DC/AC Inverters for emergency railway HVAC systems

Power supply for rolling stock can be critical, especially in emergency-related applications such as HVAC systems, where a ventilation circuit is needed for safety and passenger comfort reasons when a train loses its main power source (catenary or diesel motor) in the middle of the route.

Supplying fresh air to passengers in critical situations

Air conditioning systems, ventilation systems or heating systems are needed: in high speed trains, local trains or subways and urban trains.

HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems) Systems:

• Conventional or heat pump systems
• Compact package or split systems
• Roof, inside the car or under car installations
• Passenger and drivers cab area
• Microprocessor based temperature control
• Air quality systems
• Fire and smoke detection systems
• Airduct systems (new and retrofitted vehicles)

What was our challenge?

The challenge in power conversion systems for railway applications is the performance, as failures cannot be tolerated under extreme mechanical stress when temperatures can reach large ranges.

Choosing the right DC/AC inverter is key for a correct functioning of the auxiliary HVAC emergency system, as it gets fed by 24V, 36V, 72V or 110V batteries and converts the input into 3 phase AC power (150 .. 400Vac). This way, the inverter feeds a 3ph motor that turns on the fans to keep the ventilation in the train running.

Powering The Challenge

At Premium PSU, we have supplied 3ph DC/AC inverters for HVAC and rolling stock applications for years. We do not only offer expertise in this field, but also reliable and robust solutions, which become the perfect match in harsh environmental conditions (extreme temperature and humidity, and high levels of shock and vibrations) while offering a very compact size to fit in small spaces.

All Premium PSU DC/AC inverters comply with the EN50155 standard, which guarantees performance for electronic equipment used in railway rolling stock. This standard lays down minimum requirements for:

• Input voltage range
• Electrical isolation
• Operating temperature
• Shock and vibration
• Humidity
• EMC
• Reliability
• Expected useful life

Our solutions can be found in trains all around the world:

• CAF Civity fleet for the UK, where our ODX-1300 DC/AC inverters are used in emergency fans.
• Bombardier streetcars in Cologne, where our ODX-3000 and ODX-6000 are currently being used for emergency HVAC systems
• Metro Chile also includes our ODX-1300 inverter series for HVAC purpose

Check out our 3ph DC/AC inverters:

If you need a modification of a standard product or a whole new design, we are experts in customized solutions when a standard product does not meet all needs of a project, so don’t hesitate to contact us!

 

Do you need a solution for railway application? A new design, a restyling of a current design, new needs?