Improving the braking characteristics of a modern domestic electric locomotive of the Ermak series

Abstract

The article is devoted to the urgent task of improving the efficiency of a modern domestic AC electric locomotive of the “Ermak” series. This is the basis for heavy-haul train traffic on heavily loaded railway lines in the Eastern Polygon (Trans-Siberian Railway and Baikal-Amur Mainline). In conditions of difficult mountainous terrain and protracted descents, the efficiency of these electric locomotives during regenerative braking plays a special role. In the course of the study, a problem was identified that limits the braking characteristics of an electric locomotive through the control channel of a rectifier-inverter converter at the level of 3.5 zones due to the design specifics of the construction of electrical power circuits. A proposed solution allows for expanding the voltage regulation range of a rectifier-inverter converter beyond the accepted limit, up to a full four zones. To confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method's implementation, the calculation of its operation was carried out for a modern domestic AC electric locomotive of the 2ES5K “Ermak” series. The proposed method will improve the locomotive's braking performance, increase its downhill speed, and increase the return of electrical energy to the overhead contact system.