Full use of LED lighting energy-saving equipment in Japan Railway

Japanese railway companies have long been committed to energy conservation. Compared with other means of transport, the railway's per capita energy consumption is relatively low. For example, the Shinkansen's per capita energy consumption is only 1/25 of the aircraft.

However, due to the recent changes in the supply and demand of electricity, the railway can no longer sit back and relax. After the Great East Japan earthquake, the national power shortage caused by nuclear power outage caused a great impact on the railway. Just after the earthquake, the railway companies in eastern Japan began to carry out a comprehensive campaign to save energy, with the outage of nuclear power plants, railway companies in the western region have also begun action.

Energy saving technology in the field of railway has been in progress. Shinkansen, for example, now the N700 system and the first generation of 0 series compared to driving speed of 220km, the power consumption is reduced by about half, compared with the previous generation of the 700 series, power consumption is also reduced by about 20%. But in the future, if we want to further improve energy efficiency, we must adopt new technologies. The same is true of the ordinary railway.

Metro uses LED and new semiconductors

In April 2012 into the operation of the Tokyo subway (Tokyo Metro) Ginza line of "1000 lines" vehicle, its appearance is reminiscent of the old "1000 lines" metro vehicles used in 1927 began commercial operations in Asia's first subway, but the interior is not the same, take a large amount of improvement measures to improve performance.

For example, in order to improve the ride comfort of passengers, the car to increase the output power of the air conditioning, to strengthen the function of the air conditioning; the car monitors to 17 inches wide screen LCD display, improved visibility. However, after strengthening these functions, the power consumption tends to increase. To this end, the new 1000 series uses a technology to reduce power consumption. Among them is the representative of the front indicator lamp (front lamp) and the use of the car lights LED lighting. Tokyo Metro, said the subway headlights using LED is the first time".

Although the main lamp is only 32 watts, auxiliary lamp is only 16 watts, but the brightness is comparable with the previous level of 150 watts headlight. Compartment lights also ensure that the brightness is equal to or greater than the previous fluorescent lamp, while reducing the power consumption of about 40%. The LED lighting life of the compartment lamp is about 40 thousand hours, about 3.5 times of the fluorescent lamp.

Not only the lighting, but also the high efficiency. The utility model adopts a permanent magnet synchronous motor which has higher efficiency than the ordinary induction motor. In addition, in order to reduce the vibration and noise when the curve is running, the vehicle is equipped with a radial bogie". The direction of the axle, which is originally fixed on the bogie, is capable of moving along the curve of the track. Tokyo Metro said that this approach is also applied to the subway in Japan for the first time in china".

In addition, other passenger vehicles belonging to the Ginza line using a new material SiC (silicon carbide) power semiconductor. The semiconductor industry has placed high hopes that this technology, applied to the railway, will greatly accelerate the popularity". The function of a power semiconductor is to control or supply power to the motor, or to charge the battery. Compared with the current power semiconductors using Si (silicon), the use of SiC power semiconductors can significantly reduce power losses and achieve miniaturization of devices.

MITSUBISHI Motor Co., ltd.. In October 2011, the company released an inverter equipped with SiC power semiconductors. Now, the Ginza line 01 series of some vehicles have been equipped with this inverter.

Followed by MITSUBISHI motor is Toshiba Co. In December 2011, the company released a SiC power semiconductor inverter. MITSUBISHI motor and Toshiba inverter is used to supply the catenary voltage of 600 volts or 750 volts railway. Later, Hitachi produced and released in April 2012 SiC power semiconductor inverter using 1500 V DC contact network development.

Ancillary equipment is also a priority for energy conservation

In areas outside the vehicle, power consumption is also a major issue of ancillary equipment, such as stations. Now, the Japanese railway operators in order to cope with the aging population caused by the reduction in transport business operators at the same time, is also expanding non transportation business. Measures are being carried out in addition to the establishment of shops, business facilities, expand the digital signage (electronic signage) and improve the high-speed communications network, etc.. The power consumption of these facilities is increasing. A railway source said: the power consumption has reached the point can not be called 'subsidiary'. "

For example, in the eastern Japan Railway Company (JR East Japan) 2010 annual total sales, the proportion of non transport industry more than 3. In response, the company's energy consumption outside the railway operation has also expanded to about 3 of the overall.

The station power consumption accounts for about 20% of the commercial power of railway operation, and shows a trend of increasing year by year. In order to prevent this trend, railway operators began to use photovoltaic power generation systems and LED lighting in the station.

JR East Japan launched the "green station" is a good example. In the spring of 2012, Tokyo four valley station became the first environmental protection station. Photovoltaic power generation system is installed on the roof of the station and adjacent commercial facilities, only the station has a 50 kW (kW) output power.

Platform and lobby lighting using LED. The electronic display for displaying the name of the station, and the back light of the monitor used by the flight attendants are also LED. In addition to the establishment of skylight, so that the lights can be turned off during the day, the station business facilities are also set up a domestic fuel cell.

JR East Japan's goal is, through the above initiatives, compared with 2008, the carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by about 40% stations in the valley of about four. The company is expected to gradually increase the number of green stations.

The use of LED instead of fluorescent and incandescent bulbs to reduce power consumption, and according to the situation to control LED lighting can also further power. For this purpose, the Tokyo railway company's free Hill tried to use the LED lighting Panasonic and its control system.

The lighting control system uses the human sensor which is arranged at the station to adjust the illumination of the LED illumination according to the number of passengers. For example, in the flow of hours dimming. In addition, the station platform is also equipped with the human sensor sensor as one of the illuminance sensor. To be able to clear the LED lighting on a clear day, in the rainy day light.

Lobby LED lighting can also adjust the tone according to time. In the early morning hours of the use of the spirit of the spirit of the "daylight", in the evening, "white to warm white". In the evening, switch to a soft "incandescent"".

In addition to LED lighting, liberty hill station also uses organic EL (electroluminescence) lighting. Panasonic said the effect of the entire station lighting consumption is reduced by about 37%, with an average reduction of about 30%, depending on the specific number of use". Moreover, by using lighting control system, power consumption is expected to be reduced by about 50%. Lighting in the entire station in the proportion of electricity consumption is about 50%, thus calculating the overall power consumption can be reduced by about 25%.

Overseas exports to Japan

In addition, in terms of energy saving measures, it is worth noting that large railway operators have their own large-scale hydropower and thermal power generation equipment.

JR East Japan has the use of hydraulic Shinano River Power Station (maximum power 449 thousand kW) Kawasaki power station and use of fire (maximum power 655 thousand kW) independent power generation equipment. The distributed power supply rail operators set in Photovoltaic Station and commercial facilities and other places of power generation, fuel cell system, how to build the system power and large-scale power generation equipment to realize the linkage, the point of concern.

This is because the railway operators for the establishment of decentralized power, according to whether it has the effect of energy saving, whether it helps to improve the value of the comprehensive judgment, according to their own will to set. Moreover, in the station around the station redevelopment standpoint, railway operators can also play the role of systems integrators, used to enhance the charm of the service along with railway infrastructure and energy systems to achieve linkage.

Now, in order to build the railway infrastructure into an export industry, Japan has launched an action, in the face of competition in Europe, China and South Korea, and now only win a choice. But with the railway infrastructure is difficult to determine the winner. Because of this, the railway operators to make energy systems and services linkage, to achieve comprehensive development along the program, there are other countries do not have the attraction. To this end, JR East Japan, West Japan Railway Passenger (JR West Japan), Metro, Tokyo, 10 companies invested in November 2011 was set up to strengthen the development of overseas railway market consulting firm Consultants.