Self Generation

No, no, and no.

You are new to the forum but question is old,

My first reply was an oversimplification. If the train has a regenerative braking system, then when going downhill, it can recover some energy that can help in climbing the next uphill.

Cranes for lifting 40 feet containers at the sea port have been successfully designed to generate electricity when the heavy container is being lowered under its own weight.

The electricity produced is used to charge batteries.

Trains have similar arrangement to keep the lights functioning through batteries when it stops at a railway station.

I interpret the question as whether a locomotive (train) can generate the AC power. Can the same generated power be fed or injected into the Electrical Network?

If my interpretation is correct, then in one condition(regeneration to stop the running train), train generates the power and generated power by train can be injected into the network.

In 1980 in India, when we first time designed the thyristor controlled reversible AC power amplifier for locomotive traction having two 1420HP DC motors. Supply or the cantenary voltage is 25KV AC single phase with single conductor and return path is ground.

A. Starting & Running of the Train:

During starting of the train, two 1420HP motors are made series operation to have high starting Torque by making armature current and field current as same value or image. Once speed of the train achieved certain value. Then motors are made as shunt operation by fixing the Armature current and varying the field current to change the speed of the train. This is achieved by having each motor separate AC thyristor power Amplifier for armature as well as Field.

B. Power regeneration or stopping of the Train:

To stop the running train having very huge kinetic energy, the train stops only when its kinetic energy has to be brought to zero. This is achieved by two methods.

1. By converting the kinetic energy into heat energy by applying friction to Train wheels with break brushes and this generated heat energy is dissipated in the air. In this process huge energy is wasted.

2. By converting the kinetic energy into electric energy, This is achieved by bringing the armature voltage in to negative(-Ea)value with delay triggering or gating thyristor nearly at 170 degrees on AC cycle but keeping the field current as positive(+I). Therefore power will be -Ea*+I= -power. This negative power is nothing but power generation. This huge power is then fed into the network.

Each Phase caterary AC line length will be 50 to 60 mile, If 4 to 5 trains are running on this length. One is generation power the other trains will consume the generated power.Then no problem. If all of them are generating the power( by stopping the trains), then there is probability of instability will arise in the network.

Mushtaq Hussaion- INDIA

B.E, M.I.E, MS

Will all the passengers be the 'prime movers' - pushing the train from behnd?

Passengers will occasionally be the prime movers when their momentum is converted to electrical energy during the deceleration caused by dynamic braking.

If a discount is offered for the train ticket, perhaps the passengers might be induced to push the train, which would be a more active mode of energy production.

Mr. electricalexpert65: Guruji

"Will all the passengers be the 'prime movers' - pushing the train from behind?"

Your above idea is excellent & revolutionary that will invent a new source of energy generation and also saving power by human energy that indirectly saves money to Rail ways by using the passengers as prime mover. But don't forget to ask the passengers to pull the train than pushing the Train from behind. Since Train Bogies are connected by hinges but not by solid joint in such case only it can be pushed from behind.

However, I learned in 1971 in my second year engineering that a prime mover is essential to rotate Generator shaft to generate power. Prime mover can be one of them: 1.Hydel energy, 2.Thermal (coal) energy, 3. Atomic energy, 4. Wind energy, 5.Geo thermal energy, 6. Sea tidal energy but not solar energy. Now I will add in my memory your invented Passenger energy.

Thank you

Mushtaq hussain-INDIA

New energy source? Well maybe new to some that never do any physical work but manpower has been around a long time. I don't know about it saving the railways money. Someone is going to have to pay for all the food those pushing or pulling are going to consume. Better off just walking then lugging all that dead weight the empty train.