Energy efficiency is one of the latest and most important design goals in new and refurbished rail vehicles. In order to record accurate and independent energy consumption values, CETEST is accredited in accordance with TSI1302/2014, EN50215 and EN50388 for the assessment and measurement of energy consumption in electric rail vehicles.
Cetest: Energy consumption

Current electric rail vehicles feature energy saving and storage systems that reduce their overall energy consumption. Moreover, energy regeneration to the catenary while braking reduces the energy burnt in the braking resistors.

CETEST evaluates the traction and auxiliary circuits in different rail vehicle designs and then proposes the best approach to assess the energy consumption. This also includes identifying where and when the vehicles will be running throughout their commercial service life.

CETEST is able to measure the Diesel consumption through a flowmeter.

CETEST boasts multispeed and synchronous DAQs, so they can construct flexible measurement chains quickly.

Once the evaluation method and approach have been defined and validated with the final client, CETEST uses the latest sensors and data acquisition equipment available on the market to monitor and record the different test parameters which influence vehicle power consumption. These may include:

These may include:
  • Total input current supplied to the vehicle: DC current clamps or AC current transformers are used to measure and record the input current to the electric vehicle.
    • DC current clamps are used for DC applications: tramways, metros, EMUs.
    • AC current transformers are used for AC applications: high speed trains, locomotives.
  • Input current to traction converters and auxiliary converters: the input current to each main power equipment can also be measured to better understand the power distribution within the vehicle during commercial service. The input current to the braking resistors is also measured to identify when energy is not being regenerated in the catenary.
    • DC current clamps are used for DC applications: tramways, metros, EMUs.
    • AC current transformers are used for AC applications: high speed trains, locomotives.
  • Input voltages: The input voltage to the vehicle and the power equipment being assessed must be recorded for the power consumption assessment.
    • High voltage probes are used for catenary voltage and power converter input voltage assessment measurements.
  • Vehicle speed: Running speed is assessed by means of train-dependent or independent speed sensors. This signal is integrated to obtain the total run distance and therefore energy values can be assessed per km.
  • Vehicle traction state: A longitudinal accelerometer plus a gyroscope are used to identify the vehicle’s traction state during tests. These sensors can provide very useful information on where and how the vehicle is running.
  • Vehicle position: General-purpose GPS is used to identify the exact position of the vehicle during energy assessment tests.

All these variables can be connected to CETEST’s multiple data acquisition systems for optimal data recording. CETEST boasts multispeed and synchronous DAQs, so they can construct flexible measurement chains quickly. Besides, CETEST has proprietary post-processing tools specifically developed in-house for optimal data treatment that can be adapted to each client’s needs.

Cetest: Energy consumption