Power Generation System Using Waste Heats in Railway Systems

초록

Due to the increasing demand in energy resources, many efforts in power generation have been given in the field of railway industries, especially, using the waste heats, which are generated during the operation of railway systems. Generally, in railway brake applications, several different types of braking methods are available, such as mechanical braking with disc brake and friction materials, regenerative braking, or eddy current braking. Among the possible braking methods, the mechanical braking is the typical braking type in railway operation. In consideration of mechanical braking, the generation of waste heats is possible during braking with the interaction between brake disc and pad. In this investigation, the thermoelectric power generation using the waste heats in railway systems has been considered. The thermoelectric power generation system was designed using the thermoelectric sensor. Before the actual application on the railway rolling stocks, in this study, the generation system was setup using a full scale dynamometer for railway braking testing at a lab. The thermoelectric sensor was equipped on the back side of pad, and the thermoelectric generator was working at the condition of the temperature change and the generating heat during braking. In this paper, the thermoelectric power generation system using the waste heats from railway braking was introduced, and the efficiency and performance testing results were discussed. Also, the possible suggestions on the actual application on the railway system will be proposed.