Next generation train
The Next Generation Train ( NGT ) is a research project of the German Aerospace Center , which aims to open up new perspectives for the rail vehicle industry for the development of trains . In the project, which started in 2007, findings from aerospace technology are to be used. These trains are unlikely to be actually manufactured in this form, they are simply intended to demonstrate new technology.
NGT concept
The concept envisages 3 different train types: NGT Link, NGT HST and NGT Cargo. The HGV should be a high-speed train with a top speed of 400 km / h and connect larger cities, i.e. serve the section of the current ICE . The Link, on the other hand, is designed as a regional train, so it runs on shorter distances and opens up the closer vicinity of the big city. At 230 km / h, however, it is also comparatively fast. The NGT Cargo is a high-speed freight train that is basically based on the HGV.
Various identical technologies are planned for all trains, this applies above all to the concepts for general movement. All trains consist of double-decker cars in order to reduce the costs per seat and to increase the transport performance per kilometer. Below are the technologies that should be found in all 3 train types.
Drive concept
The energy supply is to be done by induction , for this purpose current loops are to be laid in the driveway. This should make the maintenance-intensive overhead line superfluous.
The wheels are each given their own drive, which makes each car body individually maneuverable. Thanks to this technology, the chassis can be made smaller in the middle, since the wheelset shaft is no longer necessary, thus enabling an actual double-decker car with passages above and below. In addition, the individual drive of each wheel makes it easier to take a curve, as the right wheel travels a little faster than the left in a left curve. As a result, both wheels of a car are no longer parallel to each other, but slightly offset. This significantly reduces the wear and tear on the bike and improves cornering and the driving experience. In addition, they enable the train to vibrate even better. A lateral sinus oscillation of 3 millimeters is required to distribute the wear and tear on a wheel. Furthermore, the wheel-rail noise should be minimized. The end cars should have two bogies with two wheel sets each, the intermediate cars should have two loose wheel sets .
When braking, the electric motors should act as generators and thus energy should be recovered . In addition, an eddy current brake should be used. At a speed of 440 km / h, the operational braking distance should be 10 km, with rapid braking - with additional mechanical brakes - 6.4 km.
coupling
The coupling between the cars should be easy to separate and each car should be maneuverable individually . The train should be able to be coupled with others via an optical coupling . Another special feature is that the trains should be coupled and uncoupled while driving, which is known as dynamic wings . For example, one train leaves a station shortly after another, switches to the same track behind it and forms a network. This increases the line throughput and thus the capacity per kilometer of track, as it is possible to drive closer and the two trains become virtually one. As soon as a train wants to travel another route, the one behind it brakes slightly to increase the distance to the previous train and then continues on its own.
Car body
A new car body concept is being developed for the trains . This should contain a large number of identical parts in order to be able to keep costs low. Since an intermediate car only has two sets of wheels and the axle load should not exceed 16 t, its total weight must not exceed 32 t. To achieve this, a lightweight truss structure is developed, which consists of different materials. In this way, a weight reduction of up to 30% should be achieved compared to a pure metal construction.
aerodynamics
The aerodynamics of the train with models in scale 1:50 in the wind tunnel tested. Through special active control elements, insensitivity to cross winds should be achieved, despite the relatively low weight of the car. The eddy current brake is always switched on and off on the side facing the wind, which pulls the train towards the track. It is also investigating how the tunnel bang can be avoided.
economics
The life cycle costs are calculated using new models. The NGT has higher investment costs , but the operating costs and the specific energy consumption are lower, the latter per seat in the NGT HST by up to 50% compared to the ICE 3. This is mainly due to the 30% higher seating capacity with almost identical weight (NGT HST: 215 tons compared to ICE 3: 216 tons).
Station design
For this concept, the station is to be rebuilt in such a way that the train has a platform on both sides to make getting on and off the train faster and more convenient.
NGT link
The NGT Link is a local train 120 meters long and 230 km / h top speed. It is designed for 475 people. Due to its speed, it can also be seen as a replacement for the IC.
It has the special feature that it is highly optimized for battery operation. So that electricity does not have to be available everywhere, the train can only be charged inductively on parts of the route, or even only at the station. For this he has in the lower part of the rail car room for batteries that can be scaled individually on customer request.
NGT HST
The NGT HST is a high-speed long-distance train with a top speed of 440 km / h. It should be 202 meters long and carry 790 to 800 passengers.
In order to speed up entry and exit, the doors have a special arrangement. Each wagon has four doors, but spread over two floors. Each floor has a door on each side, at the other end. This has the consequence that a queue forms which leaves the train on one side of the platform and the new passengers arrive from the other side. The second floor on the platform, whereby the upper floor should be for 1st class, accelerates this effect. This constellation also makes it possible to save stairs and thus accommodate more seats. The doors are not on top of each other, but at the level of the door on the other floor on the other side.
As an example, a train in the direction of travel has the door at the bottom in the front area on the left and in the rear area on the right. At the top, the doors would then be in the front area on the right and in the rear area on the left.
The middle car has a length of 20 meters and the power car is 21 meters long. The intermediate car is used 8 times per train, the power car twice.
The nose of the power car is special in this type of train. The optical coupling enables a new type of protection, in which the nose folds inwards in a crash thanks to special materials and production techniques and absorbs a particularly large amount of energy.
This type of train should also have batteries, but smaller than the Link. Its main purpose is to maneuver individual cars.
NGT Cargo
The NGT Cargo is a freight train for high-speed traffic. This also creates 440 km / h and is 202 meters long, but it should be designed for 400 km / h.
Technically, the concept train consists of single wagons and power cars. The individual wagons can be maneuvered individually and should be able to couple independently with others at train stations. These single wagons should cover the last kilometers to the customer on their own. The engines are designed to be comparatively weak. A double-decker car that can be loaded from the side was also visualized.
At the starting point of high speed, all cars are mechanically and independently coupled and coupled with one or two power cars. The number of power cars and the weight of the train determine the maximum speed. Here, too, several multiple units can be optically coupled.
This train has the same nose as the NGT HST and also batteries for each car, although these are larger here.
The concept also includes a logistics concept that complements the rail system.
Others
A mock-up was presented at InnoTrans 2012. It was a walk-in two-story car body that was 12 m long and 5 m high.
A specific application of some of the innovations developed within the framework of the NGT resulted in the development of the AeroLiner3000 together with the design and architecture office Andreas Vogler Studio .
literature
- RTR Special: NGT - Next Generation Train . Eurailpress, Hamburg 2011, ISBN 978-3-7771-0435-5 , pp. 74 .
- Joachim Winter: Next Generation Train . In: The Railway Engineer . No. 4 , 2012, p. 32–36 ( dlr.de (PDF; 6.2 MB) [accessed on November 3, 2012]).
- Tilo Schumann, Karsten Lemmer: Next Generation Train - new potential for the European HGV . In: Railway technical review . No. 1 + 2 , 2013, pp. 31-39 .
- David Krüger, Joachim Winkler: NGT LINK: A train concept for fast double-decker regional vehicles . In: ZEVrail . No. 10/2014 . Georg Siemens Verlag, 2014, ISSN 1618-8330 , p. 442-449 .
Web links
- NGT Next Generation Train on dlr.de
- New lightweight construction methods for high-speed multiple units on dlr.de (PDF; 621 kB)
- NGT Cargo on dlr.de
- NGT HST on dlr.de
- NGT link on dlr.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ The train of the future is clogging the stations . zeit.de, June 18, 2012.
- ↑ DLR: The guidance of the “Next Generation Train”. June 25, 2013, accessed June 11, 2019 .
- ↑ DLR Transport: DLR researcher Christoph Holtmann shows the eddy current brake on the NGT chassis. September 20, 2018, accessed June 11, 2019 .
- ↑ Figure 2: Side view showing the 21 m end car and a 20 m middle car. Retrieved June 11, 2019 .
- ↑ NGT HST - concept presentation. Retrieved June 11, 2019 .
- ↑ NGT CARGO | DLR traffic. Retrieved June 11, 2019 .
- ↑ DLR: DLR Portal. Retrieved June 11, 2019 .
- ↑ DLR at InnoTrans 2012: High-tech research for tomorrow's rail transport on dlr.de.