Distributing the train traction power over cars: effects on dependability analyzed based on daily duty-cycle
Distributing the train traction power over cars of modern High Speed trains, which represent one of the main loads of European electrical power systems, is considered and its effects on dependability are analyzed with reference to the daily duty-cycle. Two different possible solutions for the traction systems, the former based on four converters and eight motors, the latter on six converters and 12 motors are compared in terms of service dependability, immobilizing risks and expected failure entity per day. Simplified Markov models are obtained by means of a proper selection of the most likely states. The models are also extended to represent the case of log-normal distributions for repair times, and are solved separately for mission and idle times, by tuning the transition rates with the different duty-cycle stages. Numerical applications give the opportunity of verifying the proposed approach suitability and of making quantitative comparisons between the two different considered trains.
trains reliability management markov processes