Energy storage propulsion system for rapid transit cars. System design and equipment description

Technical Report · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1975

OSTI ID:7239408

Raskin, D; Yutko, R T

When a transit rail car accelerates, it draws energy from a wayside electric power source; when it decelerates, the car must rid itself of this energy. Conventional rail cars dissipate this energy in the form of heat. This report describes a transit car propulsion system which will save much of this presently wasted energy by storing the car's kinetic energy in flywheels which are mounted below the car floor. The stored energy is then available for the subsequent acceleration of the car. Thus a significant reduction in energy usage is expected, along with a resultant reduction in subway tunnel heating. This energy storage propulsion system has been installed on two New York City subway cars and will be subjected to an extensive series of tests. This report discusses the background and design approach and describes the technical features of the Energy Storage propulsion system. (GRA)

• Research Organization: Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7239408
• Report Number(s): PB-249063
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
250500 -- Energy Storage-- Flywheels
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330300 -- Advanced Propulsion Systems-- Electric-Powered Systems
330500* -- Advanced Propulsion Systems-- Flywheel Propulsion
DESIGN
ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLES
ENERGY STORAGE
FLYWHEEL ENERGY STORAGE
FLYWHEELS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
PROPULSION
RAILWAYS
RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEMS
REGENERATIVE BRAKING
STORAGE
TESTING
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
USES
VEHICLES