Dynamic braking
Norfolk Southern 5348 diesel-electric locomotive employs dynamic braking. The cooling grill for the brake grid resistors is at the top center of the locomotive.
Dynamic braking is the use of an electric hybrid electric automobiles .
Principle of operationConverting field coils that generate the magnetic field (excitation ).
The amount of resistance applied to the rotating shaft (braking power) equals the rate of electrical power generation plus some efficiency loss. That is in turn proportional to the strength of the magnetic field, controlled by the current in the field coils, and the rate at which the armature and magnetic field rotate against each other, determined by the rotation of the wheels and the ratio of power shaft to wheel rotation. The amount of braking power is controlled by varying the strength of the magnetic field through the amount of current in the field coils. As the rate of electrical power generation, and conversely braking power, are proportional to the rate at which the power shaft is spinning, a stronger magnetic field is required to maintain braking power as speed decreases and there is a lower limit at which dynamic braking can be effective depending on the current available for application to the field coils. The two main methods of managing the electricity generated during dynamic braking are rheostatic braking and regenerative braking, as described below. For permanent magnet motors, dynamic braking is easily achieved by shorting the motor terminals, thus bringing the motor to a fast abrupt stop. This method, however, dissipates all the energy as heat in the motor itself, and so cannot be used in anything other than low-power intermittent applications due to cooling limitations, such as in cordless power tools. It is not suitable for traction applications. Rheostatic brakingThe electrical energy produced by the motors is dissipated as heat by a bank of onboard resistors, referred to as the braking grid. Large cooling fans are necessary to protect the resistors from damage. Modern systems have thermal monitoring, so that if the temperature of the bank becomes excessive it will be switched off, and the braking will revert to being by friction only. Regenerative brakingIn electrified systems the process of regenerative braking is employed whereby the current produced during braking is fed back into the power supply system for use by other traction units, instead of being wasted as heat. It is normal practice to incorporate both regenerative and rheostatic braking in electrified systems. If the power supply system is not "receptive", i.e. incapable of absorbing the current, the system will default to rheostatic mode in order to provide the braking effect.
Yard locomotives with onboard energy storage systems which allow the recovery of some of the energy which would otherwise be wasted as heat are now available. The Green Goat model, for example, is being used by Canadian Pacific Railway, BNSF Railway, Kansas City Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad .
On modern passenger locomotives equipped with AC ALP-46 were designed without the traditional resistance grids.
Blended braking Dynamic braking alone is not enough to stop a locomotive, because its braking effect rapidly diminishes below about 10 to 12 miles per hour (16 to 19 km/h). Therefore, it is always used in conjunction with another form of braking, such as an Li-ion batteries have also been used to store energy for use in bringing trains to a complete halt.[1]
Although blended braking combines both dynamic and air braking, the resulting braking force is designed to be the same as the air brakes on their own provide. This is achieved by maximizing the dynamic brake portion, and automatically regulating the air brake portion, because the main purpose of dynamic braking is to reduce the amount of air braking required. That conserves air and minimizes the risks of over-heated wheels. One locomotive manufacturer, Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), estimates that dynamic braking provides between 50% and 70% of the braking force during blended braking. Plug brakingA third method of electric braking is plug braking or 'plugging', under which a reverse torque is applied for a short time. It is the most rapid form of electric braking, but comes at the disadvantage of applying significant transient stresses to motors and mechanical components. It is typically abrupt and 'jerky', Self-load testIt is possible to use the brake grids as a form of dynamometer or load bank to perform a self-load test of the power output of a locomotive. With the locomotive stationary, the main generator (MG) output is connected to the grids instead of the traction motors. The grids are normally large enough to absorb the full engine power output, which is calculated from MG voltage and current output. Hydrodynamic brakingDiesel locomotives with hydraulic transmission may be equipped for hydrodynamic braking. In this case, the torque converter or fluid coupling acts as a retarder in the same way as a water brake. Braking energy heats the hydraulic fluid, and the heat is dissipated (via a heat exchanger) by the engine cooling radiator. The engine will be idling (and producing little heat) during braking, so the radiator is not overloaded. See alsoReferences
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