ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES

BY : AMAN YADAV
ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES
An electric locomotive is a locomotive which is powered by
electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board
energy storage device.

The power for electric locomotives can come from clean and/or
renewable sources , including geothermal power , hydroelectric
power , nuclear power , solar power and wind turbines .
RAIL HISTORY
• The first known electric locomotive was built by a Scotsman , Robert Davidson of
Aberdeen in 1837 and was powered by galvanic cells
• The first electric passenger train was presented by Werner von Siemens at Berlin in
1879. The locomotive was driven by a 2.2 kW motor and the train, consisting of the
locomotive and three cars, reached a maximum speed of 13 km/h.
• The first use of electrification on a mainline was on a four-mile stretch of the
Baltimore Belt Line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) in 1895.
• In the 1930s, the Pennsylvania Railroad , which also had introduced electric
locomotives because of the NYC regulation, electrified its entire territory east of
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
ELECTRIFICATION OF RAILWAYS IN INDIA
• First Train on electric traction started on 1500 V DC System from Bombay Victoria
Terminus to Kurla Harbour on 3 Feb. 1925.
• Madras was second metro city to get electric traction in Southern Railway on 11
May 1931.
• Production of Electric locomotives was simultaneously taken up indigenously at
Chittaranjan Loco-motive Works (CLW) in 1960
• A dedicated and specialised organisation for execution of Railway Electrification
projects was created. Thus, Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE)
came into being at Nagpur, which was later shifted to Allahabad.
THE FIRST KNOWN ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
RAILWAY TRACTION SYSTEM
TRACTION : ELECTRIC TRACTION MEANS A LOCOMOTION IN WHICH THE
DRIVING FORCE IS OBTAINED FROM ELECTRIC MOTORS. ELECTRIC
TRACTION WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY A DOMINANT ROLE IN THE RAILWAY
SINCE IT IS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY CLEAN TECHNOLOGY COMPARED TO
DIESEL TRACTION AND ALSO ITS RUNNING COST IS LOW.

Types of Electric Traction :

• Direct Current (DC) electrification system
• Alternating Current (AC) electrification system :
• Composite system.
• Direct Current (DC) electrification system : In this type of system, three-
. phase power received from the power grids is de-escalated to low voltage
and converted into DC by the rectifiers.
• Alternating Current (AC) electrification system : An AC traction system has
become very popular nowadays it can be easily stepped up or down, easy
controlling of AC motors, less number of substations requirement, and the
presence of light overhead catenaries that transfer low currents at high
voltages, and so on.
• Composite system : In a this system, a single overhead line carries the single-
phase supply. This high voltage is stepped down and converted to three-
phase supply of same frequency in the locomotive itself through the
transformer.
ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
COMPONENTS OF AN ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE

• PANTOGRAPH
• DJ ( DISC JOINT) CIRCUIT BREAKER
• TRANSFORMER
• TAP CHANGER
• RECTIFIER BLOCK
• CIRCUIT BREAKER
• RESISTANCE CONTROL
• Cooling fans
POWER TRANSMISSION :
• For collecting power, contact wire pantographs are mounted on the roof of the traction
vehicle. These pantographs are provided with steel strips for current collection. The raising
and lowering of the pantograph is by means of a pneumatically operated servo motor.
• The high voltage circuit breaker DJ is special type of electro pneumatic contactor mounted on
the roof of the loco. The electrical equipment of the loco is connected to or disconnected from
the OHE by means of the circuit breaker.

• In order to step down the voltage as well as to control the same for feeding to the traction
motors, the traction power transformers are provided on the traction vehicles. These
transformers generally have a primary winding, a regulating winding, traction secondary
windings and auxiliary windings. The regulating winding is designed for choosing appropriate
voltage for the traction motors. The auxiliary winding is required for feeding the auxiliary
motors on the locomotive.
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

• The electric locomotive draws power from the over head equipment (OHE) with the
help of Pantograph and converts this electrical energy to mechanical energy, in
controlled manner, through Traction Motors which drive the axles.
• To enable the locomotive to perform this task, it is equipped with suitable
equipments, which enable loco pilot to control the speed of the train as per
requirement by controlling the applied voltage to traction motors.
• In conventional locomotives, 25KV, Single phase, AC supply is collected by a roof-
mounted pantograph from the OHE and is stepped down by a transformer inside the
locomotive.
• This supply is then converted to DC supply by a full wave silicon rectifier and
associated smoothing filter before being fed to the traction motors.
• Torque /speed control is achieved by variation of the AC input voltage to the
rectifier through an on-load tap changing arrangement on the primary winding of
the loco transformer.
 BENEFITS
• Electric lines mean that trains with heavy diesel engines are not needed. Plus,
trains don't need to carry their own fuel and fuel is supplied through the
overhead cables. Thus, this means the electric trains are lighter than diesel
trains.
• electric trains are more environmentally friendly too, emitting between 20% -
30% less carbon monoxide than their diesel counterparts.
• electric trains will be 'faster and quieter journeys with more seats on trains
and improved reliability on some of the busiest routes’.
• So far it seems that electric trains are more cost effective, more
environmentally friendly and apparently quieter.
 ADVANTAGES

• The Electric Engine, the major advantage of the electric locomotive engine
over diesel engine is that electric engine uses a rather simple and
straightforward technology.
• The electric engine pulls power directly from the power grid and requires only
a transformer and a regulator to bring down the power to acceptable levels.
• Electric engines are lightweight, constituting only motors and wheel axles, and
have almost no moving parts.
• Electric engines are therefore easier to maintain whereas the moving parts of
a diesel engine require constant maintenance
• The simple nature of the electric engine makes them efficient and powerful.
 DIASADVANTAGES

• The simple nature of the electric engine makes them efficient and powerful.
• The major disadvantage of the electric locomotive engine compared to the diesel
locomotive engine is the requirement for power supply in the form of overhead
electric lines.
• The capital cost of laying 5 to 6 kilometers of traction wires is equivalent to the cost
of a new diesel locomotive.
• In addition to the cost and difficulties of installing overhead power lines and sub-
stations to supply power, the possibility of disruption of train services is always a live
concern
 FUTURE SCOPE

• Setting up of electric loco manufacturing factory at Madhepura in Bihar

• Rail coach factory at Kanchrapara/ West Bengal
• 9000 hp Electric locomotives for dfc
• Green Initiative
THANK YOU
ANY QUERIES….?