Innovative principles of electric power supply of non-traction power consumers of railway transport
The issues of fundamental changes of electric power-supply of non-traction devices, such as, line-section devices and systems of railway transport are addressed in the article. It is clearly shown that the possibility of electric power-supply of such consumers without using the common high-voltage line-section power-supply lines of alternative voltage of 6 or 10 kV and respective power-supply substations can be implemented in practice. The essence of the proposed is that the electric power-supply source is not a high-voltage power-supply line, but a device which converts potential mechanical energy of a train, moving along a line section between signal points of railway automatic block system, into electrical one. Putting the described power-supply devices into operation provides technical as well as economic advantages over currently and widely used power-supply systems. The conversion of energy is carried out by changing magnetic resistance of a magnetic circuit, which includes railway car wheel-set in motion and direct neodymium magnet. Change in magnetic resistance due to the law of electromagnetic induction results in alternate voltage in the inductance coil, which is used as the electric power-supply source for non-traction line-section power consumers, including but not limited to, signal point of railway automatic block system. In case there is no wheel-set on the converter, electric power-supply for the power consumer is delivered by the electric energy accumulated in an ionistor (supercapacitor).