The Fascinating Engineering behind Electric Trains!

It might be surprising to know that in electric trains, the power collected from the overheadlines ends up in the grounding cable of the track after flowing through the wheels. Three phase power conversion, regenerative braking and zig-zag overheadlines - all these make electric train technology quite unique. Let’s understand all the engineering secrets behind the electric trains starting from the simplest design possible.
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[@KanishQQuotes]

Americans watching this and wondering what alien civilisation is this

[@timberhoff]

Why do you think that? Americans are pioneers in many mechanical and technological fields. Their accomplishments are quite remarkable imo.

[@mpe5565]

This comment is >>> Instagram dark comments

[@V0ID_beats]

​@@timberhoffYes but have very few electrified train tracks

[@Saifullah_4112]

I think this is called "Human" but you Americans might not be familiar with the term.

[@whattowatch7908]

The soft bigotry of low expectations 😂

[@gizmoknow-how2022]

This channel is just perfect, the way you first address the issue with a particular technology and then another technology that fixes that issue, always makes me smile. The animation is spot on and narrator's voice is great for these types of videos. Certainly much much...…. much better than most of the college engineering classes. Oh yeah, and the way you appreciate the technologies explained in your videos so deeply is just awesome.

[@Tech.Library]

please what software was used to produce these animations

[@gizmoknow-how2022]

@@Tech.Library don't know bro.

[@Tech.Library]

@@gizmoknow-how2022 I am thinking it's blender

[@gizmoknow-how2022]

@@Tech.Library hmm... it could be.

[@burgerpommes2001]

this videos is made in a way that primary school kids understand it it is not better it is just simplefied (to a point where some things are just wrong)

[@aarkln]

Small correction needed. Multiple motor axles are in place to improve the traction. Because we can transfer the required power through a single motor, but the traction force depends on the friction between wheel and rail which is a limiting factor for an axle. By increasing more number of axles we can get enough traction to pull the train.

[@venkateshdyrwf7298]

As a Indian Railway Engineer have often faced the brunt of poor performance of 4 motor locos vis a vis the 6 motor versions

[@NamLeVietHung]

In short, all wheel drive

[@kdeuler]

Fascinating. How efficient are all those rectifiers and transformers? I imagine they must emit a lot of heat.

[@srmj5585]

Transformers are provided with oil and natural air cooling system (convection) Silicon oil cools the windings of transformer and oil is forced air cooled through a cooling unit like a radiator in cars. Converter inverter unit is again provided with cooling fins for natural cooling as the train runs .

[@sandeepsai8583]

Power electronics devices with higher pulses have efficiency nearly about 100%

[@Tech.Library]

@@srmj5585 please what software was used to produce these animations?

[@sumankalyantripathy7413]

@@Tech.Library Blender

[@UnipornFrumm]

its a lot cooler then a diesel locomotive

[@mkkm945]

Some bogies are 4 wheel while some are 6 wheel. Typically 6 wheel is on heavier, slower but higher torque engines like for freight trains while faster passenger trains have 4 wheel bogies. The one shown in the animation is the ES-64 from Siemens which has 4 wheel bogies. This is directly related to the ACS-64 that Amtrak uses on the Boston-NYC Northeast Regional and on trains to Harrisburg PA.

[@einbaerchen2995]

Yeah they are some minor mistakes in these videos but they are pretty good to gain a general understanding. Technically the pneumatic brakes on most modern locomotives and coaches would be disc brakes, mounted on the wheel axiales.

[@ppdan]

Locomotives with 6 axles (2x3 CoCo) are actually rare. Nearly all modern locomotives are BoBo type (2x2).

[@mkkm945]

@@ppdan not really. India, for example, nearly everything is 6. Europe, you're right. Even in the US, most of freight is 6 with 4 being more for passenger trains.

[@ppdan]

@@mkkm945 MODERN locomotives. India and US are really 2 special cases. I doubt India has lots of modern locomotives. And the US is not a country with a well developed railway system (mainly focused on freight and barely electrified). I am pretty sure that if you take the world wide production of locomotives in the last 20 years you will barely find any CoCo type among them (if any).

[@mkkm945]

@@ppdan they are fairly modern. India runs insanely long passenger trains often over 20 coaches with a single loco, so the loco tends to be 6 wheel with a gearing for a lowish top speed (120kph) but lots of pulling power. India also recently launched the twin loco 4 wheeled Alstom prima with 12000hp for freight. US freight is extremely efficient and well developed, just lacking in electrification.

[@aut_bedenis]

I like the video it is very informative. However I have one problem with the animation. The locomotive powering the railjet is an OEBB 1116 (or "Taurus" or "Siemens ES64U2") has 4 axles (two per bogie) and it is primarily build for 15kV and 25kV, but minor details.

[@matthewmaxwell-burton4549]

Another detail would be that induction motors have anything but linear torque without the right control system.

[@justagoose6186]

It's not OEBB, it's ÖBB

[@BloodKira1]

And it has a 4 wheels bogie, not 6

[@der_cumsportler1022]

@@matthewmaxwell-burton4549 Yes, when the motor is powered with 50/60Hz from the beginning, but here we have an VFD so the torque output can be set to linear

[@rdgk1se3019]

The way the first set up is shown, is actually how General Electric built the Milwaukee Road "Bipolar" electric locomotives in 1919.

[@Ruiluth]

Best electric engines ever made imo.

[@everydayday]

This is a very interesting video. I am Japanese train geek and I translate and play the auto-generated subtitles, but I would like to have English subtitles that match the narration, as there are some parts where the auto-generated subtitles are not sufficient.

[@RISHAVGAMING9]

There is also this channel in Japanese language

[@UnderTheBridge579]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZSlYamnhLxghLc

[@srinivasansukumaran2479]

Complex topics explained in a very simple manner with the help of nice animation. Superb content !

[@andy1285]

There was fitter killed in UK just by removing axle box covers to UAT the axles , the pan had been left up and loco was drawing power for auxiliary's . All was ok till he removed last axle box cover then his body became part of the circuit between axle and bogie frame for the 25 kv . Also the ground bonds on the track can be lethal if disconnected

[@samuelitooooo]

Only thing missing in this video is how each of the important components (transformer, rectifier, inverters) look like in an electric multiple unit. Otherwise this is the best video of how electric locomotives work I've seen yet. Thank you!

[@matthewlongstaff3112]

In an EMU, such equipment is smaller and less powerful, and distributed between more than one car. In the UK, it was once common practice to have the pantograph, transformer, rectifier/control gear, and motors under one car, and auxiliary equipment (eg batteries, brakes) under another. Lately, EMUs have typically had more than one powered car, each with control inverters, with the pantograph and transformer in just one car, usually an unpowered trailer. Longer units and high speed units often have more than one transformer.

[@brunoex360]

Can you guys bring a video about the engineering behind rollercoasters? It's amazing too! Thx for the contents 😊

[@abhisheksharma3662]

This is Fascinating and driving me back to where I started to know more and more and keep refreshing.

[@akashsingh-gx6ge]

That's very impressive.. Lots of respect and appreciation to the creater.... ❤️❤️

[@mysticmarble94]

Its ookkkkayyyy ... I know every molecule of a Pantograph now ... Enough 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲

[@chandanrawal4137]

Best video to understand step by step about the traction mechanism in Railways

[@eugeneleroux1842]

Thank you for such a clear and informative explanation.

[@andrewzwaniga2016]

I love these videos! Now that I have a basic understanding I don’t feel as mystified while taking trains and streetcars.

[@ALxdCr4ftPlays]

Wow I just learned 40 hours of classroom knowledge in this short video. 😊

[@modelllichtsysteme]

Great explanation, BUT: 8:01 the function of a spring isn't shown correctly.

[@akivaweil5066]

Time for the rererererererelease

[@Joso997]

Great now we are going to get another re release

[@dinhtuan752]

Stop using animals video LINKS to confuse me

[@dasy2k1]

Correct. But I think they have done a separate video on the tripple valve braking system

[@pravintiwari4502]

@@akivaweil5066 qareeb quaw

[@raghunandan9290]

Wow. U simplified it fantastically. Thank U

[@Romualdomgn84]

What an amazing animation! Thank you for your efforts. Keep up doing this great educational work!

[@MasterCivilEngineering]

Engineers supercharge your practical engineering knowledge here 👌💯💯🇺🇲

[@suryakamalnd9888]

I don't understand one thing. At the speed the train moves, The sliding wire/thing which collects power from the overhead wire won't it burn up due to friction due to the speed the train moves at?

[@fb55255]

@@suryakamalnd9888 te top of the pantograph is made of graphite like a pencil. This is ground over time by the wire and needs replacement. The heating is minimal as graphite is a good electric conductor and a poor thermal conductor.

[@suryakamalnd9888]

@@fb55255ohh thanks

[@kundanavasarala2072]

@@suryakamalnd9888 the conductor used will have high melting point,so i don't think it should burn up

[@MeriaDuck]

In the EU, many systems use DC as base, no rectification needed. In the Netherlands it is 1500v only. The first design you showed for the single phase electric motor or even dc motor was used quite extensively. Power reduction was done using a bank of resistors on top of the train, heating up the surrounding air. That was quite inefficient of course. Modern induction motors, transformers and stepping circuits are very efficient.

[@roshanantony7467]

The channel creator Sabin Mathew is an Indian so i guess he's using indian systems as the base for this video. The entire electrified mainline Indian rail network uses 25 kV AC; DC is used only for metros and trams here in India. If im not wrong the UK still uses 25kV AC. I wonder why DC is used in your place, isn't DC transmission through power lines highly inefficient compared to AC?

[@erkinalp]

@@roshanantony7467 He is using an Austrian locomotive (ÖBB Railjet) as an example, though.

[@meongmeong3599]

@@roshanantony7467 Basically historical reasons. Early electrification mostly use DC or low frequency AC (like 16.7 Hz or 25 Hz). Netherlands start using 1500V DC in 1910s, although I don't understand why they choose 1500V DC over 3000V even at the time using 3000V is feasible. India also formerly used DC 3000V and 1500V in some areas

[@viktorsigg4212]

@@roshanantony7467 In fact it's the opposite. DC transmission is much more effective, especially over longer distances. Historically though rectifying AC to DC was a problem (before silicon rectifiers and modern electronics), and since AC was easy to step up or down through transformers it was the logical powersource. Today with high power transistors available that is a solution of the past, and modern power transmission is moving to DC.

[@roshanantony7467]

@@viktorsigg4212 im afraid you're off, there's no way DC transmission is "much more efficient" than AC. DC transmission setup is much more complex and expensive in comparison with the AC transmission types. Stepping down or up DC power is an expensive feat and its efficiency is way lesser than a regular transformer. Its not as economical as AC distribution that can be stepped up and down as u like, just keep a transformer there. Where is power transmission DC, i mean, where geographically is power transmission done in DC?

[@tanguyruchti]

Very good video, but a small correction. there are 2 braking systems on a train. the service brake and the parking/emergency brake. the service brake needs air pressure to brake, this is used all the time, for stations, signals, etc. The parking/emergency brake is permanently pressurized and the line is bleed to brake, as explained in the video. This is used only in case of emergency or to park the train for the night per exemple.

[@er.bharat8310]

Wow, so easy to understand how the circuit completes.

[@mehdielgari3552]

Great video and impressive explaining 👏 Just for additional information the secret of engineering behind this technology is in the power conversion and changing between greed distribution power and the system Motor .the system Motor rechange the power when it turns in downward sloping direction and become generator power so we always take advantage of the purely mechanical movement in this case

[@kvk548]

Thanks for the detailed explanation with differentiating step by step implementation

[@abhijithalolickal3682]

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful presentation

[@DEEPUMONSTER]

Im glad u updated the video about the sagging of oh lines. ,👏

[@vichetdragoncars3186]

Thanks for sharing this beautiful video

[@AlaaElhamrawy]

Thank you for the great effort and the fantastic explanation.

[@timbacchus]

Thank you so much for this.

[@milesbrown8016]

Well done. Right on track

[@deepumohandas8071]

Thank you very much for the insight ❤

[@bobbyrkrishna2822]

So informative video. Thank you ❤

[@tyson96]

This channel is highly underrated. Suberb work :O

[@MattijsVandebroek]

Thx for uploading this.

[@vojta4242]

Ok, this video explains quite well how do electric engines generally work. But I noticed one huge mistake regarding to pneumatic brakes. In today's brake systems the brake cylinder is normaly empty when the brake is released. When you want to slow down you actually don't release the pressurised air from the brake cylinder, but the air flows from pipes which lead throw the whole train exactly into the brake cylinder, and overforces the spring inside. The purpose of the spring is to release the brakes, and not to apply a brake force becouse the power of the spring is not enough to brake a train which weights several hundreds of tons. No accidents have been noticed due some failure between cylinder and brake switchboard which is a device providing filling the cylinder from pipes. A proof about this fact is when you pull the brake lever in drivers cab, and you can see how the pressure in pipes is decreasing, and cylinders are filled, and the train starts to brake. That all means that the system works oppositely, than it was described in the video. But still, good job, keep on.

[@pahom2]

Electric braking is also explained very wrong. You can't brake a train by pumping more electric energy into the system. Electric brakes works very differently. The motor generates electricity that is used to heat the brake resistors.

[@Lynxytw]

What an incredible animation

[@scuzyprod.1611]

I'm so happy that you made the videos about electric trains, recently I started to ask myself how they work

[@jamesf791]

Here is something most people don't know is that about 100 years ago there were lots of electric trains in the United States. And the train companies had multiple generators throughout the line. And many cities were able to tap into these generators from the train companies. So many towns got their electric power from train companies and not electric companies

[@harishchandarb8188]

Fantastic Animation and voice over , iam a science teacher and found this the best ever tutorial !!

[@johnniewalker39]

Beautiful presentation!

[@mandehjetii3418]

Thanks for the information Love this video

[@SmokyPrawn49634]

Just pure quality content

[@fathimaaayisha560]

Great Explanation Thanks

[@vishwajittone8577]

Amazing guys !! 🤩🤩🤩 As I am a student , it's very useful for me to understand and imagine the things , rather than bookish knowledge.

[@BijayKumar-xf9sp]

absolutely amazing

[@pitriyanti549]

sungguh sangat membantu saya didalam memahami sebuah kereta listrik...trm ksh byk...sukses selalu channelnya..🙏👍

[@animeshpal483]

thank you for this ❤️❤️

[@yaalpi]

some things have been forgotten, there are 2 brakes, the "train brake" and the "Ind. brake", which work slightly differently being the same brake, and in my opinion a very important thing, the air tank. The pressure of a long train will take forever to regain enough bar to release all the brakes without a tank to store that compressed air in the loc. In other words, without it a long train will brake and take a while to manage to speed up again

[@jeffsiegwart]

Excellent job!

[@subramaniamarumugam2433]

Excellent presentation.

[@shuaibalghazali3405]

I can imagine the level of maintenance needed for this train to operate efficiently

[@roubika1922]

Extremely brilliant presentation

[@shookreeseeree4]

Brilliant animation..tks to the internet..many of us get free education on so many things..

[@pooja9661]

You guys are doing an amazing job. Thanks for all the informative videos 🙂

[@mageshkumarnatarajan7431]

Great efforts to explain as spoon feeding. Well done..

[@JeevanSamagar]

🔥🔥🔥 These fires came while listening 🎧....

[@mushwani85]

Outclass explanation

[@wwn4573]

to complete the train series, please explain about the train signalling and the engineering behind it..

[@milinda2569]

brilliant animations and explanation!

[@naeemraza9090]

Excellent work...

[@chitranjankumar7739]

Sir u r doing termendos work, i m working as asst. Prof. In an institue this kind of work helps me a lot to become a good & effective teacher...

[@seanimo8579]

This is my new favorite channel

[@TomEug]

Thank you

[@MdNaimurRahmanHera]

This is really informative

[@raghunandanasharma7178]

Loved the video a lot!.

[@telosfd]

Thanks a lot!

[@shivkumarchowdhri5689]

Excellent presentation

[@edwinismail9401]

This was awesome

[@Wavepush]

How do subway trains work with 3rd rails?

[@MdArif-rd7jl]

Outstanding description....

[@Aspirant2303]

Hi @Lesics Great work as usual. I was hoping you guys can make a 3D visual and animation related to Astronomy (used in Civil Engineering, Surveying). No one has touched this topic on KZbin. I would really appreciate if you would even think about this idea and explain the definitions via visuals. Thank you.

[@lesetjamotlapele5237]

I think i have seen that in another video the space station construction explained in detail

[@Aspirant2303]

@@lesetjamotlapele5237 Could you please tell me any detail about it? (Video name, who uploaded it etc) I really want to understand that concept

[@lesetjamotlapele5237]

"How does the international space station work" by Jared Owen please check out the video and give me a thumbs up 👍

[@Aspirant2303]

@@lesetjamotlapele5237 Lol. Thanks :)

[@praveenk8757]

Really you did a great job sir

[@sifisomoya8360]

Thanks!

[@bhaumikhirulkar3004]

Mindblowing!😊

[@josephshulman6666]

Beautiful animation !!!

[@muraliranganathan5766]

Thank you Sir

[@simona.digruber9581]

Amazing video!

[@sumon_prodhan]

thank you again

[@Crd2326]

Awesome contents! I liked it!

[@sagargunjote9093]

Such nice details video of electric train

[@vikky7340]

Fantastic

[@vinodkumarbandla9182]

Fantastic explation.superb

[@noeljshah1]

Very informative video thanks.

[@vishwasnagaraju8260]

Great video and animation.

[@himanshumandal5271]

Awesome video

[@omtamrakar2583]

Very informative

[@AnilKumar-zo2eu]

Thank you sir for your packaged information

[@Meetwaah]

Great job

[@MK-yi6ye]

Excellent explanation…please make such more important videos..surely I have liked,subscribed and shared the video 👍👍👍

[@workoholekhh7542]

Fascinating. Know I understand why those fans work with a lots of noises. Rectifiers heat.

[@aryanbothra3258]

You are best in explaining

[@successinfo5929]

thank you sir

[@ishimwehonore8042]

Good demonstration 👍

[@preciouslittlethings777]

wow... really good channel..the animation is incredible...its substance is explained coherently... I have a small robotic school (tutoring) in my little town but I have quite a lot of students, about 80 children from kindergarten to 6th grade elementary school.. and this school will open design graphics classes and engineering drawing and animation...I hope someday I can draw animation like this and teach it to children..

[@kueller917]

Little errors and adjustments aside I do really commend this video for the explanation. Surprisingly difficult to find an example of how these machines actually _work_ instead of a more generalized "pantographs and bogies" shallow overview. This was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.

[@MrSoul-ym7ij]

Thanks a lot ❤