 volts (25kV) in order to power electric trains. This is roughly 100 times more powerful than the electricity used in your home.

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Certain electric traction systems provide Regenerative brakes. The energy generated by the train is converted into electricity and return it to the power system that is available to be used by other trains, or to the utility grid in general.

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The majority of modern electrification systems take AC energy from a power grid that is delivered to a locomotive, and within the locomotive, transformed and rectified to a lower DC voltage in preparation for use by traction motors.

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In our world, a catenary is a system of overhead wires used to supply electricity to a locomotive, streetcar, or light rail vehicle which is equipped with a pantograph. The pantagraph presses against the underside of the lowest overhead wire, the contact wire.

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DC motors are used on trains is because of their high torque and good speed control. Compared to AC motors, DC motors can provide industry applications with a fine balance of strong starting torque and controllable speed for seamless yet precise performance.

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Many trains intersperse multiple locomotives throughout their lineup to increase and distribute the power. Besides steam- and diesel-powered locomotives, many modern trains operate solely on electrical power. They get the electricity from a third rail, or electrical line, along the track.

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A large diesel engine turns a shaft that drives a generator which makes electricity. This electrical energy powers large electric motors at the wheels called 'traction motors'. To make a diesel electric locomotive power system it takes mechanical, electrical and control engineers.

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Disadvantages of electric traction include: high capital costs that may be uneconomic on lightly trafficked routes, a relative lack of flexibility (since electric trains need third rails or overhead wires), and a vulnerability to power interruptions.

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Some locomotives collect electricity from overhead cables, while others take power from a third “live” rail on the track. It is very expensive to build the lines or rails that carry the electric current, but electric locomotives are cleaner, quieter, faster, and more reliable than steam or diesel engines.

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The engine for maglev trains is rather inconspicuous. Instead of using fossil fuels, the magnetic field created by the electrified coils in the guideway walls and the track combine to propel the train.

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Moyer also countered that the $4.8 million per track mile figure is related to the most expensive areas to electrify a rail line, such as on an overpass. He estimates initial installation costs to be around $2 million per track mile and $2.5 million per doubletrack mile.

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