- Traction drives
- Auxiliary converters
- AC & DC power supply systems
en
The European Rolling Stock Forum is the largest event in Central and Eastern Europe devoted to the topic of modern rolling stock. Medcom became the official Technological Partner of the 7th edition of the Forum, during which the main directions of development of the rolling stock market and innovative technologies used to build modern railway transport were discussed.
One of the main debates on the first day of the event was the discussion about innovations in rolling stock. Among the participants was Medcom’s traction development director, dr inż. Janusz Biliński (PhD Eng), who talked about the products and technologies we have developed in response to the needs of the market and the upcoming changes in railway transport.
“Decreasing the total weight of the vehicle, providing greater comfort of travel, and the developing of a new generation of propulsion systems are the main directions of development of rolling stock and at the same time considerable challenges faced by every company operating in this sector,” said Janusz Biliński, Medcom. “Repeat analysis of the vehicle’s structure, the selection of proper materials, and the use of innovative technologies make it possible to lower the weight of the vehicle by up to 16%, while at the same time maintaining all the safety standards,” he added.
Our expert also talked about Medcom’s products developed in the silicon carbide (SiC) technology, which allows us to achieve better vehicle performance, limit energy consumption, and ultimately provide huge savings to the operators.
“We anticipate that within the next few years, most products for railway transport commissioned from us will be based on components manufactured in the silicon carbide technology. New generation systems equipped with SiC components will gradually replace the traditional solutions based on HV IGBT transistors,” said Janusz Biliński.
The second part of the debate was devoted to prospects for the development of the railway industry in relation to the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI). According to the guidelines of the European Commission, the TSI 2022 package should primarily support the digitalization of railways and eco-friendly transport of goods. In this context, experts taking part in the debate discussed the future of hydrogen vehicles in railway transport, among others.
“On the one hand, we need to work on limiting energy consumption, and on the other, develop vehicles powered by alternative energy sources, that is, for instance, hydrogen, which is a 100% zero-emission source of energy for powering vehicles. The TSI 2022 standards do not in any way hinder the application of technologically advanced solutions used to build modern and environmentally friendly railways,” concluded Janusz Biliński, Medcom.