Natural Gas Railcar Debut

German Rail (DB) is claiming world first, by operating passenger

trains powered by natural gas which is said to produce very few harmful

emissions compared with a diesel-powered train. The project has aroused

such interest that DB and French National Railways (SNCF) now plan to

develop a new natural gas lightweight railcar.

Two 30 to 40 year old two-axle lightweight diesel railcars belonging to DB's

subsidiary and operating on the Baltic island of Usedom were converted to

natural gas propulsion. The conversion involved the replacement of the diesel

engine on each railcar with an Otto engine with spark plugs which can be

powered by compressed natural gas.

An advantage of natural gas is that the railcars can travel about 750

km more on a full tank than they could when they were diesel powered.

The environmentally-friendly propulsion concept fulfilled all the expectations

during trials in the foothills of the Alps. Measurements showed that emissions

of nitric oxide were cut by about 97 %. Carbon monoxide by 84 % and

hydrocarbons by about 70%. Another advantage of natural gas over diesel is

that there is no soot emission from the exhaust pipe. The natural gas engines

are also quieter than their diesel counter - parts.

The German and foreign rail vehicle industry has taken notice of this

propulsion technology, and is considering whether to develop and offer new

generation lightweight railcars with natural gas propulsion", said Mr Roland

Heinisch, DB's board member for research, technology and traction.

Exercise 6. Translate the following sentences paying attention to modal verbs and their equivalents:

1. To improve passenger service there must be more ticket windows at

railway stations.

2. The electrified lines of Russia are able to cater more than 50 per cent of the entire cargohaulage.

3. Steam locomotives were built formany different tasks but they were not able to haul very heavy trains at high speeds.

4. It is necessary that the traction motor characteristics should meet

operating conditions.

5. Electrified railways are to be found in different countries of the world.

6. There existed a number of projects of strange railways in the past; according to one of them the power sources were to be installed along the track.

7. All types of locomotives have to satisfy a number of technical and economic requirements.

8. It is quite necessary that electric traction should be widely used in mountains as well as in tunnels.

9. Track circuits should not be influenced by electric supply circuits.

10. A more frequent service ought to be introduced at peak periods on heavily-used

suburban lines.

LESSON 3

Exercise 1. Study the meaning of the following words.

1) capacity – здатність, продуктивність, потужність ;

Syn. productivity;

2) operating parameters – експлуатаційні параметри

3) rolling stock –рухомий склад;

4) eight-axle locomotives – восьміосні локомотиви;

5) overhead (contact) wire – контактний дріт;

6) catenary - контактна мережа;

7) third (conductor) rail – контактна (струмопровідний) рейка ;

8) electrical substation – електрична підстанція;

9) electrical cables – електричні кабелі ;

10) running rails – ходові рейки;

11) density of traffic – напруженість nepeвозок;

12) direct current (D.C.) – nocтоянный струм;

13) alternating current (A.C.) – змінний струм;

14) transmit – nepeдавати;

15) voltage – напруга;

16) rectify – випрямляти (струм);

17) distribute – росподіляти;

18) frequency – частота;

19) transform - перетворювати

Syn. turn (into), convert;

20) feed – забезпечувати (струмом);

Syn. supply

21) emergency – aварІя.

Exercise 2. Make nouns from the verbs with the help of the suffixation and translate them into Ukrainian

transform -перетворювати — transformation -перетворювання

operate , electrify, transmit, rectify, distribute, consider, compete, restrict,

pollute.

Exercise 3. Answer the questions:

1) What does the future of railways depend on? What's your opinion?

2) What kind of traction - electric or diesel - results in the increase in the speed of

trains?

3) Does electric traction provide the improvement of labour conditions?

4) Is the electric power supply system a costly business?

5) What types of current do you know? What current is most often used in our everyday life?

6) Is the high voltage of the substation lowered for transmission over the railway network, to your mind?

Exercise 4. Read the text and translate it into Ukrainian.

RAILWAY ELECTRIFICATION

The key to the increase of train capacity in recent years has

undoubtedly been the impressive spread of electrification. Numerous studies

and tests as well as practical railway experience show that electric traction

has many advantages, especially on lines carrying high-density traffic. The

replacement of diesel traction by electric one leads to an all-round

improvement in the main operating parameters and the reduction in cost.

There is an increase in the average speed of trains, a useful increase in

traffic capacity., line capacity., increased automation and hi gher

productivity and a reduction of rolling stock requirements. Thus, as

compared to diesels, under average conditions, the use of eight-axle

electric locomotives results in the increase in the speed of trains by 15-25

per cent.

Undoubtedly, railway future lies in electrification. The conversion of

railways to electric traction provides the improvement of labour conditions,

the reduction ofair pollution the electrification of settlements situated along

the railway lines. Electric traction promotes the automation and

mechanization in track laying and repairs.

The reliability of electric traction is a function of combined reliability of the

locomotives and power supply, especially the overhead contact wire.

Along its whole length the track on which electric locomotives run must

have either an overhead contact wire {catenary) or an extra rail (third or

third and fourth rail) from which the train can continuously pick up power.

Overhead contact wire is connected with electrical substations and cables

to bring the power to the track. As to the extra rail, it is placed in the track

between the two running rails. This power supply system makes railway

electrification a costly business, therefore it is justified only on railways with a

high density of traffic. It should be noted, that the third rail system is

particularly essential for underground railways because of a limited space

available in tunnels.

Electric railways may use either direct or alternating current (D.C. or

A.C).

The current supplied from power stations is always alternating one which can be transmitted at high voltage. This high voltage is lowered at a substation

to one suitable for transmission over the railway network. If the railway uses

the third rail distribution the substation also has to rectify the supply turning

it into direct current at a comparatively low voltage.

When alternating current is supplied, it is distributed by an overhead

catenary at a high voltage, 25 kV, and at the normal industrial frequency of a

country. High voltage is first transformed to a lower voltage in the locomotive

and used to feed a.c. or d.c. motors. (It is important that apparatus for

rectification should be small because of the limited space of the locomotive.)

At the present state of development almost all electrified railways are

supplied by alternating current at 25 kV having frequency of 50 Hz (Herz).

Direct current supply causes restrictions on speed, weight of trains. Hence -

limited traffic and line capacity, increased power supply and high cost.

Electrified lines of alternating current have higher efficiency (power losses for

traction are 5-6 % less), weights of trains are practically unlimited. Fulfilling

the same work a.c. lines require 15-20 less locomotives and locomotive

crews. As has been calculated, traffic expenses on a.c. lines are almost 20

less than on d.c. lines. Instead of formerly used direct current of 3 kV and 1,5

kV many countries nowadays use alternating current as tractive power for

trains.

At present there are the following tractive lines in Ukraine : 3000 V d.c.

line and 3000 V a.c. line, frequency 50 Hz (high-voltage lines); 100 V d.c. and

650 V d.c. (having voltage after the primary transformation of high voltage).

The former two lines are customary for our railways, the 650 V d.c. line is

introduced additionally for reserve supply in case of damage of the main

power supply systems. The line 100 V d.c. using the power of accumulated

batteries is designed for use in emergency situations.

Exercise 5. a) Make a list of advantages alternating current power supply.

Use the text to help you.

1 higher efficiency (power losses 5-6 % less)

2_____________________

3_____________________

9

b) Make a list of disadvantages of direct current power supply. Use the text to

help you.

1 causes restrictions in speed

2 __________________

3 _________________

Exercise 6. Describe the process of transmission of electric current to the

railway network system by way of the third rail distribution. Your explanation

will consist of several steps. The verbs will help you.

1 _____________ place

2_____________ connect

3 ______________transform

4 _____________ rectify

5______________turn into

6_______________feed

Exercise 7. Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold type. Check your

answers with a dictionary.

It is a well-known fact that electric trains perform valuable service on trunk

lines with dense traffic. But electric haulage is costly because it needs a

whole system of electrical substations and either a catenary or a conductor

rail. The third rail system is particularly essential for underground railways

because of a limited space available in tunnels.

The conductor rail system proves quite successful under normal

conditions, but a great difficulty arises on open sections. The matter is that

under unfavourable winter conditions the third rail may be covered with ice

and it becomes difficult to transfer electric current from the conductor rail to

the train.

To eliminate this difficulty a special equipment was devised which could

remove ice. At first this equipment was manually operated. But the process

was relatively slow and inefficient.

In recent years, the manually-operated equipment has been converted to

semi-automatic working.

Exercise 8. Define the function of the verb “to have” in the following

sentences, translate into Ukrainian.

1. Every engineer working in the field of signalling has to know the principles

of track circuit operation.

2. Many new electronic devices have been developed to provide the safety of high-speed traffic.

3. One of the new systems proposed for carrying passengers in towns is the “Never-Stop” Railway which has no rails but runs with rubber-tyred wheels.

4. Our country has many locomotive building works producing all types of locomotives.

5.Technical investigations have shown that today it is possible to build very

powerful diesel locomotives.

6. The old bridge had to be moved from piers to carry the diverted traffic during the reconstruction.

7. With the introduction of Computer Traffic Control the safety of railway operation has greatly increased.

8. It was reported by foreign press that multiple-wheel cars would have a bright future.

9. All types of locomotives have to satisfy a number of technical and economic requirements.

LESSON 4

Maglev train

Exercise 1. Study this diagram of a Maglev train. What differences can you

name between this and a conventional train?

Exercise 2. Now read the following text to check how many of the differences

you have noted are mentioned. Add any other differences you find to your list.

Exercise 3. While reading guess the meaning of the following words and

expressions: to float, magnetic attraction, magnetic poles, even distance,

linear induction motor, electromagnetic windings (coils), to interact.

NOTES: to levitate –підійматися; damper – амортизатор; concrete –

бетон; to shift – тут: переміщатися.