A seminar on how we can use solar energy to run train

engines (locomotives) specially in India.

Solar Power to run Locomotives

– Solar Train
Presented By:-
Bidipto Sarkar
5th Semester
3rd Year, Electrical Engineering
Roll no. - 10201616063
Reg. no. - 161020110216 of 2016-2017
Presented To:-
Dr. Pradip Kumar Das
Professor of Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Kalyani Government Engineering College

Subject – Seminar
Subject Code – EE581
Introduction
• Renewable energy sources and technologies have
potential to provide solutions to the longstanding
energy problems being faced by the developing
countries like India.
• Solar energy can be an important part of India’s plan
not only to add new capacity but also to increase energy
security, address environmental concerns, and lead the
massive market for renewable energy.
• Solar-thermal electricity can be developed as future
potential option for power generation in India that can
also be employed to run locomotives.
 Solar • India is endowed with rich solar energy
resource. The average intensity of solar
energy radiation received on India is 200 MW/km
square with 250–300 sunny days in a year.
status and • The distribution of solar energy across
India is as shown below.
current
scenario
in India
•It can be observed that although the
highest annual global radiation is
received in Rajasthan, northern Gujarat
and parts of Ladakh region, the parts of
Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and
Madhya Pradesh also receive fairly large
amount of radiation as compared to
many parts of the world.
•Solar is an important, although
currently underutilized, energy resource
in India with the potential to offer an
improved power supply (especially in
remote areas) and increase the security
of India’s energy supply.
Need for a solar powered train
• Fossil fuel has limited availability that leads to price hike
and gradual depletion of resources.
• Need for reduction in carbon emission.
• Public transport must be more eco friendly.
• Harnessing energy from the train rooftops under
sunlight.
• Low maintenance.
Using solar power to run any generalized machine
•Flowchart of generation of solar
energy using photo-voltaic cells
and subsequently using it to run
any machine is given on the left.
• In case of locomotives in India,
we use DC series motor for the
task.
• This is because DC series motor
has very high starting torque which
is necessary for running a fully
loaded passenger train.
•But this kind of motor draws a
lot of power which cannot be
provided just by the rooftop solar
panels considering whatever
technology we have till present
day.
•Hence, there is a dire need to
develop “Energy Efficient
Motor”.
 Block Diagram of Solar Train

Solar Motor/
Wheel
Panel Auxiliary

Electronic Railway
Battery
Circuit Track
Solar tracking system
• This system is required for proper orientation of
panels during the travel of a train for making
maximum solar irradiance on it. The working
circuit diagram is as on the left.
• LDR1 and LDR2 are fixed at the edges of the
solar panel along the X axis, and connected to
comparators A1 and A2, respectively. Presets
VR1 and VR2 are set to get low comparator
output at pins 2 and 1 of comparators A1 and
A2, respectively, so as to stop motor M1 when
the sun’s rays are perpendicular to the solar
panel.
• When LDR2 receives more light than LDR1, it
offers lower resistance than LDR1, providing a
high input to comparators A1 and A2 at pins 4
and 7, respectively. As a result, output pin 1 of
comparator A2 goes high to rotate motor M1 in
one direction (say, anti-clockwise) and turn the
solar panel.
• When LDR1 receives more light than LDR2, it
offers lower resistance than LDR2, giving a low
input to comparators A1 and A2 at pins 4 and 7,
respectively. As the voltage at pin 5 of
comparator A1 is now higher than the voltage at
its pin 4, its output pin 2 goes high. As a result,
motor M1 rotates in the opposite direction (say,
clock-wise) and the solar panel turns.
Cost and Power Analysis
• Using 19.6% efficient Sun Power solar panels that are one of the best
available in the market
• Power requirement for a non-ac for auxiliary purpose = 4.5 kW
• Power output per square metre at standard test conditions = 196 W/ m2
N.B. -Solar panels are characterized by number of watts (Wp) they can
produce under Standard Test Conditions (STC) of 1000 W/m2 irradiation,
cell temperature of 25 degree Celsius and air mass of 1.5. This is their peak
performance. However, the amount of power they actually produce in
outdoor conditions depends upon the amount of sunshine, orientation,
temperature and air mass.
• Length of a standard LHB coach = 23.54 m
• Width of a standard LHB coach = 3.24 m
• Total area of rooftop of each coach = 23.3x3.24 = 76.2696 m2
• Power rating of one solar panel = 320 Wp
Cost and Power Analysis
• We need to use off-grid solar power system to run the
locomotives. This kind is a bit more expensive than on-grid due to
extra incurred battery and inverter charges.
• Area of one off-grid solar panel = 1.63 m2
• Average cost of one solar panel = $560 = ₹ 40,378
• Maximum number of solar panels that can be installed =
76.2696/1.63 = 46
• Maximum power that can be produced per coach by solar panel =
46x320/1000 = 14.72 kW
• Total cost of installation for each coach for maximum output = ₹
27,918 x46 = ₹18,57,388
• Power left after meeting auxiliary power requirements = 14.72-4.5
= 10.22 kW
 Advantages
• Solar energy is completely renewable, endless and
freely available.
• No kind of pollution is generated due to solar power
generation.
• Very long life of solar modules.
• Requires very less maintenance.
• Savings from the system lead to a payback period of
up to 5-7 years. After that, you get free power for
many more years.
• As most of the locomotives in India uses DC series
motor, no conversion is required as DC is produced
directly by PV cells.
• A good amount of energy is still left unused after
meeting the auxiliary requirements of non-AC coach.
This energy can be employed to meet traction power
and AC coaches
• No transmission loss as installed in vicinity of the
load.
Disadvantages
• Initial cost is extremely high.
– As we can see from the analysis, ₹18,57,388 is
required just for 1 LHB coach.
• No self storage capacity.
– Thus we needed batteries which increased the
cost further.
• Without proper orientation of panel, power can’t
be generated optimally.
– Solar tracking system is thus indispensible.
• To install solar panels, large area is required
because of low efficiency.
– This problem can be solved by adding some
freight coaches that do not consume power or
by increasing the roof area.
 Challenges
• Due to low efficiency of solar panels available in India, total
power requirements of a coach can’t be met.
• In case of AC coaches, 2×25 kW = 50 kW power is required
just for auxiliary purposes in each coach. Thus we can at
most use 1 AC coach for 5 non-AC coaches to meeting the
power requirements.
• The major problem arises due to the traction motor which
draws the maximum amount of power. Hence, energy
efficient motor is required to operate at minimum power.
Recent advancements in the World
The world’s first 100% solar-
powered train is gliding down
tracks in Byron Bay,Australia
from December,2017
•1.9-mile-long(almost 3 kilometres)
stretch of track.
•Solar energy captured by the 6.5-
kW train-top solar panels is stored
directly in an onboard lithium
battery system that powers dual
electric AC traction motors, lighting,
control circuits.
•When stopped at its home
platform, the train plugs into
chargers for quick battery top-offs
with electricity produced by the
storage shed's rooftop solar array.
The 77 kilowatt-hour battery can
hold enough energy for 12 to 15
runs on a single charge.
•During freak, prolonged periods
of cloudiness, when the solar arrays
don't capture enough sun, the train
taps into the main electric grid
supply using renewable energy
Recent advancements in
India
• Indian Railways on July 14,2017 launched first solar-powered DEMU
(diesel electrical multiple unit) train from the Safdarjung railway station
in Delhi. The train will run from Sarai Rohilla in Delhi to Farukh Nagar
in Haryana. A total of 16 solar panels, each producing 300 Wp, are fitted
in six coaches.
• The cost of these solar panels, manufactured under 'Make in India'
initiative, is Rs 54 lakh. This is the first time in the world that solar
panels are being used as grid in railways. The train has a power back-up
and can run on battery for at least 72 hours.
• The solar panels generate about 17 units of power in a day which
enables the lighting system in the coach. Currently Railways will be
installing solar panels on non-AC coaches only.
• By saving an estimated 1.2 lakh kilo litre of diesel every year, the railways
will be able to pocket Rs 672 crore per year. The solar power will also
help in reducing 2.7 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide emission per year.
 Conclusion
Hence, we can conclude that the research and usage
of solar energy to run high power consuming
systems like train locomotives is still a long way to
go.
But once this utopia is achieved, we will be able to
run on free power across the boundaries.
The challenges that have already been mentioned
before are the major roadblocks in the path of
solar trains.
Therefore, despite its low maintenance, it is very
scarcely used.
By using more “energy efficient motors", this solar
power can be efficiently employed for the cause.
We hope that one day, we will be able to use this
power for maximum use.