December 3-4, 2014 JMAG Users Conference 2014

Development of a rail brake for railway vehicles derived from linear

motor technology

Yasuaki Sakamoto
Maglev Systems Technology Division, Railway Technical Research Institute

Abstract ：
Studies have been carried out on an eddy-current-rail-brake for railway vehicles, which
uses linear motor technology and is called “linear-rail-brake.” This brake is capable of
generating braking forces without contact. In addition, this method decreases the rise in
rail temperature which is a problem in conventional rail brakes, and no excitation power
supply is required by using dynamic braking.
A prototype of the linear-rail-brake was designed and built. Its electromagnetic
characteristic was examined on a test bench. This article reports on design considerations
of the linear-rail-brake and test results of the prototype, including calculated performances
by JMAG.

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Development of a rail brake for railway

vehicles derived from linear motor technology

JMAG Users Conference 2014

Railway Technical Research Institute
Maglev Systems Technology Division, Electromagnetic Systems
Yasuaki Sakamoto

Company Profile
Name Railway Technical Research Institute

Founded December 10th, 1986

Business commencement April 1st, 1987

Change to Public Interest

April 1st, 2011
Incorporated Foundation

Statute See this page (230KB)

Board Members See this page

As a corporation following the Japan National Railway Reform Act, our mission is to perform comprehensive
Objective research and development on railway technologies and labor sciences, ranging from the fundamentals to
application, as well as to contribute to the development of railway advancement, academics and culture.

Business Profile Research and development into railway technologies and labor science.

Address See this page

Number of staff 518 (as of April 1st, 2014)

Net worth 20.5 billion yen (as of April 1st, 2014)

Budget 18.4 billion yen (2014)

st
Qualified Personnel 180 doctorates, 82 engineers (as of April 1 , 2014)

Property Rights Patents: 2,042, Petty patents: 1௳䚸Design patents: 33

Source (our homepage): http://www.rtri.or.jp/rtri/rtri_J_fdata.html
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Eddy Current Rail Brakes for Railway

Vehicles

Eddy Currents in Rail Brakes for Railway Vehicles

Direct current
electromagnets

䠪 㻿 䠪 㻿 䠪 㻿 䠪 㻿
Eddy current
generation from
Rail motion
Germany/ICE3

䕿 Braking force not dependent on adhesion (Friction between wheel and rail).
䕿 Increase in stabilization during an earthquake by the adhesion effects from
magnetic attractive force.
㽢 Large excitation force required (Cannot be used during power outage)
㽢 Large amount of heat generated in the rail (effects buckling stability)
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Necessity of Non-adhesion Brakes

[Background] Development of brake technology using maximum adhesion

- Wheel Slide re-adhesion control (equivalent to automobile ABS)

- Jetting device for adhesion improvement materials (injection of ceramics
particles between the wheel and rail)

Limits have been almost reached, and a technical breakthrough is desired

6
Formation mass 350 䡐 (3M6T)
Deceleration of train set

4 km/h/s
ș (km/h/s)

4
Estimate of the limits of
adhesion breaks and Deceleration
expected results for rail 2 Deceleration
with rail brake

brakes. without rail brake

(Limits of adhesion breaks)

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Velocity v (km/h)
5

Linear Motor Rail Break Proposal

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Linear Motor Rail Break Proposal

Linear motor rail breaks using Linear Induction Motor (LIM)

dynamic breaking

(1) Rail heat generation is reduced compared to conventional eddy current rail
brakes.
(2) Because generated electricity can be used for excitation loss, on-board
power supply to maintain excitation is not needed.

Electric energy

Alternating
No power supply needed
Direction excitation pole

Excitation power
Car motion (Apply generated power)
Rail energy
Rail heat
generation
Rail heat
generation

Linear motor rail brake operation principles Linear motor rail break energy conversion
7

Linear Motor Rail Brake Operation Principles

Conventional rail brake Linear motor rail brake Standard linear induction
operating points operating regions motor operating regions

Braking force

Secondary
ohmic loss

Electric energy

(Generation)

Electricity input
(Consumption)
Thrust

Electricity input

High frequency 0 frequency Synchronizing High frequency

(negative phase) frequency (positive phase)
Negative phase
Generator region Motor region
brake region

Frequency characteristics of a linear induction motor (steady current/speed)

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Linear Motor Rail Break Overview

Constructing an LIM as a Secondary Rail

Specifications for a narrow gauge limited express in Japan.

Armature core length Rail width Gap Break power

Under 1200mm 65 mm 6䡚8 mm Over 5 kN*

* For one side, horizontally of the bogie

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Linear Motor Rail Break Outline

Self excitation power system not dependent on the main circuit

Auxiliary power
supply Inverter
䠄DC 100 V䠅 䠄DC 100 - 600 V䠅

Diode
Armature 1 Armature 2
Battery Smoothing
capacitor

Armature 3 Armature 4

Features
- Operation independently of electric/air brakes
- Excitation powerless drive
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Initial Planning Stage of Analysis

~ Case Studies with Classical Theory Analysis ~

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Characteristics of a Linear Motor Rail as a Target for

Electromagnetic Field Analysis

䖃 Armature excitation frequency is low (about 10Hz)

䖃 Slip frequency for the basic wave is low (about 100Hz)
䖃 Slip frequency for slot harmonics is high (several hundred Hz)

For the time step settings, account for discrepancies in large,

multiple frequencies

䖃 Frequency of the eddy current in the rail is relatively high

(several hundred Hz)
䖃 Rail in the longitudinal direction has relatively fast motion (tens of m/s)

Accounting for a relatively thin skin depth of a rail (a few mm)

Setting extra rail length to account for the end effects in the front and rear.
э A lot of time is spent on the model performing calculations
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Regarding Analysis for the Initial Planning Stage

For the initial planning stage, the described relationship between design
parameters and characteristics should be based on simple theoretical analysis.

Used the "space harmonics frequency analysis" LIM theory analysis method

Primary current displayed as Fourier series format Governing equation

z

䊣㡿ᇦ䚷䚷୍ḟ㕲ᚰ
Region ϫ Primary core (P Pa , V 0)
y
o
ge
୍ḟ㠃㟁ὶ
Primary current Np 䊢㡿ᇦ䚷䚷䜶䜰䜼䝱䝑䝥
Region Ϫ Air gap (P P0 , V 0 ) x
d2 䊡㻙㻞㡿ᇦ䚷䚷஧ḟᑟయᯈ
Region ϩ-2 Secondary
conductor plate (P P0 , V V 2 )
d1 d 䊡㻙㻝㡿ᇦ䚷䚷⿬ᙇ䜚㕲
Region ϩ-1 Lining Iron (P P1 , V V 1 )

䊠㡿ᇦ䚷䚷✵Ẽ
Region Ϩ Air (P P0 , V 0)
LIM model for the space harmonics frequency analysis.
[Important Notes]

(1) Nonlinear magnetic properties of the rail (2) edge effect (3) stray load loss
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Using Theoretical Analysis

(1) Non-linear magnetic properties of the rail

Divide the rail into cross sections,

and change the relative permeability of each layer.

Take the simplest shape,

and set low permeability to one layer only on the rail surface.

(2) Edge effect

э Explained in the following section

(3) Stray load loss

Slot harmonics is relatively large and cannot be ignored.

Estimate the equivalent resistance rm with FEM and element tests, and add
it to the theoretical equation
rm ˜ ǽ 2e
Correction equivalent secondary
ǽ 2c e Theoretical equivalent secondary
impedance:
rm  ǽ 2e impedance
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Edge Effects on the Linear Motor

(Currently where 3D numerical analysis is now commonplace,

it's no longer necessary to even be aware of it...)
End effect

Finite length

Direction
End effect

Edge effect Finite width Electric Part

Edge effect
Edge effect
Overhang For rail brakes, the geometric
overhang is zero.
Reaction plate It is predicted that the insulation
Overhang effect will have a large effect
Edge effect

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Simple Reference Method for Edge Effects in Theoretical

Analysis
Three-dimensional model Simplified two-dimensional model

Analysis plane

Armature Armature

Abbreviated
analysis mode.
d
wov w wov
Rail Steel plate
More than skin depth

For 0.21IJ, rail head width w=65mm

Measured Velocity: 0 km/h

600
2D-calculation
Thrust Fx (N)

2D-calculation using a modifying coefficient

Simple analysis using
400
Russell-Norsworthy coefficient
200 Transverse edge effect
Improved calculation accuracy in the wide
steel plate model
Edge effect decreased breaking power in the
low frequency range. 0 20 40 60
Frequency f1 (Hz) 16

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Approximate Performance using Theoretical Analysis

8 200

Generated power
Velocity: 160 km/h Electric loading: 1489 A/cm Velocity: 160 km/h Electric loading: 1489 A/cm
Braking force

6 150

Pout (kW)
with end effect
Fb (kN)

without end effect

4 100

2 with end effect 50

without end effect
0 0
8 200

Generated power
Velocity: 100 km/h Velocity: 100 km/h
Braking force

6 150

Pout (kW)
Fb (kN)

4 100

2 50

0 0
8 20

Generated power
Velocity: 40 km/h Velocity: 40 km/h
Braking force

6 15

Pout (kW)
Fb (kN)

4 10

2 5

0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
Frequency f1 (Hz) Frequency f1 (Hz)
Braking force Generated power

Frequency characteristics of the concept model calculated with the theoretical analysis
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Prototype Development and Analysis

Examples with JMAG

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Design and Creation of a Prototype for a Roller Rig Testing

Target brake force: 5 kN

Four times the generative force
density of a linear subway

Design concept
Evaluate maximum brake force
Verify design methods

Rail brake - roller rig prototype for a linear motor

Design load
- Magnetic loading - Electric loading
Guarantee core saturation limit for 12 mWb/pole 4400 Up to A/cm, 58 kA/pole allowed

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Testing Facilities for the Roller Rig Prototype

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Roller Rig Prototype

Armature coil
Armature core

983

r=563
70.5 14.0
11.5
79.5
38.5 Unit: mm
268

95
Armature coil

238
Armature core

6.5
Roller rig
65 21

Analysis with JMAG (Models, etc.)

[Version] JMAG-Designer13.1.02g
[Analysis Type] 3D transient response analysis
[Model] Line, 1/2 object (direction of the railroad ties)
[Motion] Move only the physical amount inside the rail
Set a periodic boundary to the front and rear ends
in the translation direction

(no eddy current)

(eddy current)

[Number of nodes /elements] 252938䚸60325 (eddy current)

[CPU] Intel(R) Xeon(R) E5-2430 v2 2.5GHz㽢2
[Used memory] About 720 MB
[Calculation time] 4 to 42 hours

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Analysis with JMAG (Result Example)

Magnetic flux density

Contour plot: T

Maximum
Minimum

Magnetic flux density of the iron core and rail surface

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Comparing Actual Measurements with Calculations

1 v = 160 km/h, I1 = 150 A, f1 = 12.5 Hz

Flux density bz (T)

Measured Calculated (JMAG)

0.5

-0.5

-1
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
Position x (m)

Magnetic flux density distribution in the gap area

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Comparing Actual Measurements with Calculations

Braking force Fb (kN)

6 v = 160 km/h , f1 = 8.0 Hz
Calculated (JMAG)
Measured
4

0 100 200 300 400

Current I1 (A)
Braking force for Current

䖾 Generally changes in a straight line

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Comparing Actual Measurements with Calculations

10
I1 = 380 A , f1 = 8.0 Hz
Braking force Fb (kN)

8 Calculated (JMAG)
Measured
6

0 100 200 300

Velocity v (km/h)
Braking force for speed

䖾 Generally shows constant values for speeds over 50km/h

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Comparing Actual Measurements with Calculations

2
v = 160 km/h , f1 = 8.0 Hz Calculated (JMAG)
Impedance
Measured

Zin (Ȑ) 1

0
20
Power factor
cosȭin (%)

10

-10

-20
0 100 200 300 400
Current I1 (A)

Input impedance for current

䖾 Contains nonlinear electric properties

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Conclusion

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䖃 For the linear motor rail brake development use case, results
calculated in JMAG were compared with the actual
measurements, and they were generally the same.

䖃 Rough performance estimations are sought during the initial

stages of analysis. For example, applying numerical
calculations to modeling techniques for classical theoretical
analysis could serve as a rough estimation.

䖃 Thank you JSOL for the considerable support given for the
calculations this presentation.

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