Studying the compatibility of eddy-current brakes

摘要

Eddy-current brakes have proved to be a highly effective way of increasing the braking capacity of high speed trains, but to date they have not been widely adopted in Europe, mainly because of concerns over electromagnetic compatibility and thermal effects on the track (RG 5.08 p301). Co-funded by the European Commission under FP7 Transport (contract 314244), the ECUC collaborative research project on Eddy Current Brake Compatibility has brought together eight European partners to investigate these concerns and look at ways of alleviating them. The project has been co-ordinated by CEIT in Spain, working with Unife, Knorr-Bremse, Al-stom, SNCF, DB, Network Rail and Frauscher Sensortechnik. Over the past three years, ECUC has developed new electromagnetic and thermal models for eddy-current brakes, new brake designs and test procedures, and recommendations for the correct interoperable functioning of ECBs in a complex railway system.