News

The vehicles which have already been delivered to the Tramwaje Warszawskie company underwent the first tests. These included trial runs reflecting the actual conditions in which they will operate on a daily basis. Therefore, the trams had to cover the test route with a load corresponding to the weight of 240 passengers. The tests revealed that energy consumption was lower by about 29% compared to older low-floor trams used by the company.

The measurement results are better than the manufacturer’s estimates. This is possible, among others, thanks to a number of solutions supplied by Medcom, using the SiC technology. Hyundai Rotem trams have been equipped with the latest generation of propulsion inverters and auxiliary converters, and an efficient energy recovery system which recovers energy generated when the vehicle brakes and accumulates it in the on-board supercapacitor container. All these power electronic devices were developed in the silicon carbide technology. Medcom also provided the train control and management system (TCMS) which made it possible to optimize cooperation between all the devices in order to further reduce energy consumption.

Lowering energy consumption is becoming one of the most important challenges for public transport, not only because of its environmental impact, but also due to the growing prices of electricity. It is also a crucial aspect on which Medom’s research and development department is focusing its work. Thanks to these efforts, Polish cities are some of the first to successfully operate vehicles driven and powered in the SiC technology.