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YEAR:IV/II UTILIZATION OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY

UNIT-VI

ELECTRIC TRACTION-I

SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC TRACTION:

Basing on supply sources electric traction may be divided into two groups:

a) Self contained locomotives

b) Electric vehicle fed from the distribution network

Self contained locomotives:

In this type, the locomotives itself has a provision for generation of electrical
energy required for traction purpose. This group is further is subdivided into :

a)Diesel electric trains& ships

b)Petrol Electric trucks & lorries

c)Battery driven road vehicles

i) DIESEL ELECTRIC TRAINS:

In diesel electric locomotives, the diesel engine is coupled to d.c generator

which feeds the electric motors for producing necessary propelling torque . The
generator used for this purpose may be self or separately excited. If separately
excited is employed, then the excitation is employed , then the excitation is
obtained from an auxiliary generator connected in parallel with the battery. The
diesel engine employed is usually high speed type with three or four different
running speeds with different outputs power. The diesel engine has constant torque
characteristic which is undesirable for traction system as more tractive efforts are
required by locomotive while moving up gradient. This constant torque
characteristic is modified by employing a torque converter which must be included
in the transmission between the engine shaft and driving axles.

This system is adopted in areas where coal for stream traction is not
available in plenty and water is sometimes scarce.

There are two types of transmission systems which are usually employed in diesel
electric trains .They are:

a)MECHANICAL TRANSMISSION:

This system employs a variable gear fixed between engine shaft and driving
wheels. This systems of transmission of power is light and effective and is
universally employed for light railways vehicle .but for railways work above
300KW output, it is not suitable due to mechanical difficulties with gears and gear
changing equipment.

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YEAR:IV/II UTILIZATION OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY

b)ELECTRICAL TRANSIMISSION :

This system employees a diesel engine coupled to d.c generators which

supplies current to driving motors assuming the diesel engine is running at constant
spped and the generator is giving a consant voltage any increase in tractive effort
will reduce the speed of the traction motors owing to their characteristics .The
reduction in speed will not be sufficient to compensate for the increased tractive
effort and therefore output power required will increased and the engine will be
overloaded.

In order that the power delivered by diesel remains constant the product of
tractive effort i.e Te*N must remain constant.

Thus the generator voltage must be varied inverserly as the current in order
to keep the output power required constant.

ADVANTAGES:

1. Initial cost is low because of the absence of substation ,distribution line

feeder etc.

2. It has high acceleration and braking retardation as compared to strem

locomotives.

3. The torque exerted is higher than steam engine hence it has more
accommodation .

4. There is no loss of power during speed control.

5. Time required for maintenanace and repairs is comparatively less than

that of steam locomotives

DISADVANTAGES:

As diesel engine is used along with a d.c generator ,the disadvantages are
mainly due to diesel engine i.e,

1. The life of diesel engine is shorter and more over the diesel engine cannot
be overloaded even for a short period.

2. For cooling the diesel engine and motor generator set separate cooling
system are required .

3. Running and maintenance cost is high.

4. The dead weight on loco will be comparatively more because of motor

generator and in order to handle this weight a number of axles are required .

PETROL ELECTRIC TRUCKS AND LORRIES:

This type of traction system is employed for road transport i.e. heavy lorries
and buses .Due to electric conversion ,it provides a very fine and continuous

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YEAR:IV/II UTILIZATION OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY

control which makes the vehicle capable of moving slowly at an imperceptible

speed and creeping up the steepest slope without throttling the engine.

ADVANTAGES :

1. Initial cost is low

2. It is a self contained unit.

3. Speed control and braking system is simple.

DISADVANTAGES :

1. The fuel used for this system has to be imported which affects the
countrys economy thereby the running and maintenance costs are high.

2. It cannot be overloaded beyond certain limits.

3. The life of propelling equipment used is less as compared to any other

drive.

BATTERY DRIVEN:

In this type of traction the propelling unit consists of a d.c motor which is
run by secondary batteries.

Due to the unreliability about the source of supply to motor,this method is

conveniently employed for frequently operated service such as local delivery of
goods in large towns,shunting and traction in industrial works and mines.

ADVANTAGES:

1. Battery driven vehicles is easy to control easy to use.

2. Low maintenance cost & absence of fumes.

3. Less weights.

DISADVANTAGES:

1. Scope of vehicles is limited by small capacity of batteries.

2. Requires frequent charging.

3. Speed range is limited.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE FED FROM DISTRIBUTION NETWORK:

This system of electric traction consist of vehicles which receive electric

power from a distributing network fed at suitable points from either a central
power station or substation suitably spaced .This system is subdivided into:

i) System operating with d.c such as trolley buses ,tramways and railways.

ii) System operating with a.c such as railways.

SYSTEM OPERATING WITH D.C:

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YEAR:IV/II UTILIZATION OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY

In this system the necessary propelling power is obtained from d.c supply
.Some of the examples of such systems are:

TRAMWAYS:

Tramways is a substitute for ordinary buses ,the only difference being they
are run on rail tracks .A single overhead conductor having positive polarity is run
along the road,the rail track forms the return conductor .The power is fed at
suitable points either from central power station or substations. The power is fed at
suitable points either from central power stations or substations .The voltage
employed is usually 600v.

The tramway are provided with two driving axles on either ends which
facilitates in controlling of speed from either ends.Speed of tram can further be
increased by weakening the field of motors .Rheostatic and mechanical braking
are employed for normal service but mechanical brakes are preferred because they
give better retardation due to use of magnetic brakes. The magnetic Brakes usually
consist of electromagnets suspended on springs which are attracted to the rail track
where they exert sufficient locking force.

Tramway is the most economical means of transportation in large cities.The

great disadvantage of tramway is that it requires laying of tracks for its uses which
is costly to maintain and constitutes a source of danger to other users.

TROLLEY BUSES:

Serious drawback of tramway is lack of mamoeuvradility i.e movement in

congested area and noise as track rails are required to be laid of it and in inner city
areas where traffic density is high it will cause difficulty in the movement of
traffic .These are overcome by trolley bus drives.

In this type,the use of track rail is avoided. Trolley bus is an electrically

operated pneumatic typed vehicle and is fed usually at 600v d.c from two overhead
conductors by means of two collectors. A d.c compound motor is usually
employeed as speed control is obtained by field weakening (by proving a
resistance in shunt field or tappings on series field or diverter with serias field
method.

ELECTRIC TRAINS:

Electric trains can be run on a.c & d.c.In earky days d.c at 1,500v &1- a.c
at 11 to 15kv having frequency 25 c/s or 16 2/3 c/s were used .However d.c was
preferred as compared to a.c because in case of a.c an additional equipment is
required to convert normal frequency 50 c/s to 25c/s or 16 2/3 c/s.

Later on a.c has proved more advantages in terms of ohmic losses .Moreover
in cases of a.c higher voltages can be obtained by use of transformer which reduces
the losses and thus increases the spacing between two substations thereby reducing
the number of feeding substations .In case of 3-a.c normal frequency i.e 50c/s is
employed for traction thereby by eliminating low frequency difficulty.

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YEAR:IV/II UTILIZATION OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY

COMPARISION BETWEEN D.C TRACTION AND D.C TRACTION:

1. In D.C traction ,D.C series motor 1. In A.C trains , starting and

develop more starting and running running torque developed by
torque and arc capable of giving a.c motor of same size less and
high acceleration and retardation. hence acceleration and
retardation

2. Number of speeds obtained by d.c 2. Number of speeds obtained are

motor is limited except by chopper many by tap changing method
method

3. D.C series motor are cheap, lighter 3. A.C motors are somewhat
&more efficient expensive and less efficient

4. In case of d.c ,the overhead 4. In case of a.c ,the overhead

distribution is lighter and less costly distribution is heavy and thus
as the losses. expensive

5. D.C System produces less 5. A.C System produces more

interference with communication interference with
lines communication lines

6. For a given length of track the 6. For a given length of track the
number of substations required is number of substations required
more as the voltage above is less as the voltage above
prescribed prescribed

7. D.C .motors requires less 7. A.C .motors requires MORE

maintenance maintenance

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