Abstract
During rolling stock operation, various kinds of energy such as vibration, heat, and train-induced wind are dissipated. The amount of energy dissipation cannot be overlooked when a heavy railroad vehicle operates at high speed. Therefore, if the wasted energy is effectively harvested, it can be used to power components like low power sensor nodes. This study aims to review a method of collecting waste heat, caused by the axle bearing of bogie in a rolling stock. A thermoelectric module (TEM) was used to convert the temperature gradient between the surface of the axle bearing housing and the outdoor air into electric energy. In this study, the output performance by temperature difference in the TEM was lab-tested and maximized by computational fluid analysis of the cooling fins. The optimized thermoelectric energy harvesting system (TEHS) was designed and applied on a rolling stock to analyze the power-generating performance under operation. When the rolling stock was operated for approximately 57 min including an interval of maximum speed of 300 km/h, the maximum open circuit voltage was measured at approximately 0.4 V. Based on this study, the system is expected to be utilized as a self-powered independent monitoring system if applied to a low-power sensor node in the future.
Highlights
The railway system was a symbol of modernization and has been developed for more than 100 years with its advantages of mass transportation, punctuality, and fast speed
Designed and manufactured for on-board test on a rolling stock based on the performance test of the thermoelectric module (TEM), a thermoelectric energy harvesting system (TEHS) was installed on the surface of the axle bearing housing of the Korean next-generation high-speed railroad vehicle HEMU-430X, a prototype vehicle, between the axle bearing, heat source, and outdoor air
A thermoelectric energy harvesting system storing electrical energy by harvesting waste heat generated by railroad vehicles was designed and manufactured
Summary
The railway system was a symbol of modernization and has been developed for more than 100 years with its advantages of mass transportation, punctuality, and fast speed. It is necessary to develop an on-board real-time monitoring system for axle bearing inspections. This system must be supplied with power, and this may incur installation costs for electric wires and maintenance costs. A modularized thermoelectric energy harvesting system (TEHS) was developed by choosing a suitable TEM through performance test in the lab and optimizing the design of cooling fin in order to keep the given temperature difference as large as possible by utilizing the Seebeck effect. The system was installed on a Korean high-speed train to analyze the output performance according to the driving condition, and we reviewed whether or not the driving power of the real-time monitoring system can be applied
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