Diesel and Gas Turbine Worldwide

RAIL TRACTION

FLEXX Eco bogies reduce track damage, maintenance cost, energy consumption and aerody-
namic drag, as well as noise and vibration.

interior climate control system that senses passenger occupancy based on vehicle weight and adjusts the fresh air rate accordingly. Currently, energy is wasted because systems do not adapt to the number of passengers.

Also, heat exchangers either pre-heat or pre-cool fresh air using up to 80% of the warm or cool exhaust air. This can save 24 to 26% of the energy used for passenger comfort — important since cabin comfort under extreme weather conditions can account for up to 30% of all energy used.

The open tube layout in the ZEFIRO’s non-articulated trains allows capacities to be adjusted to accommodate between 450 and 1300 seats. If the maximum seating arrangement is chosen, the ZEFIRO has the highest capacity of any VHS train, Bombardier said.

Other technologies in the ECO4 portfolio, but not used in the ZEFIROs include MITRAC hybrid technology, C.L.E.A.N. diesel power pack, MITRAC energy saver, FLEXX Eco bogies and FLEXX Tronic technology.

MITRAC hybrid technology means trains can operate on both electrified and non-electrified tracks. With this parallel diesel-electric hybrid configuration, diesel engines are operated only when necessary, and locomotives with multiple diesel engines can be powered separately, only as needed, to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

The result is up to a 40% reduction
in fuel consumption, up to an 80%
reduction in CO2, NOx and particle
emissions and reduced noise in both
train stations and along tracks. Because
locomotives do not have to be ex-
changed nor do passengers have to
transfer, travel times can be decreased
by up to 20%. Also helping reduce
times is the higher acceleration avail-
able in the more powerful electric com-
pared to diesel mode.

The MITRAC energy saver uses ultra-capacitors to store energy recovered via regenerative braking in the ZEFIRO hybrid. The stored energy can be used when extra power is needed when accelerating or for traveling up to 500 m where electricity is not supplied via catenaries. This catenary-free operation eliminates the need for unsightly overhead wires in cities, in tunnels, on rail sections that normally ice up in bad weather or wherever their installation is complex. Besides catenary-free operation, the MITRAC energy saver’s regenerative braking has demonstrated energy savings of up to 30% with up to 35% possible. Germany’s Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH has ordered 19 light rail vehicles equipped with the MITRAC energy saver.

The FLEXX Eco bogies reduce track damage, maintenance cost, energy consumption and aerodynamic drag. This comes from a 30% reduction in bogie and unsprung wheel mass as well as better curving performance. Also leading to reduced bogie maintenance is the FLEXX Tronic technology that provides active radial steering and bogie stabilization that overcomes the limitations of conventional bogies with passive steering and suspension. Noise and vibration are also reduced. A