India's first solar powered train set for trial/Solar powered train

[anant_s]

I'm answering your question in 2 parts owing to number of images limitation.

Part 1

@anant_s will this mean an end to generator vans in LHB sets ?

At Least not immediately.

Air Conditioning and auxiliary load in LHB coaches is met through two EOG generators (one standby) feeding at 750 kW, 750 V AC.

Architecture

We need to understand how a coach load is supplied.
The 750 V (50 Hz) is actually fed to a coach mounted transformer (60 kVA, 750/415 V, Step Down). here we have two requirements, 415 V for Air Conditioning and 220/110 V for lighting and auxiliaries (cellphone chargers etc).

Now here something known as Electronic regulator and rectifier Unit (ERRU) is used for feeding Non Air conditioning loads (110 or 220V loads).

I would like to share what loads are required (data from an IISc Bangalore paper). the data quoted is for LHB coaches and helps us understand how solar power can help.

As you can notice, AC load accounts for bulk of power consumed by a coach and remaining loads are quite small.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How non AC loads are supplied

In ICF coaches are equipped with bogie mounted generating units (similar to dynamo). these units get power through a Cardan Shaft from a gear box rotating an alternator, which feeds batteries and in turn batteries provide power through an inverter unit.

This scheme is also applicable to all ICF trains that do not have EOG cars.

Now as we have seen if the coach is NON AC, the net power requirement is significantly low and ERRU can feed all the required loads.
This is Where Solar power comes into picture.
It is proposed to mount two Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Cells panels on each coach covering the entire length of coach.

These solar panels shall then feed ERRU as follows:

Now you can see, that ERRU is being fed from Solar panels, which essentially is reducing or eliminating load on Auxiliary load transformer.

......continued Part 2

 

[anant_s]

Part 2

India is blessed with a lot of sunlight year around and this power can be used to power the train loads of coaches.

In months of May and June, GHI (Global Horizontal irradiance is highest) and lowest in winter months of January and December.

As we can see from above table, at any time of year, Solar energy is sufficient to feed load of a 19 coach mixed train (Ac + Non AC Coaches).


Advantages
Cost
Cost calculations have been done and then compared with reduction of expenditure on fuel and return of investment. The details are as follows:

Even with conservative margins, the panels should pay for themselves in less than 3 years and after that these panels will provide a perpetual savings for next 27 years (considering 30 years of codal life of coaches).

CO2 emission Reduction

I cannot quantify for cost here, but Railways around the world take great pride in being the greenest form of transport. The above figures should delight railways even more.
As we go forward in honoring Paris Climate Declaration norms, i think small steps like these will really go a long way in meeting our commitments to international community.


References

1. http://www.rdso.indianrailways.gov.in/works/uploads/File/Reasoned documents by Ms KAHO.pdf
   
2. http://rdso.indianrailways.gov.in/works/uploads/File/Maintenance Manual for LHB Coaches(5).pdf

@Abingdonboy @MilSpec @WAJsal @AndrewJin @ranjeet @Levina @TaiShang @Vauban @PARIKRAMA

 

[AndrewJin]

Part 2

India is blessed with a lot of sunlight year around and this power can be used to power the train loads of coaches.
View attachment 305053

In months of May and June, GHI (Global Horizontal irradiance is highest) and lowest in winter months of January and December.
View attachment 305054


View attachment 305055

As we can see from above table, at any time of year, Solar energy is sufficient to feed load of a 19 coach mixed train (Ac + Non AC Coaches).


Advantages
Cost
Cost calculations have been done and then compared with reduction of expenditure on fuel and return of investment. The details are as follows:
View attachment 305057

Even with conservative margins, the panels should pay for themselves in less than 3 years and after that these panels will provide a perpetual savings for next 27 years (considering 30 years of codal life of coaches).

CO2 emission Reduction
View attachment 305058

I cannot quantify for cost here, but Railways around the world take great pride in being the greenest form of transport. The above figures should delight railways even more.
As we go forward in honroing Paris Climate Declaration norms, i think small steps like these will really go a long way in meeting our commitments to international community.


References

1. http://www.rdso.indianrailways.gov.in/works/uploads/File/Reasoned documents by Ms KAHO.pdf
   
2. http://rdso.indianrailways.gov.in/works/uploads/File/Maintenance Manual for LHB Coaches(5).pdf

@Abingdonboy @MilSpec @WAJsal @AndrewJin @ranjeet @Levina @TaiShang @Vauban @PARIKRAMA

Great news for the solar technology industry around the world and of course for the environment.

One thing quite commonly seen in the countryside here is solar water heater.
And more and more countryside people are installing solar panels on their house roof and sell electricity to the national grid.

 

[anant_s]

Great news for the solar technology industry around the world and of course for the environment.

One thing quite commonly seen in the countryside here is solar water heater.
And more and countryside people are installing solar panels on their house roof and sell electricity to the national grid.
View attachment 305061 View attachment 305060

These pictures also show commitment of people living here towards sustainability.
Rather than burning fossil fuel for water of home heating, people encourage renewable sources of power, which not only keeps environment clean but also reduces load on power supply utilities.

 

[AndrewJin]

These pictures also show commitment of people living here towards sustainability.
Rather than burning fossil fuel for water of home heating, people encourage renewable sources of power, which not only keeps environment clean but also reduces load on power supply utilities.

I really want one but I'm not living on the top floors.
In the city, u can install such stuff only when you live on the top 1-3 floors.
It's really saving electricity or pipeline natural gas.
One m3 of natural gas here is 2.5yuan (25 rupees?) if annual household use is less than 360m3.
For normal family, its significance is more than environment protection which the government should care more, it's money saving!

 

[anant_s]

I really want one but I'm not living on the top floors.
In the city, u can install such stuff only when you live on the top 1-3 floors.
It's really saving electricity or pipeline natural gas.
One m3 of natural gas here is 2.5yuan (25 rupees?) if annual household use is less than 360m3.
For normal family, its significance is more than environment protection which the government should care more, it's money saving!

Technologies like these have long term impact on communities and families alike. I would like to quote an example of street lighting. A lot of municipalities are actually encouraging use of LED and Solar panels for road and community locations (Parks, reading rooms etc). Now these facilities are essentially funded by taxes we pay to local administrative bodies and cost effective and smart technologies like solar power can actually cut down bills for administrative bodies reducing tax burden on people. Also these are quite maintenance free and long lasting items, which usually is a desirable trait.

 

[AndrewJin]

Technologies like these have long term impact on communities and families alike. I would like to quote an example of street lighting. A lot of municipalities are actually encouraging use of LED and Solar panels for road and community locations (Parks, reading rooms etc). Now these facilities are essentially funded by taxes we pay to local administrative bodies and cost effective and smart technologies like solar power can actually cut down bills for administrative bodies reducing tax burden on people. Also these are quite maintenance free and long lasting items, which usually is a desirable trait.

Yes, and those facilities are beautiful too!
When I visited my family in the countryside in the same province last year, I found most their street lights in the village have been replaced by solar or solar/wind-energy lights. We in the big cities have to learn from them!

 

[egodoc222]

just my 2 cents - wont it be better to actually put the solar panels somewhere on the ground and feed the power grid that powers the loco system (as and add on to the already existing power feeders)? that ways you can put the solar cells in a location more conducive to the solar power generation?

Read carefully.....these will be used on lines where diesel powered locomotives are used!!

I really want one but I'm not living on the top floors.
In the city, u can install such stuff only when you live on the top 1-3 floors.
It's really saving electricity or pipeline natural gas.
One m3 of natural gas here is 2.5yuan (25 rupees?) if annual household use is less than 360m3.
For normal family, its significance is more than environment protection which the government should care more, it's money saving!

In my city for plan to be approved for a apartment complex construction....installing a solar water heater is mandatory!!

 

[AndrewJin]

Read carefully.....these will be used on lines where diesel powered locomotives are used!!


In my city for plan to be approved for a apartment complex construction....installing a solar water heater is mandatory!!

I think incentives are more appealing.